Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1917-04-07
Sponsors for Movement to
Give Maricopa Really Fine
Highways, Plan to Hold
Meetings During Day

One more good, strong pull by every
body. and the good roads petitions will
be complete.
The news that petitions were out call
ing upon the supervisors to call
special election for the construction of
good roads Spread like wild fire all
over the farming communities of the
county and dozens of farmers drove
into the different towns of the county
simply to sign the petitions.
In the city, public spirited citizens
called at the committee offices and
asked for copies of the petition for
circulation among their neighbors and
friends. They were supplied.
At noon there will be many extra
copies called in from the banks, which
close at noon. Those that are not
filled up will be given out to those who
are able to circulate them. and they
should all be filled before tonight here
in Phoenix. Practically every man and
woman who has been asked to sign the
petition has done so.
There is to be meeting of those in
terested early this forenoon to frame up
the campaign for this afternoon. 1t is
desirable to get every single copy of
Tie petition in some public place for
signatures during the afternoon, and
there will be a dozen men who will do
little else but secure signatures all day.
If possible, the petition will be pre-
scented to the board of supervisors
Monday and the first legal step neces-
sary will have been taken, one that will
right shortly give Maricopa county "a
system of good roads equal to the won
derful systems in California counties.
Anything like plans for the location
of the roads to be built are premature.
aside from the general idea that the
system must consist of trunk lines with
a well laid out series of laterals.
THE farmer is the man who has the
deepest interest in good roads. After
him comes the city man who wishes
to reach the farmer After him comes
the tourist who is looking for loca
ton. or who is looking simply for
pleasant places in which to spend the
winter months" said a student of good
roads yesterday.
There is no need to recite the many
disadvantages under which the farm
ers Of Maricopa county have labored
ever since the Salt river valley was
settled up. The roads have been almost
impossible for heavy loads without
stringing out a lot OF stock to haul a
comparatively small load of hay, or
grain or merchandise The o0-mule
team has disappeared, but it is almost
as hard to haul heavy load over the
rough, rutted dusty and unevenly
graded roads of the county as it was
in the days of the early SOS, when
the roads consisted of a more or less
well preserved wagon track.
Nowadays We have graded roads
in the county, but the traffic has in
creased so that these no longer stand
the strain. A farmer is up against
big expense whenever he attempts to
haul his crop to market, and that eX-
penSe is increasing. 1t is a drain on
the farmers physical strength, hard
on his machinery and a tax upon his
income; almost the heaviest tax that
could be levied upon him, and he is
feeling it more and more Compared
with the interest on the S1,500,000 nee
essary to provide good and adequate
system of good roads, the cost of poor
roads is enormous.
Take another phase of the matter
think of the tourists who are coming to.
Arizona in greatly increasing numbers
year after year. These tourists are
not all transient visitors, not by any
means. 1t is no common thing TO meet
tourists in favored localities of the
southwest who declare that they intend
TO return to that locality and stay
Now with an attractive road system in
Maricopa county, you can figure on an
ever increasing number of people here.
Don't make the mistake of thinking
that tourists are not a valuable asset.
A tourist started the greatest reclaim
alton and farming project in all the
southwest. The Southwest Cotton com