Weekly journal-miner., 1922-10-11


 will run directly from Prescott to the
 MaricOpa county line, or to Congress
 Junction, and will benefit comparat-
 lvely few taxpayers and citizens of Yavapai county. Nevertheless the
 present highway commission, appar-
 ently with the consent of the board
 or the board of supervisors, have ar ranged to divert practically all of the
 forest service money to this route in stead of using 1t to benefit such dis
 trictS as Crown King, Walnut Creek Camp Wood, and other sections of the forest reserve. They have also
 set out to obtain federal aid money to
 match the expenditure between Pres colt and Ash Fork, and intend to use this entirely on the Hassayampa Trail.
 thereby depriving both the Black
 Canyon road Gin which we are par ticularly interested) and the road thru
 Skull Valley, Kirkland and Hillside.
 from any of the funds which might otherwise have been applied from this source to the building of these roads.
 They have further prevailed upon the state highway department to neglect entirely in the state program, the Black Canyon, and the Hillside-Kirk- land roads, and to use all such funds as they might have available toward the construction of the Hassayampa route or its extension Southward and have used all possible influence in Marlcopa county, to neglect the southern extension of the Black Can yon road from Canyon to Phoenix, and to devote such money as that county has available to completing road from Phoenix to Wickenburg.
 In our section of the county I be- lieve that we fully appreciate the needs and desires of both the Verde Valley and the Kirkland Hillside sec tions and there is no desire or inten- ton or our part to block the con- struction of any roads passing thru these districts. We do tkink that be- cause the Black Canyon is the short est route between Prescott and Phoe- nix (even shorter than the proposed road), the lowest in ele- vation, and the most populated, and De ecause 1t serves the Verde Valley as well as Prescott, and the western sec ton of the county, 1t is entitled to be made a North-South highway, and to DC completed i'll a thoroughly first ,ltss manner from Phoenix to Pres ;Ctt; but we also favor the construc- ion of a first class road from Con- y1ess Junction up thru Hillside, Kirk and and Skull Valley and over the Copper Basin to Prescott; and also ip Williamson Valley, from Skull Valley to connect with the roads eading north
 We think that it is unfair to neglect practically all of the settled and pop Hated districts of this county and to evote approximately $1,000, ,00000 to 'riId third road thru an almost un- section of the county from Prescott directly to Congress June ion, thus rendering less valuable the of all interested parties along he Black Canyon route, and along he route which now passes thru Hill idle, Kirkland and Skull Valley; and, lcrcover, 1t Is quite obvious that If ne HasSayanpa road is made the lain highway, 1t will always receive le largest share of maintenance loney which the county might have ) devote, and that the Black Canyon I'd the Hillside Kirkland roads will e neglected in proportion
 From a careful examination of the resent situation, am led to con ude that the policy of the present ighway commission IS not represen- tive of the voters of this county. hese voters at the recent bond cleo on designated certain routes on hich the money was to be spent and e proposed Hassayampa route was 1t thought of. The Hassayampa ute has received the sanction of rtain individuals and interests, not ,ly Mir. Robert E. Tally of the nited Verde Copper Co.,, and the rescott Chamber of Commerce, but
 IS not at all certain that these in rests are representative of the vot- s of the county, and should the ,ters at the coming election, unmiS- kably, indicate their unwillingness
 have the Hassayampa Trail built at e expense of the now existing roads believe that the board of supervis- s would have it in their power to ock this construction and to devote part of the funds that it is pro sed to use on this road to the con-. -uctiOn and improvement of the ack Canyon and the Hillside Kirk Id roads, as well as to other ex- ing roads in the Verde Valley and ,ewherc
 It, therefore, becomes d matter of ramOunt inDOrtanCc tO fhOsP Of t,S 10 arc interested in road construc- n of the county. and who do not sire to see the county issue addi- nal bonds, 10 do everything in our wer to insure the proper compile n of the existing roads and to post ne the construction of the Hassay- pa route which I firmly believe I not cost less than $l,0O0,00000. Personally, I feel that this is the st important issue before the vot-
 of the county at the coming cleo n. If the voters decide for the Trail, I shall have noth-
 more to say on the subject, but Ill the voters have given a definite ,wer, I do not intend to accept the dict of the highway commission the Prescott Chamber of Com rec, and I believe that a good ny other vo:ers and citizens of this inty feel the same as 1 do.
 am sure that an expression of IF opinion of this matter If vOu