SEVENTH ANNUAL ARIZONA STATE CITRUS SHOW

WHAT PRICE ROADS?

During the year 1938, motor vehicles traveled an average of 1,804,629 miles each day over the 3,701 miles of highways in the state system.

Of that total, foreign motor vehicles, vehicles bearing other than Arizona license plates, traveled an average of 697,260 miles each day over our highways, and turned in a total of 254,499,900 vehicle miles for the year.

That is traveling.

A complete breakdown of 1938 travel over the highways of Arizona is contained in another part of this magazine. For this we are indebted to the highway planning survey, an amaz-ing department, whose scientific methods of study and observation give us a perfect picture of the use of our roads.

Traffic flow observations reveal that travel was up 5.88 per cent in 1938 as compared to 1937. But while local traffic only gained a small per cent, foreign traffic last year was up 10.58 per cent over foreign traffic for 1937.

All of which testifies to the increasing fame of Arizona and the Land of the Sun as a mecca for Motoring America, and proves most clearly the value of good roads. There is no question about it: Arizona is each year becoming more popular for the traveler seeking inspiration and recreation in Scenic Wonderland or coming to loaf in the sun for health and relaxation.

This year foreign travel will be greater than it was in 1938; and as long as our roads keep pace with the needs of the traffic, each year will see an increase over the year before in the number of foreign vehicles using our system.

The comparison of traffic figures year after year is indicative of some very interesting information. For instance, density of foreign vehicles for the year 1938 was 42.4 per cent greater than density of foreign vehicles in 1930. In this respect the term density indicates motor vehicles in numerical numbers. In other words, in the eight-year period, 1930-1938, the number of foreign motor vehicles increased 42.4 per cent.

In miles traveled, foreign motor vehicles traveled 101.2 per cent more vehicles miles than were traveled in 1930.

That seemingly presents an enigma: while the number of vehicles increased only 42.4 per cent over a certain period, miles traveled increased 101.2 per cent.

What's the answer? The answer is: Good roads.

Had the state of the roads not improved, had the roads of 1938 been no better than in 1930, percentage of motor vehicle miles traveled by foreign vehicles would have shown no greater increase than was shown in density. Better roads and the additional improved miles on the state highway system to places of interest is the answer to the enigma.

Because the state highway system has been constantly expanding, because roads have been built bigger and wider and because there has been constant improvement in the roads built, foreign motor vehicles traveled 75,823,440 miles more in Arizona during 1938 than they would had the highway conditions been the same in 1938 as they were in 1930.

At the conservative estimate of 10½ cents per mile traveled, improved roads meant $7,751,000 more to the residents of Arizona last year than they would if road building stood still.

At the conservative estimate of 10½ cent per vehicle mile traveled, foreign vehicles brought in $26,722,489.50 to the citizens of the state.

That is what good roads mean.

That is why the state highway department is one of the most important branches of the state government.

Let there be no halt in the progress of the roads.

Let there be a constant stride in more miles of improved highway, because good roads are priceless and like faithful employes working for the citizens of the state they earn their own keep.

MARCH

The burro is modest and self-effacing. He isn't especially beautiful, he has no ear for music, and his personality isn't something to attract you at a first meeting. But he is a good friend; he's loyal, patient, and plodding. Important, indeed, is the burro in the development of the Empire of the West. He has carried many a prospecting pack over the hot desert, figured in the discovery of many valuable ore bodies in this state. A burro can grow fat on vegetation that would be swift death for a Kentucky Derby winner. He merely twitches his ears in the hottest summer sun and plods along. As a tribute to the burro, and all that the burro stands for in Arizona's progress, we do solemnly and respectfully dedicate March's cover page.

While we haven't given it more attention in this issue, we nevertheless would like to stress the importance of the citrus show in Mesa, and to urge all who can to visit this great agricultural display. Agriculturally speaking, we find Ernest Douglas, that fine, careful writer, with us again this issue, this time giving his attention to the pecan industry in the state. With the article, Mr. Douglas sent us a box of choice Arizona pecans. We wish we could have sent to each of our readers some of the pecans. Then you'd really know what a "nutty" state this is.

The Douglas Chamber of Commerce, not long ago held a pictorial photographic contest, from which we have selected five pictures, two of which appear on pages 10-11. The more we see, the more amazed we are at the interest in photography in Arizona. We stress the photographic presentation of Arizona as much as we can, because with fine pictures we can best tell the story of the state.

We are happy to learn that our Arizona Sketch Book, monthly visits with Arizona artists, is proving popular. This month we have Lon Megargee with us. He is very well known in the state, and is a very interesting personality. We hope to continue the Sketch Book each month, including all artists on the Arizona scene, to present all forms of art work.

