Arizona republican., 1921-02-04
SCORES OF APPEALS
 ASK ACTION TO KEEP
 UP HIGHWAY WORK

Pointing out the serious damage en- tailed in the suspension of road build ing activities, scores of telegrams and long distance calls were received at the state highway department yester- day following the order for the closing of road camps in the state which threw 1900 men out of employment.
 Civic organizations in the different counties are drafting petitions asking for legislative relief, and are ex- periencing no difficulty in securing the desired number of signatures
 The chamber of commerce and Young Mems Business club of Tucson have joined in drawing up a petition which was put in circulation in Tucson yesterday among the business men who are asking the legislature to at least meet the government aid program and keep up the maintenance work.
 While there are instances where en- gineers are endeavoring to secure county aid and carry on, the news of such attempts are few, the highway department yesterday being flooded with reports of losses with the sus- pension of activities
 C. D. Golden, contractor of section c of the Douglas Rodeo highway has wired the state engineer that he will be held responsible in the event Of h- SI. wired yesterday, follows:
 Wish to protest very vigorously suspension of work on my contract, section c, Douglas -Rodeo. Have four bridge abutments completed. now creating one long dip. Have last dip ready for concrete. Have cer7"n+ ~1 the various units. Tn event of rain, theft or other damage to worA m-s1 hold you and state responsible. This suspension entails serious damage and expense to me and I shall expect to recover same for violation of my con- tract.
 e. D. GOLDEN, Contractor
 The sub-contractor engaged on the same road declares ceasing the work means loss of s75,o00.
 He says in his wire from Douglas:
 The position you have taken repre- senting your state that work at once cease on the Douglas-Rodeo road means loss of more than $75,0oo with no road whatsoever. Cannot believe your people will tolerate this unbusi- nesslike position. Hope that you may get relief at once.
 "J. H. BOWMAN, Sub contractor
 Engineer S. c. Reed of Greenlee county has advised the highway de- partment that he is trying to make arrangements with the board of super visors to continue work in the county This may be possible by advancing county funds to carry on the work un til federal funds are received.
 To accentuate the distressing finan cial situation Major Bowlby. surplus property officer of the bureau of pub lie roads wired the Arizona highway department that there is a possibility of the war department turning over to the agricultural department 1000 Holt 5-ton caterpillar tractors, 500 Holt 10- ton tractors, 200 mobile machine shop units and also shop machinery and ma chine tools for repair shops. It is ex- pected that the machinery will be available for this seasons work. Ari- zona could have expected 14 5-ton tractors, 10 10-ton tractors, mobile machine shops and enough machinery and machine tools to complete the re- pair shop at the yards of the highway department. This equipment would cost the state approximately Is per cent of it's present value f. O. Phoe- nix In view of the present shortage of funds the highway department can not take advantage of the generosity of the federal government