Arizona republican., 1918-01-21
Good Roads

We hope that every man and woman in the valley will read the letter of Judge Sloan. printed in The Republican yesterday morning at the request of the Good Roads Committee. It meets every possible objection that has been raised to bond issue which would provide this county with a permanent good roads system.
 These objections various, including fear that the money may not be honestly expended or that it may not be wisely experded All that has been safe guarded in the provision for a highway commission composed of capable and experienced men who would serve only for the sake of service and who would guard the expenditure of the road money as they would guard the expenditure of their own
 The proposition as presented to the people now includes plat of the system showing the most equal possible distribution of paved roads. It would be inn possible of with the funds which would be at the disposal of the commission to pave every road and benefit every resident of the county in equal measure But it is proposed benefit every resident of tn. county some measure to give him more in benefits, daily monthly and yearly than he will be asked to pay, to say nothing of added value of his lands because of the good roads system.
 Though he may, when the system is complete, be a mile three four miles from paved road, he is brought much nearer his market than he was before H say he lives ten fifteen miles from market and is brought by the system within three
  the rest of the distance to market has been annhi lated.
 Tine wonderful growth of California in the last fifteen years is due mainly to the development of good roads systems there The climate and the fer tlity and adaptabty of the soil have had much less do with the settlement of the state and the high prices farm property The good roads of California assuring convenience and comfort at all of the year. in cold rainy weather well in delightful spring and fall weather have drawn thousands the continent. The roads of this county during the long dry spell have had and such couptry roads as usually have not attractive but repelling to the unfortunate stranger who is driven over them
 In adopting and installing a good roads system we would be placing ourselves in line with the develop nent of the country. At entrance into the war there was a disposition here there everywhere lo suspend all public improvement But that assa momentary disposition. It was soon that good roads, instead of being luxury that might wait increased necessity On this subject find in the Engineering News Record of January 5
 For all time the place of the highways in the trans portaon system of the country is settled. This is real gain and that those who have the interests of highway development at heart should not belitte In the past there has been inveighns against pleas roads" and ill-concealed prejudice in quar- against motor transportation. That is definitely and finally dead Highways are an economic necessity for the nation. Sensible have known and recog nized it for long time. Now the country at large has been forced to it's recognition and insofar as that recognition has been secured all the stress and strife that have passed through during the last year have been more than paid for.
 This accomplshment-the placing of the highway system of the country in it's correct economic light will for highway development after the is expansion such have never dreamed of in the past. We have been looking with amazement at the increase in expenditures for highway work dur ing the past decade. Who can doubt that these are the merest beginnings when measured by the deve- opment that will come after the is over