Imperial Valley press., 1932-01-06
LOCAL CHAMBER is HOST TO
NOTABLE GROUP OF ROAD MEN

Representative Of practically ev-
cry county in Southern California
were present at the dinner given
by the Ell Centre Chamber of Com
merce last night, honoring the men,
bers of the highway committee Of
the state chamber of commerce
who are making a survey of four
Imperial county roads preliminary
to making recommendations for in
clusions in the state secondary
highway system.
r. B. WhitelaW. president of the
FL Centro chamber, presided at the
dinner, which was attended by
about IS persons. After addresses
of welcome by Mayor H. w. Faw-
cett in behalf of the city of Ell
Centro and Henry Jackson, presi-
dent of the board of supervisors,
who welcomed the visitors to I'M
perial county, the gavel was turned
over to Jasper l.. TraverS. chair
man of the highway committee OF
the Associated Chambers of Com
merce of Imperial county, who in
troduced the Imperial county speak
ers of the evening, each of whom
spoke on one of the four local roads
recommended for inclusion in the
state secondary system.
The North Shore road was des-
cribed by Henry Jackson, of Braw-
ley, for which he asked a favor
able report from the touring party.
A. j. Mercier, of CaleXico, spoke
briefly on the CaleXico- Midway
Wells road and stated that money
! spent in the building of highways
is the money best invested. Leo
( Hetzel, of Ell Centro told briefly the
history of the Imperial highway
/ by which route the visitors entered
Imperial Valley yesterday. Het-
eel stated that this community is
served only by highways U. S. SO
and SO and that we need more high
ways and that the Imperial High
way, the first route through thi;
section, chosen because it was most
easily traversible, would give I'm
perial Valley residents an oppor-
tunity to travel to Los Angeles il
five hours. George Kreuger. OF
Brawley, then spoke on the Braw.
iland-ChuckaWalla- Blythe cut,
off, stating that the north end o.
the valley needs a direct road tt
connect with the Arizona roads. a!
highway U. S. 80 connects the soutf
end. Kreuger pointed out that
with the completion of the Kant
Springs-Julian road, this cut-of
would give direct highway from
Arizona into San Diego through
the northern parts of both coun
ties.
E. E. East, chief engineer of tn
Automobile Club of Southern Cal
ifornia, who is in charge of tn
highway tour, stated that South
ern California is entitled to 100 o
1900 miles OF state roads and can
not afford to pay high taxes fo
maintenance and building of high
ways unless the southern part o
the state is getting its share of roat
money. The special committee, nov
touring Imperial county roads. ac
cording to East, will present with
in a short time a resolution to tn
general committee as to which high
ways they think should be includ
ed i'll the state secondary system
baSlng their recommendations OF
an equal distribution of highWa,
funds and sound highway econo
mics. I'VE will observe all fou,
Imperial county roads, stated East
land will study the functions tn,
various highways can perform anC
Will recommend in our program
any highways which can be econ
omically justified and which will b,
benefit to the state"
Wallace WoodWorth, chairman O
the highway committee of the stat,
chamber, then introduced various
members of the touring party, eacf
of which made a brief talk. Speak.
ers included Tom Hurley. presi
dent of the San Diego board o
supervisors. all five of whom were
present; Leonard Carey, manager
of the southern division of tn,
state chamber of commerce: Maur.
ice Rathburn, head of the stat,
chamber publicity dep r t m ent
Frank Mckee, chief of staff O.
highways of the state chamber
trom San Francisco; Hal Holly, as
Slstant to E. E. East; f. @. Sullivan
highway engineer from San Ber.
nardino and Supervisor Jamison, O
Riverside county, which county h,
stated is spending 100000 ON thu
Imperial Highway this year. Bill
Fox, chief engineer of the Los An.
geles planning commission was in
troduced as were M. p. Cheney
San Bernardino supervisor and Su.
pervisors Trimmer. of Tulare coun.
ty and Allen of Santa Barbara
county. Other speakers were Pres.