Hoddy Stevens, who gave us the account of cattle on the San Carlos Indian reservation, is one of the finest persons we know. A graduate of Arizona State Teachers college at Flagstaff, Hoddy is connected with the adminstration of the reservation. We are some day going on a spring roundup with him. Each year he invites us, and each year something turns up. When you read Hoddy's article on San Carlos reservation cattle, you'll see what is happening on the great Indian reservations of the country.

Newcomers to our pages this issue are Helen M. Smith of Douglas and Irene Agnes Jones, a New Mexican. The former gives us an account of turquoise mining in Cochise county, and the latter tells her impression of skies of the southwest. We welcome both to our family. We always wondered about turquoise jewelry!

We include in these pages for the first time in a long time a technical article by Julian Powers, materials engineer, Arizona highway department, rated as one of the best. Experimentation in our material laboratory leads to fine results. The topic under discussion by Mr. Powers in this issue will be of great interest to engineers and materials men.

ARIZONA HIGHWAYS

PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF GOOD ROADS BY THE ARIZONA HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT RAYMOND CARLSON, EDITOR CIVILIZATION FOLLOWS THE IMPROVED HIGHWAY

ONE DOLLAR PER YEAR 10C PER COPY

ADDRESS ALL COMMUNICATIONS TO ARIZONA HIGHWAYS, ARIZONA HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT, PHOENIX, ARIZONA PRINTED IN THE U. S. A.

VOL XV. MARCH, 1939 NO. 3 R. T. (BOB) JONES, GOVERNOR OF ARIZONA ARIZONA STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION SHELTON G. DOWELL, Chairman, Douglas J. W. ANGLE, Vice-Chairman, Tucson R. G. LANGMADE, Commissioner, Phoenix E. C. SEALE. Commissioner, Prescott JOHN M. SCOTT, Commissioner, Holbrook MRS MARY FOUDY CLINTON, Acting Secretary, Phoenix A. R. LYNCH, Assistant Attorney General, Special Counsel HOWARD S. REED, STATE HIGHWAY ENGINEER For march nineteen hundred and thirty-nine arizona highways Is proud to present as a coverpiece a portrait of Smokey, faithful friend of Desert Scotty, by Max Kegley; several and various bits of interesting information about Arizona as follows: SEVENTH ANNUAL ARIZONA STATE CITRUS SHOW ARIZONA PECANS CATTLE RAISING ON THE SAN CARLOS INDIAN RESERVATION THE RAINBARREL OF THE DESERT. PICTORIALS FROM THE DOUGLAS C. OF C. CONTEST ΤΟΝΤΟ NATURAL BRIDGE ARIZONA SKETCH BOOK: Lon Megargee DRAWINGS BY MEGARGEE SOUTHWESTERN SKIES FIRST VALLEY OF THE SUN PHOTOGRAPHIC SALON "DESERT VESPERS" A poem by Patrick Downey TURQUOISE 1938 TRAFFIC FLOW STRIPPING TESTS TO DETERMINE THE QUALITY OF AGGREGATES ALONG THE HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS. ARIZONA CALENDAR ROAD PROJECTS UNDER CONSTRUCTION PORTRAIT OF A ROAD ARIZONA HIGHWAY COMMISSION NOTES. ARIZONIQUES 1 4 6 8 10-11 12 14 15-17 18 20 25 26 28 31 36 37 38 40 42 Back Cover and pictorial presentations of scenic Arizona, the state of the roads, a low comedy bit or two, and as always an invitation to visit with us.

GENERAL OFFICE SID SMYTH, Deputy State Engineer VERNON G. DAVIS, Vehicle Superintendent R. A. HOFFMAN, Bridge Engineer E. V. MILLER, Engineer of Plans J. W. POWERS, Engineer of Materials F. M. GUIREY, Landscape Engineer R. J. HOLLAND, Engineer of Equipment SWAN A. ERICKSON, Engineer of Certification J. S. MILLS, Engineer of Estimates H. C. HATCHER, Statistical Engineer WILLIAM F. CLARK, Chief Accountant WILLIAM T. ALLEN, Patrol Superintendent ED WEST, Right of Way Agent W. M. MURRAY, Purchasing Agent Superintendent of Stores

FIELD ENGINEERS

PERCY JONES, Chief Locating Engineer J. R. VAN HORN, District Engineer F. N. GRANTS, District Engineer R. C. PERKINS, District Engineer W. R. HUTCHINS, District Engineer District No. 1 District No. 2 District No. 3 District No. 4