The Lamar register., 1920-12-15
THIRD DISTRICT
HIGHWAY ASSOCIATION
Last Session of the Year Met in
Pueblo on Last Saturday.

The Highway Association Tor lhc
Third District, comprising the counties
of Baca, Bent, Crowley, Custer, Ere
mont, Huerfano, Kiowa, Las Animas,
Otero, Prowers and Pueblo, met in
Pueblo last Saturday and would up
the business of the year with BAN
quet at the Congress hotel.
County Clerk L. NJ. Markham, who
has been chairman for the past year
of the association, Commissioners A.
p. Knackey, II. +. Decker and Fred
Williams, and Commissioner-elect Ray
McGrath represented Prowers county
at the meeting. There was good
representation from all sections of the
district and the work of the past year
was discussed and plans iaid>for the
coming year.
The voting of the five million dol
lars bond issue for good roads will it
is expected add one million TO the road
fund this year, which is to be distribut-
ed among the counties. This districts
share will be about sl60,000 and will
u llht SOfNaA
ment highway fund. This in addition
to the funds that are already avail
able will enable more liberal road
program than ever before.
There were number of speakers
among them the Chairman L. NJ. Mark
ham, State Engineer Maloney, and
State Highway Commissioner Ehrhart.
The address of L. NJ. Markham of
Prowers county as retiring president
was one of the interesting events of
the meeting. Mr.. Markham gave an
account of the accomplishments of the
association since its organization. He
showed that the valuation of the coun-
ties represented in the Third district
had increased from total of S246,-
6O3,353 in 1919 to that of 1894 ,8Sf,-
s31 in 1920. and along this line Mr..
Markham stated as follows:
1t will be noted that the total in
crease in valuation in the Third High
way district was S1s,27s,97S, or TAI
per cent. The increase in the state
valuation during the same period was
S91 ,604 ,539 or an increase of GIL per
cent, showing that the increase in val
uation in the Third Highway district
WAS 2l.27 per cent greater than the
state as whole. In the year 1919
the valuation of the Third Highway
district was 1916 per cent of the
total state valuation, while in 1920 it
is 1886 per cent, showing small in
crease. Colorado contains 66, ,341 ,l20
acres Of land, of which 3,194 $50 lay
within the Third Highway district,
making 1889 per cent of the entire
state area. Mr.. Maloney, chief en-
gineer of the state highway eons6ffis-
sion, shows n total mileage of state
roads, both primary and secondary, rs
3.l3693 miles, of which l,451.14 miles
lay in the Third Highway district, CIV
ing 1873 per cent of the entire state
rood mileage.
No greater fact can be presented
showing the importance of road con-
struction and maintenance end the de-
mand therefor than to note that Colo
RADIO in 1904 made for road and bridge
expenditures the total sum of $685.
1876, while in the year 1919 these ex-
penditures had increased to S4,295, 900,
700 per cent in 10 years. While the
figures for 1920 are not yet available
there can be no question but what it
will show larger increase over the
previous year. This information is
indeed interesting and shows first that
the Third Highway district is approx
iruately one-fifth of the state of Colo
rado, and, second, that no greater mat
ters are enlisting-the interest of our
citizens than the construction and
maintenance of roads.
Mr.. Markham paid his respects to
The good work done during the year
by T. ]. Ehrhart, state highway COM
missioner; J. f. Maloney, chief en-
gineer of the state highway commits
sion, and to Fred Radford, district
highway commissioner, and advocated
that the association at all times should
impress upon the highway commission
the necessity of the adoption Of some
plan of state maintenance.
The district was organized under a