The Coconino sun., 1927-04-08
LEGISLATIVE, WATER
AND ROAD SITUATIONS
DISCUSSED AT ROTARY

Three splendid, timely talks-by
Frank Goodman, city engineer; Major
Fl. B. Wright, county engineer, and
State Senator Walter Runke-fea-
tured, Tuesdays Rotary meeting, of
which Bert Cameron was chairman
and the man to be given credit for
arranging the program.
Mr.. Goodman's announcement that
Flagstaff will not have another water
shortage for years to come, was re-
ceived with pleasure. His description
of the manner in which the supply is
checked both in collection and use
will be printed in an early issue of
The Sun.
Major Wrlght's report on road work
to be done in this county during the
year was received with equal pleas
ure. With early resumption of cut
ting Of government timber, making
larger revenue available, and with a
road tax rate more nearly equal to
orr requirements. there will be avail
able some $4,000 for county road
work this year. This with the amount
being spent by the u S. bureau Of
public roads, the park service and the
OF our road work during 1927 to ST.
10000
Within the next two years, Captain
Wright said, there will be very few
miles of important roads in this coun-
ty that will not be surfaced. Includ-
ed in the surfacing program for this
year is $4,000 FOR the Mormon Lake
and $4,000 for the Fort Valley road.
Major Wright hit responsive
chord when he declared that the i'm
provement of the Mormon Lake road
is of first Importance to our people
that one person brought here from
the south part of the state during the
summer is of as much Importance to
us as dozen transcontinental tour
ists
He has five road crews out and by
the first of May, he says, every road
in the county will be in good passable
shape.
With reference to the proposed
new bridge over the Colorado river
and Grand Canyon at Lees Ferry,
Major Wright said that State Engi-
neer Lefebvre has crews testing the
foundation sites and surveying the
approaches. He said there is no rea-
son why the contract cannot be let by
June 80, at which time, if it is not let,
the 100000 appropriated toward the
bridge by the federal government will
revert to the u. S. treasury. He said
there is belief in some quarters that
all that is necessary to hold the fed
eral money is an agreement between
the state and the government that
r4n - xxyttf fbnh h1siC Cero
building program, and cOntroverting
this belief he cited telegram recent
ly received from u. S. Senator Henry
f. Ashurst pointing out that if the
federal money is to be available, an
actual contract for the construction
of the bridge must be let before June
30.
Senator Runke began by comph-
menting his two legislative col
leagues, Assemblymen Perkins and
Slipher, for their fine work. He de-
voted most of his talk to the serious
ness of the situation now existing in
this state, in which the governor and
the legislative minority seek to per-
petuate a political machine with
state funds rather than to spend the
tax-money in an economical and
business-like manner.
t'It is serious situation that exists
now," he said. Instead Of a business
operation, with especial reference to
the highway department, we find it
honeycombed by politics. The state
funds spent by the highway depart
ment during the last year were spent
very largely for political purposes, not
with any intent to have the state re-
ceive 100 cents on the dollar, but to
further certain political plans"
Mr.. Runke mentioned the startling
disclosures of waste and extravaganza
revealed in the Legislative investiga
ton Of the state highway department.
1T is time something is DONE" he
said, slime for a change. Taking all
this waste in connection with the fact
that this is a young and growing
state, with an already high tax rate,
such condition as now exists is al
most criminal
MIR. Runl1e said that the members
of the legislative majority, if they
find during the present recess that
their attitude on the highway bill
which they introduced and which was
vetoed by the governor and which
they will again take up when they
on April 18, is endorsed
by their constituents, they will stand
by their guns and refuse to be doni