The Winslow mail., 1924-08-15
Mr.. DICK WICK
HALL WRITES
AGAINST ROAD

issue of So, 100000 state bonds for the
construction of a concrete highway
from Buckeye to Blythe. This meas
ure was defeated last election.
Sentiment throughout the state is
decidedly against the issue of these
bonds and it is entirely probable that
the measure will be defeated by an
overwhelming majority. The follow
ing, from Dick Wick Hail. editor of
The Salome Sun, puts the arguments
against the proposed bond issue con-
cisely and understandingly. AS Sa-
lone is on the route of the proposed
road Mr.. Halls opposition to the plan
carries all the more weight. He says:
Brains Better Than Concrete
AS one of those most vitally inter-
ested in the building of good road
connecting Phoenix and Los Angeles
by way of Buckeye and Blythe, l wish
to put myself on record as being
against the proposed amendment to
the constitution to issue $3,500,000 in
bonds to build paved road from the
Hassayampa river near Buckeye to
the Ehrenburg ferry opposite the town
of Blythe.
Buckeye through Salome to Ehren-
burg and the Blythe ferry would be
of great financial benefit to me in
every way, nevertheless | am not
in favor of voting these bonds to
build this road at this time, and |
make this statement not because Of
any personal selfish interest but as
matter of principle and good judg-
ment, based on common sense and
careful consideration of all the facts
in the case.
No one can deny the fact that the
route from Phoenix to Los Angeles by
way of Buckeye, Salome and Blythe
is by far the best natural route and
approximately 100 miles shorter than
the road by way of Yuma. No one
can deny the fact that good road
connecting Phoenix and Los Angeles
will be of untold benefit to Phoenix
and all Arizona No one can deny the
fact that [ was the first man to come
out publicly in the fight for the build
ing of a good road over this route and
have kept up the fight long and per-
sistently-and l am still fighting for
the building of a good road from
Buckeye through Salome to Blythe -
but why not use little common
sense?
Let's net go concrete crazy. Let's
learn to creep and walk a little be-
fore we try to run. Any good man
can climb mountain-but no man
ever Jumped over one No sensible
business man ever starts to build
sixteen story sky-scraper before Civ
ing thought to the foundation-and
that is just what Phoenix is doing
when it launches this movement for a
concrete road to Blythe after persist
emily refusing for 20 years to even
take road grader and cut straight
road across the desert along the
nresent road and proposed route of
the paved highway
The Buckeye-Salcme-B Blythe route is
the main travelled highway from Pnoe-
nix to Los Angeles and is travelled py
thousands of automobiles every year.
particularly during the fall and WIN
fer seasons, when hundreds of cars
often go over this road daily. l call
It road" when as matter of fact it
is a mere winding trail-but it is 100
miles shorter and through country
where the natural grayelly mesas
form a good road bed and for these
reasons the majority of the tourists
and natives take the Buckeye-Salone-
Blythe route to Los Angeles in pref
erence to any other. The present road
from Buckeye, or the HaSSayampa
bridge, follows the old winding tracks
where l dragged a well drilling outfit
around through the brush to get in
here 20 years ago. before the railroad
was built
Year after year l have begged the
supervisors of Maricopa and Yuma
counties, the highway commissioners,
the chamber of commerce. the Auto
mobile club, and the best business
men to spend few thousand dollars
in Strengthening, grading and gravel
ing a good road from the Hassayampa
river to Salome and from Salome to
Ehrenburg and Blythe. What have
they done? In the last twenty years
myself have spent $40 building roads
leading out cf Salome for every 81
spent by both Maricopa and Yuma
counties combined on the road from
Salome to the Hassayampa bridge.
Why in the name of GCd, after refus-
ing for 20 years to spend a few
thousand dollars of county money in
a way that would do some good, do
so many of these men and officials
and organizations all Of sudden
want to spend millions of public
money?
The natural road material along this
Buckeye-SalomeBl route is ideal
for road building, gravel clay and cal
iche of a character that road builders
all over the United States often spend
$4,000 or more a mile to secure
and then haul it for miles to get it
where they want it. Nature has been
very good to the Buckeye-Salome-
Blythe route and delivered the very
best road material Obtainable all
along the line. Why not use it? This
is a case where a little brains used
in road building would be better than
concrete-and three million dollars
cheaper. Why l ask, spend $3,500.-