The Winslow mail., 1925-04-28
NAVAJO COUNTY
WILL LOSE MUCH
MONEY FOR ROADS

The action of the seventh legis-
lature leaves the counties of the
state in quandary as to future
construction Of roads, and unless
a special session of the legislature
is called, work on state highways
may cease altogether.
A letter from H. S. McClusky,
secretary to Governor Hunt and
budget secretary, outlines the situa-
ton as applies to Navajo county.
His letter follows:
Gas you are aware, the seventh
legislature failed to pass bill pro-
viding finances for the state high
way department.
1.-THE senate had bill under con-
sideration to place the finances of
the department on a basis where
the work of the department could
go on, but the house notified the
senate that it would refuse to con-
slider and pass a highway appro-
priation bill.
THE question as to the adequacy
of the bill passed in 1923 to carry
the department for the next two
years-even though it is held to be
still in effects, therefore, i'm
portant to the taxpayers of the
state.
''The 1923 law is wholly made
quate for the needs of the depart
ment. AS amended the last night
of the session in 1923 it failed to
provide the necessary revenues to
carry on the. work of the depart
ment and to. pay its debts inherited
from the previous administration.
1T is true that if all the reve-
nues raised by the bill were cred
tied to the state highway depart
ment, the amount so raised would
be nearly adequate, but by setting
up the rs per cent funds for the
use, in the various counties and
taking so per cent of the gasoline
tax for the use of counties on coun-
ty roads, it leaves the highway de-
partment in position where it is
unable to match federal aid moneys
available for use in this state. This
means that approximately $780,,
600 of federal aid money will revert
to the federal government for lack
of finances to match it.
Under the provisions of the 1923
law, if an effort is made to operate
under it for the fiscal year begin
ming July 1, 1925, and ending June
30, 1925, the highway department,
if it receives the full cooperation
of all boards of supervisors in the
use of the rs per cent funds, will
be able to maintain the highways
of the state and complete the prof.
ects enumerated on the attached
sheet
"You will note, therefore, that
while Navajo county has $4,000
available for construction, the
amount is inadequate to undertake
any federal aid project in Navajo
county. To undertake to utilize
this money on any but a federal
project would mean a loss to the
state in federal aid of approximate
ly three dollars for every dollar
expended.
cit seems to be the consensus of
opinion that to call the legislature
back in extra session to consider
highway legislation would be bar
rem of results.N We are, therefore,
calling the matter to your atten
ton so that the whole situation may
receive the careful consideration of
the members of your board and the
taxpayers of your county and it may
be that by consulting with your
representative in the seventh leg
islature, in due time solution may
be found to save for the state the
$1,70O,000 of federal aid which
present conditions indicate, will be
lost to the state due to\the failure
of the legislature to provide fl
nances."