Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-09-18
ECONOMY, LIKE CHARITY,
SHOULD BEGIN AT HOME

tons finances, their democratic
friends claim they can prove con-
clusively that the republicans are
squandering the nations resources
and putting it ever deeper into
debt. When the democrats are in
power the republicans state that
no such proof is required; they
say 1t is self-evident. But when
HI and Maria" Dawes gets
started on the warpath of national
economy and tells where he can
lop off hundreds of millions of
dollars from the national budget,
all, democrats and republicans
alike, throw their hats into the air
and holler, "Fine! Finem
AS an abstract proposition,
Dawes-like, we all believe in econ
omy. But when it comes down to
concrete cases we think sometimes
that we do not need to heed the
call Of economy, and we must be
burned to get the lesson to our
minds.
On the goth of September the
people Of New Mexico will vote on
several proposed constitutional
amendments, one of which is the
much discussed 100000 road
bond issue. 1t is my belief that
the road bond amendment should
be opposed for two reasons. First,
the state OF New Mexico Is not
able, economically, to bear it. Sec
ond, the. road funds Of the state
are not expended with a view of
best serving the interests of the
people of the state.
1t is true that, if the people of
the state of New Mexico who own
automobiles and trucks are not
now able to operate them. they
certainly are not able to build
high-priced roads to run them on.
The license record shows that
there are approximately 10000
cars in the state. 1t Is fairly con-
sentative to state that the main
tenance of these cars and the de-
probation In their value will
amount to, on the average, $500
per car per annum. On this basis
it costs the owners of the cars in
the state of New Mexico $4,000
900 annually to run their cars
What an appalling sum this is
is realized when it is stated that
the combined value OF all of the
wool and sheep and cattle which
are sold annually from this state
does not total $15,000.000. And
the livestock industry is the fore
most industry of the state. Today
that industry is seriously i'm
periled. And so many businesses
are dependent upon the prosperity
of the livestock business that the
they likewise are imperiled. Now
that the war is over pre-war prices
for livestock products have re-
turned, but pre-war costs of opera
ton have not returned, and prob
ably never will return. In pre-
war times there was free range;
now there is none. Then vluations
were low and tax rates reasonable:
now valuations are HIGHER than the
value of the stock. The free range
is gone: we cannot remedy that.
Prices for our products are low;
we cannot remedy them. So the
strictest economy is required II the
livestock industry and the indus
tries dependent thereon are to sur
vive. We see the individual stock
man doing all in his power to adj
lust himself to the changed con-
ditions. Many of them are laying
aside their cars. They are cutting
their personal expenses to the
minimum. Yet their overhead
charges are such that they can
barely exist and the failures are
bound to be very large.
With the individual doing his
utmost to survive under present
conditions, what is the state of
New Mexico doing in the line of
economy? When Charles G. Dawes
goes down to Washington and
threatens to tear things up to re-
duce government expenditures, we
all cheer, but when 1t comes to
taxation at home we do not seem
to think of retrenchment. We are
asked to ratify the action of leg
islature which pledged 100000
to the United States government to
assist in building roads. This
means added taxes to an already
overwhelmed state and the added
straw on the back of the most i'm
portant industry of the state. So,
we repeat. Mr.. Dawes you are
mighty popular with us so long as
you smoke 'em out in Washing
ton; but don't come out here and
ask us to be economical.
The second reason, stated
above, for our opposition to the
proposed amendment, is that the
road funds are not expended with
a view of best serving the interests
OF the people of the state. A
glance at a road map of the state
shows how the state highways are
laid out. At present there are
practically three such highways;
and they run practically east and
west. They are designed primarily
to carry the traffic of the tourist,
the people from the east who are
on their way to California. The
towns along these routes derive
some revenue from these tourists
in the sale of gas and oil, the re-
pair of cars, and hotel service.
About year ago the writer had
occasion to travel the highway
from Albuquerque to Ration four
times In one month. Having been
interested for several years in road
problems we made some observa-
lions. At that time. by actual
count. about 225 cars were passing
daily over that highway. And OBJ
serving license tags closely we
found that about 90 per cent OF
these cars were tourists from other
states, passing through on their
way to the Pacific coast. At in
tervals along the route there were
road outfits grading and dragging
the roads which were constantly
being cut up by the string Of tour.
lists streaking it across the state
Near some Of the larger towns like
Ration or Las Vegas, Santa Fe OF
Albuquerque, especially nice pieces
OF road had been built, so the tour.
lists would feel kindly, toward those
towns. But to the north ant
south OF this highway where ranch
men and farmers live who neve,
see the highway but contribute sc
largely to the support of the same