The Coconino sun., 1921-09-02
WllSL0W IN TANGLE
 OVER STREET PAVING

At the meeting of the town council Saturday night bids on the street pay mg under federal aid were opened and the bid of Warren Brothers, of Phoenix, accepted. After the accept ance of the bid the matter of filling the vacancy on the council was brought up. At a previous meeting E. H. Black and Harry Payne had been nominated but no selection had been made because of tie vote. At Saturday nights meeting w. H. Dagg was nominated and chosen.
 The starting of the work of street improvements will add to the busi- ness of the city. The mere' com snencement of the work will make every business man in the city look upon conditions with a different light and imbue him with new life. On the other hand there is strong under current of feeling against the paving, not because it is an improvement or an expense, but rather because the costs seem out of proportion to the costs of similar work being done else where in the state. This discepancy h cost has not been satisfactorily ex. plained to many and hence there has not been satisfactory condition of mind with some. That the state en- gineer's office considers the bid higf Q revealed in telegram received by Mayor Creswell Tuesday from Phoe- nix which reads as follows:
 Phoenix, Au. 2S, 1921. Geo. c. Creswell, Mayor,
 Winslow, Ariz.
 "In view of the ruling of the Blu. reau of Public Roads, and the fact that Bithulithc paving was recently bid at lower prices than concrete 6etween Phoenix and Tempe, we con ider the Winslow bid absolutely un. fustifable. We will be glad to approve of Bithulithic paving in the town of Winslow if the same can be secur- ed at the price of concrete; otherwise ve will not.
 State Engineer"
 With the understanding that the placing of federal aid funds for street and road construction and improve unents are under the supervision of the state engineers office and with the refusal as indicated in the telegram to direct the expenditure of that aid to the project under the present bid, it would appear that some further action must be taken before the construction work can begin as the improvements are to be paid for jointly by city bonds issued under the state improve nient act and the funds received thru the federal aid act.
 There are also probable protests to De made and filed with the council as we'll as suggested relief by an appli- sstion for injunction. It is a matter of deepest regret that the question of this important improvement to the sfty should have drifted upon the rocks of commercialism or sunk in the depths of ignorance. The seeming discrepancies between cost as bid on the Winslow project and the cost of an apparently like paving elsewhere in the state is where arises the uncer tainty in the minds of the people. If the property owners of Winslow were satisfied that the present bid was reas- enable, there would be little trouble, ] any. Many persons, however, have lad no reason given to them why there should be such an apparent diff 0IVhCC III IHC SVob~o VI siAC SoihS Nie@<'o of construction in various portions of the state. If the people were satis~ tled that the present bid was reas enable one there would be no contro- versy, but the people, at least DOT tion of them, have not gotten that inn precision.
 Some have yelled "robers." We do aot believe this. Others have suggest cd "graft." Neither do we believe this. These sentiments are just the frothings of distorted condition. Un- tli the question of whether or not the bid of Warren Brothers is reason able one is settled in the minds of the people who have to pay the bonds, there will undoubtedly be efforts made to hold up the work, provided, of course, that the decision of the state engineers office has not already stop | ped further progress under the pres | ent bid.--Winslow Mail.