The Coconino sun., 1923-06-29
WHAT CONSTITUTES THE
SEVEN PER CENT SYSTEM

A. H. Gardner of Tombstone, one
of the most consistent and enthusias-
tic "from the border to Grand Can
yon' road boosters, tells in an inter
esting article in the Tombstone
Prospector just what the seven per
cent system SO much talked Of really
means. He says:
Ebert Hubbard says that meta
physics" is the explanation of thinE
BY a person who does not understand
IT, which brings rs to the seven per
cent system Of highways in Arizona
as now designated and which system
IS the beneficiary. Of federal aid,
In. 1921 the federal governments
bureau Of public roads called on the
state engineers to present that de-
partment with the figures showing the
total mileage of established, recorded
and otherwise known and claimed
roads in the state and in turn the
state engineer called on each county
engineer for the figures of his respec-
tive county, with the result that the
state of Arizona reported to Wash
ington that it had approximately 22,-
900 miles of road and thereby per
cent of that mileage was designated
as state highway, subject to federal
aid or a little over 400 miles. Later
on this was segregated into primary
and secondary roads by naming ap-
proxilnately 3 per cent of the roads as
primary and pei. cent as. secondary.
A primary system, when built to
completion, means standard built, ac-
/ cording to specifications of the United
/ States bureau of public roads, and
having hard surface top.
Then the secondary roads are re-
ouiied to be built to certain require
ments of the bureau.
1t but follows that the. duty, con-
tract and obligations of the state Of
I Arizona are to make good and COM
plete these roads up to the standard
/ required by the bureau of public
4 roads which puts up 60 cents to our
I 81. cents on all approved projects.
4 That State Engineer Frank Goodman
t desires and is eager to carry out this
program to its entirety just the same
I as was his predecessor Tom Maddox,
goes without saying, and the question
now is. one of finances.
A movement fostered by the Yuma
! chamber of commerce suggests i've
\ million dollar bond issue for expendi-
ture covering a period Of time, the
1 bonds to be sold as needed to match
I the federal aid.
The Phoenix chamber of commerce
/ is reported to have receded from its
/ desire to take in the universe on a
paving system for the state by extend
/ ing the seven per cent system and are
= sV,or fhn nf q
I ference Of their directors on the sub
ject now before the state, the all
important one of "How shall we IL
nance the completion of our present
state seven per cent SYSTEM"
This must be done with care so that
no further burden may be thrown on
the already overtaxed public. Some
I things must be done, SO let US do only
such things.
Speaking recently of the approved
roads in SO states, lincluding Arizona)
Secretary Of Agriculture Wallace
said:
The system of thirty-three states
have been formally approved, includ-
ing total Of l05 ,406 miles.
Considering the approved systems
in the thirty-three states we find that
Of the l,OI5 cities Of 5000 or more
population in these state $50 of them
lie directly on the approved system,
and there is not one but will be con-
nected with the system by an improv-
ed state or county road. When the
system is completed, therefore, one
will be able to travel from any town
Of 5000 population or greater to any
other town Of the same population
without leaving an improved road.
In designating the routes to be i'm
cluded in the federal aid system the
chief aim of the states and the federal
agency has been to select routes which
will give the maximum OF local SER