The Coconino sun., 1922-12-01
MAKES STRONG APPEAL
 FOR OAK CREEK ROAD


 Cameron, Ashurt and Congressman Hayden making an appeal for govern ment aid for the Oak Creek road north and south highway, contains many in teresting facts concerning Coconino county which should be of interest to readers. It says:
 Several months ago we forwarded to you copies of our Public Informa- tion relative to the Oak Creek High way" Extract from the Rules and Regulations of the Secretary of Agri- culture for administering forest roads and trails," and prints of our High way Map showing proposed Oak Creek Highway, the short route between Flagstaff and Prescott" and of a general highway of the southwest. We are again sending to you under sep arate cover copies of the above infor- nation. Since that time the comple- tion of this project has received the approval and endorsement of all the civic organizations of both Yavapai and Coconino counties, their boards of supervisors and highway commissions; the press of the two counties; Cover nor Thos. E. Campbell; State Engineer Thos. Maddock; Governor-elect Geo. w. P. Hunt; recently appointed State Engineer Frank R. Goodman and many others. In fact the people of the two counties are squarely behind this project and are expecting defin- ite action by the government in the immediate future. Please bear in mind that Coconino county contains 30 per cent of all the national forests in Ari- zona and Yavapai county 17.5 per cent and are entitled to consideration.
 Coconino county has $25,000 of their 1919 bond issue money tied up in their | treasury in accordance with the terms of the issue still awaiting its being matched by government funds. The board of supervisors of Coconino coun- ty on October 4th, 1922, sent to the bureau of public roads draft for $6,- 900 to cover the expense of an im- mediate final location survey of the uncompleted 23 mile section of this highway and are still awaiting action by the government authorities. In ad- dition to the above, Coconino county has definitely set aside the sum of $20,000 to build some of this uncom- pleted section during this winter. The county engineers and the grading out fit are now on the job and moving dirt, all without one cent of govern ment aid. Please bear in mind that this uncompleted section lies wholly within the national forest, that the U. s. government owns S8.9 per cent of the land in Coconino county, and should do their share, yet Coconfno county is providing the money.
 This chapter, which embraces the ! northeast one quarter of Arizona in- cluding all of Navajo, Apache, Coco nino counties and part of Yavapai county, has been, this day, reliably in- formed that at the meeting to be call ed by the bureau of public roads for the purpose of alloting forest highway funds to become available June 30th, 1923, and at which only the forest ser vice, the state highway department, and the bureau of public roads will be present, no project will be given con- sideration which is not now on the ap- proved forest highway program. This would indicate that the Oak Creek highway will receive no consideration whatsoever from the government at this meeting and that it would be i'm possible to make forest highway funds available previous to June 30th, 1924.
 I might state that this chapter is not interested in the question of what fund provides the necessary federal cooperation, though we realize that normally the forest highway fund bear the expense. We would respect fully suggest that the forest service allot the $6S,200 of forest development funds, which should have been but was not allotted to the state of Arizona for the fiscal years 1921-22 and 1922-23, to the Oak Creek highway, together with a nominal sum of the amount available June 30th, 1923.
 From the conditions as above out lined, it appears that there is nothing left for this chapter to do but to ap- peal to you to take this matter up directly with the officials at Washing ton and bring to bear all possible pressure to the end that this most worthy and greatly needed project be not further delayed. Certainly this project is entitled to $75,000 of forest cooperation by June 30, 1923, which would release, on fair basis, for ex- penditures the $25,OOO of Coconino county bond money now tied up in ac- cordance with the terms of the bond issue. It is true that $25,000 of forest service cooperation would release the | bond money, however that amount would not be fair to Coconino county. !
 We are also addressing a similar letter to Hon. Carl Hayden and Hon. Henry F. Ashurst, and this chapter thewishes to assure you that it's mem- bers and the people of Yavapai and Coconino counties will feel deeply |