The Winslow mail., 1926-03-19
Million Dollar Road
For The Poor Indians

There still are those who believe
that the passage of the bill author
izing the construction of bridge
over the Colorado river at Lees
Ferry with funds borrowed from
Indian money is an injustice to the
Navajos.
For answer, let us quote from
statement by Congressman Carl
Hayden, made in the house Febru-
ary 25.
II introduced the bill to authorize
the construction of this bridge in
good faith. l believed then and in
sist now that to build a bridge
across the Colorado river about six
miles below Lees Ferry, will be of
sufficient benefit to the Navajo In
dians to justify this appropriation
in the form in which it is made
One-half of the bridges will be
within the Navajo reservation, and
that is why one-half of the cost
is made charge and lien against
their tribal funds. The road lead
ing to the bridge from the south
will extend for so miles through
the heart of the western Navajo
reservation, where over 5000 mem
bers of that tribe reside. That part
of the Navajo country, now mac
cessible, will be opened by main
highway of travel which will not
only bring purchasers for all the
products of the reservation, but
which the Indians themselves can
and will use whenever they have
occasion. That highway, the con-
struction of which will require the
expenditure of over million dol
lars, will not cost the Navajo In
dians one cent. The only contri-
button that they will ever be called
upon to make, is for one-half the
cost of this bridge.
Let me repeat that this
proposal does not and never had
contemplated touching one dollar
that is now in the treasury to the
credit of the Navajo Indians. If
congress intended immediate dis
bursement, everyone who knows
the facts is we'll aware that no part
of the present $116,000 could be
taken, because there now exists a
prior claim to much more than that
sum of money. l told the house
few days ago that there now ex-
lists a total charge of $6S,500 for
bridges heretofore built in Arizona,
the cost of which is reimbursed
from Navajo tribal funds
To this can be added the re-
marks of Senator Henry F. Ashurst,
February 18th:
'The Navajo Indian reservation
lies partially within New Mexico,
so well represented by her two
senator's, but almost wholly within
Arizona The Navajo Indian res
ervation contains 1888 ,354 acres.
1t is larger than the combined area
of Connecticut, Rhode Island, Mas
sachusetts and New Hampshire
Within the past 13 years gratuity
appropriations have been made
from the federal treasury aggregat-
ing the sum of $11 ,054, ,148 for civil
ization and support of the Navajo
Indians. 1t is proposed that
good road shall be built from Flag
staff to Lees Ferry, 130 miles, then
to Fredonia, 70 miles more, total
of 200 miles, Such road will cost
$1,000,000; it will benefit the In
dians, but will not be paid for by
the Indians. 1t must be borne in
mind that the state of Arizona must
also contribute the sum of 100000
for the building of this bridge and
must maintain the same. The
people of Arizona are just as anx-
ious and jealous to protect the In
dams rights as are the other
states"
In this instance, talk of "robbing
the poor Indian" is ridiculous. The
Indian will not lost one cent, but
will get a million-dollar road and a
bridge to boot.-Tucson Star