Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1919-01-18
The Walker Lake
Scenic Highway

TIE following letter explains it. E
self and tells of the difficulties to
be overcome before the State High F
way OF the west side Of Walker
Lake can be constructed i
Ny DEAR Mr. SrAN2ARp.
I have At hand your letter of
Deceln1er 31st relative to the road
on the west side Of Walker Lake,
an answer to which has been de
layed because of my absence from
he office.
There are two difficulties, as !
see the situation, with this road
project both Of which | believe can
even ually be overcome. In order
to secure any money at all fro II
the Federal Government Tor this
road it is necessary that we show
that mail is now carried over il Or
that it will be carried III tie future
We have given the matter great
amount of thought, have discussed
it with the Federal Engineers and
Postal authorities, and under the
present Act are convinced tnat in
spite OF the fact that the road is
one of greatest economical import
ance to not only Mineral County
but u whole State, we cannot
get Federal aid III its present form.
There is now a bill i'll Congress e
moving this restriction and we are
urging lis immediate passage, and
l Believe this feature will become
part of the Act under which we
gel aid from the Federll Govern
ment
The seconl difficulty is il the
mater of cost and financing. You
are aware of the difficulties CT con
structlon over portion of the pro-
jeet and that It's cost will be great.
Our present scheme of financing
projects is for the county to pay
one fourth of he cost out of the
County State Highway Fund, the
State to pay the same out of the
State Highway Fund, and to ask.
the Federal Government to pay tie
oher half; aud one half the cost is
maximum the Federal Government
will pay. 1t is obvious that if aid
could be secured at all from the
Federal Government, i. would pay
tor but one lalf of the cost Of con.
structlon, requiring that the State
and County put up the other half
Your county will shortly have
available between 81 500 and IS,
600 which would petmit, unde,
our present scheme of alloeating
the funds, of financing project
costing about $50 900. Since there
are about so miles i'll tins road it
would mean but 81 900 per mile,
which is totally inadequate.
In securing aid IRON the Federal
Government it is nece ssary that
the surveys, plans, specifications
type of construction, etc, be sub
initted 10 and approved by them,
and they will approve nothing
which is not substantial in charac
ter, and they insist that ii il is not OF
the most modern type Of surface
that the construction undertaken
shall be the basis for hat. From
this YOU will see that any kind OF
passable road Will not be approved
Either it is necessary that we Sc
cure aid from the Federal Go ern.
ment on more liberal bass than
heretofore or additional money will
need to be raised locally. A spec a
appropriation by tie Stase, one by
your county, or one by several OF
the counties most vitally interested
are all worthy of thought,
| am sure the Directors Of this |
department will be glad to discuss
this matter with you at any tune |
you happen to be UP this way.
There is enclosed herewith a
copy of letter we have sent TO all
our representatives i'll Congress
from which you viii observe that
ny 49,, -. 4