| Show wh 07 NA A P er 0 d HI ie 6 ahwal 4 ey y iff T barev Bar a nv r if V w T 66 ayt VITT WT w 4 0 46 t TV what uintah basin makes can and will make the state of utah facts and figures on paved highways and how built by ELROY WILKINS it is not so very long ago since we of utah were were boasting that our state had more mileage of paved roads than the combined mileage of the states around us this happy condition does not exi exist stat at this time however as idaho and colorado are yearly constantly increasing their mileage and one lone county in arizona lias has constructed more paved roads than has the whole state of utah with traffic over the highways of the united states increasing by leaps and bounds with that of our own state ill hi proportion it is veryl very evident that in tire the pame of economy if nothing else utah must build more hard surfaced highways Ac according cordin to W H connell past president of the american road builders association improved roads are an saving the american motorist over 1 annually since the nations yearly road bill is about one billion dollars modern modem roads then are saving the people every twelve months over this gentlemen further states that about is saved annually in pennsylvania in opera operating tinh costs on automobiles as a result of that states lived aved road system if that class of roads will do this elsewhere it will do it here her e and the people should awaken to a realization of it do paved roads save wear and tear gas oil and rubber on automobiles but they are tar far less costly to maintain to official reports the maintenance of 0 cone concrete rete and gravel roads in tile the state of new york for the year of 1916 to 1925 inclusive show that the former cost but per mile annually while the latter cost approximately this same ratio applies where ever road costs aie accurately kept A modernly mode roly paved load of suitable width and thickness into the basin of couise costs some money this cost however would be but a uthe tithe of the bene benedis fis s which would be derived by the whole state of utah through grater development of he vast pire which now lies but partly developed within her borders besides it would not be necessary to complete the whole undertaking within a year three or tour four years perhaps five might be consumed burne in its Is completion for instance say we take four years tor for the construction ot of ju just st r bueti 11 ll a road from heber city to vernal TN the approximate de stance between the two points is miles that would require the construction of 35 miles aniles per year and at a cost we will say over the he already completed gravel section of 0 a mile this would call for a grand total of or a year where is this money coming from we ask ash I 1 As we understand it the bonding limit for road purposes in utah is 13 eight million dollars bonds to aphis I 1 his amount have already been issued but we are told there is now in the redemption fund funa a sum in excess of two million dollars leaving but six million dollars of 0 actual indebtedness we are informed also that last year 1927 in aHli tion to a sum approximating expended for maintenance and new construction there were placed in the interest and sinking inking fund with tile the natural natural increase in motor vehicle licenses and the gas tax it Is more than pio bablo that a sum equal to this amount can be placed in the redemption fund each year now Sup supposing poising the state in the face of 0 the two million dollars now in the redemption fund should for be purpose of further developing the vast area known as the uintah basin and placing it economically in touch with the outside world bond for an additional two million the rest rent of the sum could be derived from federal and county funds making all told the necessary again if the state bonded for the two million necessary to this end arid and the project extended ovet over a period of four years it would be only necessary to sell of these bonds a year then the n with nith going into the redemption fund annually it looks as it the state would plus a modern up to the minute highway into the basin and be out comparatively noth ing or at least in no worse position than it is today at least all this is worth thinking about and ana I 1 it does no particular harm to figure a little once in a while the rapid development of the basin country following the completion of such a highway would increase the value of assessable property to the state chate many times inea over the cost of construction with ample water for the irrigation of its thousands of yet uncultivated acres assured all year transportation with lower freight rates and a speeded up traffic the uintah ax basin s undoubtedly would prove drove to be ba one of the states most prolific sources of revenue the agricultural interests of the state have paraphrased the ever popular slogan what utah makes maecs etab with what utah grows makes utah grow when the state makes a highway hig hiway ot of this nature into the uintah basin it will havie have done more in furci fur in thing utah atala than amy oie thing that could be done happy ill tile the possession of the richt richest and most fertile lands of the state stae it would thau take the pi prosperous n berous ard energetic residents of the basin but a short time to show the world orld a that what utah grews makes utah grow |
