Williams news., 1920-05-14
ALAS, HOW SOON!

| mere IS nOCn1ng III the call for the election recently held at which the road bonds of $15O,OO0 were voted to prevent the highway commissioners putting the money where they see fit, as the sections in which the money should be spent were not specified in the call.''
 -COCONINO SUN
 There are no more pathetic words in literature than those uttered by Rip Van Wrinkle when, upon his return to the village of Falling Waters, un- recognized by the friends of his youth, unkown by the children who in happier days were wont to ride upon his back, driven from his door by his wife, parked at by decendents of the very dogs he had formerly fed, he falteringly exclaims: Alas, are we so soon forgot!'
 Possibly to a greater extent than ever before would the people of western Coconino be ir a position to appreciate the pathos of old Rips words, were they constrained to accept as fact the conclusion of our neighbours legal deduction.
 It was just a little over six months since-to be exact, on October 31st.-that the tax payers of Coconino went to the polls and voted almost unanim- ously to place an indebtedness of $15O,OOO on their property, upon the assurance of the High way Commissioners of Coconino county that portion ofthis sum would be expended upon a pro-. ject near to the heart of every man and woman in western Coconino- the Clarkdale road /!
 Is it to be presumed that the people of this county would have voted to place an indebt- edness of $15O,OOO upon their property, if, when it came tc spending the money obtained by their votes, the matter was going to be left to the arbi- trary action of any commission. committee, board or set of men whatsoever, and who would have the right to expend the whole of that amount on road tc Rabbit Cove, Bull Basin, Bur- ro Butte, or anywhere else they might 'Esee ft"?
 Hardly.
 Some wise Frenchman-or was it a ROman-uttered a pro, verb when he said, "The spok. en word vanishes into air; the written word remains. It mat ters little what words were spoken in our midst by those seeking support for the bond issue last fall-they vanished into air. But the written word of those who had the matter in charge is of the greatest import ance, unlike the spoken word-it remains!
 What was that written word?
 Sec. 3, Chapter 31, Session Laws of Arizona, Session of 1917, as amended .prescribesi the duties of the Highway Com. mission of the various counties of the state. Among those duties so prescribed are the fol. lowing:
 Immediately upon their ap- poitment said Commission shall proceed with diligence to inves- tigate the public highways of the county, and shall, whether the bonds proposed to be issued are for the improvement of the public highways of the county generally, or are for the specif- ic public highways of the coun. ty, investigate the condition of such highways as in their judg- r1ent the greatest public neces. sity and convenience require tG be constructed or improved. and shall cause to be prepared map of such highways, show. ing their location, condition. and such other information in regard thereto as the Commits sion may deem necessary for the purpose of this act, and shall ascertain and determine which of said rublic highways as Investigated bv themshouId 1 he irrnroued with 4ha fI