Show PRICES MUST COME DOWN there is no gainsay big the tact fact that sentiment of this state has been work edep to such a point that people pretty generally favor avor the building of hard surface roads it is also a fact that so tar far as possible it Is a wise thing tor for officials in charge of the government to create employment through the promotion of essential public improvements prove ments in order to relieve tho the present stress with tite the proposition of the federal governing go government vernin ent to supply approximately three fourths of the cost of highway construction on oil fed oral eral projects the invitation to get in and do a lot of road work is more alluring than ever there is one phase of oe this question however that must not be overlooked nd lid that phase was startlingly set forth in the engineering news of january jn the report of a conference of state highway officials held at chica J feo 0 o on january and participating in the conference were executive officers of the state highway departments of illinois iowa kansas kausak michigan minnesota missouri south dakota and wisconsin all of whom are members of the mississippi valley association of state highway officials and these delegates pledged themselves enot not to make any contracts tor for highway construction involving the use or of cement except the few contracts for work which cannot possibly be postponed until the ithe have hav e fixed the price cement of so that road construction is not unduly penalized because of its magnitude magni tute its urgency and its popular appeal which price should bo be and must be in harmony with the reduced price now in effect for all other basic com commodities modifies modi ties A little farther on in the report of the conference it was announced that low bids of per barrel at mills recently submitted to the illinois and wisconsin highway departments have been rejected 11 it if a barrel at the mill is too high a price to pay for cement in illinois and wisconsin then what can be said of 0 the price charged lit in utah reported to be p per e r barrel locally cement retails at per barrel and it the price is right then there is nothing more to be said but in view of the stand taken by big states in the mississippi valley it ii rejecting a price of the question quest loi ot naturally arises does it cost more to manufacture cement out here in the west or is the west being held up in the price charged we believe that this is a matter that the people would like to be en lightened upon before they will agree to any great road building program |