Evening star., 1923-03-25

traffic reaching Salt Lake City, the
hub OF the intermountain west, un-
like the traffic on the more northern
~ or southerniy routes mentioned,
can here change its mind or be d.
verted through necessity. and without
materially lengthening its journey
over either of the two other routes
reach the Pacific northwest, or south
ern California.
At Salt Lake City traffic west bound
can turn north to Pocatello, Idaho,
and go via Boise to Walla Walla.
or 1t can turn south and follow the
Arrowhead trail through Provo and
Beaver Utah. to st. George and. via
Las Vegas, New. strike the National
Old trail at or near Gotfs and go
into Los Angeles. Or 1t need not
60 any. further west at all 1t can
70 the Grand Canyon or the new
Zion National Park in southf TN
| Utah.
West of Salt Lake.
Confronting the tourist reaching
Salt Lake City bound for the hay
lies the great Salt Lake desert. 1t
must be crossed If he is to reach
central California.
When the road across the desert
IS passaDie na ira ftic can &" on directly
California. That. of course. is wnat
central California wants 1t to do.
But when the Lincoln highway across
! the desert west of Salt Lake Ci;y -
goes north or south. and If, It
reaches central California at nll II
does 50 by devious course. indeed.
I Central California is therefore at
! with the rest of the coast. Despite
the fact that the one most direct
I route across the continent leads into
the very heart of it's most superla-
4 .tf .rf in, nd Of
iation. this route-the only Dne-
crosses natural barrier which at
al! times is precarious and at any
time may become totally .mpasslbie,
shutting the door into central Cali
fol ma IN the face Of west bound
! traffic. When the desert door is shat
the detour is via Los Angeles. Salt
Lake City to Reno. coo miles. Is the
-Four hundred and thirty-five miles
of that distance lie in Nevada. Cali
fornia need not worry, about the Ne.
vada section of the through central
route, ny The end Of 1879 the Lin
| coin highway across Nevada Will be
completed. The road from The
! improved for the traffic it will be
called upon to, carry as any section
of the Lincoln highway betw cen
New York and San Francisco.
; Through the aid the Lincoln Hisn-
! extend. every section Of the route
! requiring Improvement has been
placed under contract. The rutted
alhali flats. which constitute the only
I serious difficulties on the road across
I the state today. now that the Fal-
| lon sink has been bridged by a good
road. will be graded and graveled.
! Real Difficulty in Utah.
! What remains? What is the last
gap. the final barrier. in great
| into central California? Nothing
more nor less than the short link
! across the Great Salt Lake desert
J that gap the association thought 1t
: had taken care OF in 1918 when 1t
! presented the state of Utah with
| $4,000 Of eastern money to open
the road to the coast The road IS
| passable now. From Salt Lake CITY
/ for seventy-tiye miles west 1t is fine.
/ The grade across the desert itself
was completed long ago and car
! ried all of the traffic that enteted
! 1922. thanks to volunteer patchwork
! maintenance. How long il will con-
! tinuc to do so is Questionable. When
| even those most determined TO go
| get across that little mile
neck Of desert traffic into Reno stops.
| When the expensive work accom-
plished by the state OF Utah with
| association, and which has now been
abandoned. is allowed to be totally
| destroyed by traffic and the elements.
| central Nevada and California are
| west-bound traffic west of Salt Lake
City. The cutoff has stood up with
! out official attention since 1919. 1t
| is now rapidly becoming impossible.
| When will this vital desert link
! be properly completed and systematic
! maintenance undertak ken? What is
| manent interest now In central Cali
/ fornia and central Nevada? This
| section could be completed at once
! without financial aid from the Pa
cific coast, following the mere for
mality of its designation as d por-
tion of Utah'S federal aid system by
| the Utah state highway commission.
! That formality would automatically
! other available dollar, and the other
dollars are available "h 'n.lrr the
! state takes the action the Lincoln
| Highway Association has so long
! urged.
| Refuses Eastern Aid.
| The Lincoln Highway Association,
! despite the unsatisfactory admins
tratfon of the previous fund 1t con-
| trtbuted to the state of Utah. has
offered the state additional money
! the federal aid necessary to com
plete the section. This money the
state has refused to accept.
1t may be asked why Utah does
! not accept the associations offer,
! utilize the funds available fro m
! Tooe!e county. secure federal aid and
complete this important link. The
! reasons are varied. but il is not i'm
probable that the agitation for the
! Improvement of another paralleling
! route west Of Salt Lake City in
northern California. which has serv-
! ed to confuse public and official opinion
| and create a controversy in both
| Utah and Nevada, Is one of them.
Road controversies do not build
! roads. They prevent and delay the
| building of roads. The Lincoln
| Highway Association shuns contro-
| versy. 1t is endeavoring, and has
! been for nearly ten years now, to
| bring about the completion Of the