The Coconino sun., 1923-06-22
LAZY PHOENIX cHAMBERMAID

The question or now DeSI 10 pIONluC SOOu Io1uo
which will tap every county seat and the capitol
and make it possible to reach the state from
north to SOUTH as well as maintaining the great
transcontinental highways, is most vital one
to Arizona.
At present there are three trans-continental
national highways through Arizona one north,
one central and one south. They are perman-
emily fixed There is no certain main highway
cutting through the state north and south
There is at present, however, definite plan
for system of roads designated on the per
cent plan. As at present laid out they would
provide for north and south road from the
border at NogaleS to Grand Canyon. Generally
speaking this plan would work out to the best In
tcrest of all concerned. Government aid money
goes to roads included on the Z per cent plan and
approved by the state engineer, together with
the approval of the federal engineer.
The Yuma chamber of commerce recently
conceived a plan by which the constitution of the
state be amended and the state be bonded for
five million dollars, this money to match fed
eral aid money only, on continuing program Tor
the completion and paving of this system OF
roads
This plan, under previous agreement includes
the Bankhead highway in the south, and the Old
Trails highway in the north. Then, according
to the Yuma program, "a north and south high
way from some point on the Old Trails highway
in the north, south through Phoenix, Florence,
Tucson, to Nogales on the south and roads lead
ing from every County SedC III tIie oIoCS " hoC
nix, the capitol.
There is at least good ground work laid by
the Yuma chamber of commerce for state
wide permanent paved road plan 1t would cover
a period of years. being matched by federal aid.
However the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce
has an evident desire to gum the cards and stick
up progress by asking for the Springerville-Rice
road as part of the Z per cent system, feeling
undoubtedly that the vast tourist travel from the
east induced to come through northern Arizona
to view the Grand Canyon, should be shunted
off at way station, avoiding the Grand Canyon
in order to visit their alfalfa fields, then be
shunted through the desert to California by the
shortest paved route.
It is very well understood among those who
have to do with the division of federal aid and
state funds, that it is necessary to center on
big broad-gauge general plan, for there are In
sufficient funds to build a paved highway
through every mans ranch. Phoenix best of
all knows this fact, but last of all to broaden
out, demands two pounds of flesh when en-
titled to one.
Tourists went in buckboards to Grand Canyon
over rocky roads years ago, before Phoenix even
owned an automobile.
Advocating cutoff roads into Phoenix and cut
eff roads out of Phoenix into California, is only
cutting off Phoenix friends from Phoenix and
helping to buy winter resorts elsewhere.
When the average tourist, who has planned for
years on making trip to the Grand Canyon,
can be side-tracked on any kind of a road you
can build to Phoenix when he is within short
distance of the place he has wanted to see and
read about for years, he isn't worth fishing for
We doubt very much if the rank and file of
the Phoenix chamber of commerce fully realizes
what a pin-headed policy their chamber is at
tempting to pull and would advise them to look
up the chamber maid