Arizona republican., 1919-07-05
YUMA HIGHWAY READY IN TIME
 SAYS MADDOCk
Paved Road Will Be Com pleted There When Cali fornia Is Prepared to Con- meet, Declares the State Engineer

That Arizona will be at Yuma with paved road by the time the California highway builders are ready for it, is the statement of Thomas Maddock, state engineer, in a communication to The Republican in which he explains in detail the road program for Arizona and points out his reasons why the state money is not at this time used to build the road to Yuma as re- quested by the large delegation that came to Phoenix recently, representing the Yuma Commercial club, the county supervisors and the road commission.
 MT. Maddock states that it prob ably will take three years for Califor- mia to get to Yuma bridgehead with a paved road, and that Arizona intends to reach down there with paved road to meet it by the time it arrives. The road program calls for bonds across the state from east to west and from north to south, connecting with roads across the neighboring states and the main trans continental lines. MT. Maddock's letter is as follows:
 Editor Arizona Republican,
 Phoenix, Arizona.
 Dear Sir:
 We note with pleasure your leading
 
 2, as it shows the keen interest you are taking in good roads.
 There are several statements in it, however, which we think should be corrected or more fully explained so the numerous readers of your paper will understand the road situation.
 It is our understanding that Cali fornia will have a good road into Yuma in three years by the expenditure of part of their proposed s4000O,000 bond issue on this route. We expect to have a road to meet them when they arrive.
 We hardly think you are correct in stating that this state is without a comprehensive road program as it has had one for some seven or eight years and with the funds available has been working consistently for it's construc- tion-
 This program is road from the New Mexico to the California line through northern Arizona, including the towns of St. Johns. Holbrook, Winslow, Flag staff, Williams, Ashfork, Seligman, Kingman, Oatman, etc.
 A road from the New Mexico line near Lordsburg, New Mexico to Yuma California by the way of Duncan, Cliff ton, Stafford, Globe, Phoenix, Yuma
 A road from the Grand Canyon of Arizona to the Mexican border by the way of Prescott, Phoenix, Florence, Tucson and Nogales.
 Also a road from Tucson south and east, known as the Borderland route, by the way of Tombstone, Eisbee, Douglas and the New Mexico line.
 Only 40 per cent of the road from the city of Yuma to the Antelope hill bridge has been improved by the coun- l ty of Yuma and the state of Arizona, i approximately 20 miles ont of 50. The estimated cost is s300,000 for the re- mainder and $500,000 from the bridge 1 to Agua Caliente, or a total of s800,000 to be expended in Yuma county, while the county of Yuma contributes about s25,0o0 per year to the state road tax fund. It is quite consistent for the county to expect state help, but not consistent to expect in the coming year we can do more than has been done on the state highway system in the last seven years.
 The convention of the State Good Roads association may have buried the handicapping idea of sectionalism in road building. However, it is still the law in the state of Arizona that 75 per cent of the state road tax fund shall be expended in the county in which it originates.
 We absolutely agree with you that a road from Phoenix to Yuma and California has a benefit to people who live all over the southern part of Ari- zona, in addition to the local benefit of the people of Maricopa and Yuma counties, but at the same time we con- slider that it is necessary to secure a road into Phoenix from the south and east for the people 10 come this far before going farther.
 There are some 500 miles in the ] state proposed highway system. To build and pave these would cost ap-