The Coconino sun., 1919-07-25
BIG MASS MEETING STARTS MOVE FOR
 COCONINO ROADS

Unless they act soon, Coconlno county and the city of Flagstaff will not receive the federal aid money of fered them for use next year on the National old Trails Highway, nor will Coconino county receive its share of the federal aid money for the pro- posed improved highway south from Williams.
 These facts were brought out at the ''better roads" mass meeting, at the courthouse Friday night, by County Engineer J. B. Wright and Supervisor c. T. Woolfolk, who had just returned from a conference with State Engi- neer Maddock.
 The meeting was intensely interest ing, and if the plans unanimously adopted there are successfully carried out the benefit to both city and coun- ty will be tremendous.
 Messrs. Wright and Woolfolk were primed with data, which they laid be- fore the meeting, going deeply into detail in response to interested ques- tioning by T. A. Riordan, M. I. Pow CTS, c. B. Wilson, Alex. Johnston, J. B. Gunter and others.
 The United States government off, fers Coconino county $150, 900 for use next year on the National Old Trails Highway and other road projects ap- proved by the state engineer, but only in case the county raises a like amount. Of the above amount the government will apportion 5000 to- ward the $60,000 it will cost to build a concrete road through Flagstaff.
 If Coconino county raises its share there will thus be $3OO,O00 available for use next year on our roads in ad- dition to such amounts as the Forest Reserve may allow. Mir. Wright esti- mates that $120,000 will complete the road to Williams, allowing for good deep gravel or cinder surface, regrad- ing, and changing the route in several places to eliminate or soften grades and turns. Thus there would be $780, 900 left for use east of Flagstaff or on other projects approved by the en- gineers.
 When this road is completed the state will thereafter maintain it, saw ing the county that expense, which now amounts to about S10,000 year.
 Flagstaff can not receive federal aid after next year. That we can get it now is due to the fact that our 1910 census was less than 2,500. The 1920 census will, of course, put us away above that mark, and federal aid is granted to no incorporated town of more than 2,500 population.
 The paved highway through this city would begin at the east line, near the Standard Oil tank, be 20 feet wide to Verde street, then 27 feet wide to San Francisco street, thence to Beaver, and south to the electric light plant, and then 20 feet wide to the city limits. This will include con- crete bridge crossing the River de Flag on Phoenix avenue.
 Mir. Wright believes S60,000 is a liberal estimate of the cost. The dis tance is one and fourteen one-hun- !dredths miles. The government will pay 40 per cent, or S25,O00, of this if Flagstaff raises the balance of $35,000. The cost per lineal foot to the property owners on either side of the highway will be less than $3. The increase in property valuations should more than offset this.
 The city council, if properly peti- toned, can order this improvement, pledging the necessary money, and assessing the property owners along the highway. As the highway skirts the Santa Fe right-of-way along most of its route through the city, that cor poration will, of course, have to stand nearly half of the $35,000 raised by assessment.
 John Zalaha, of the council, was