Table of Distances As Shown Over Arizona Highways

Page Twenty-six The Madonna of the Trail

(Continued from page 8) The weather most easily takes toll. In every detail it is built for permanence. The figure weighs five tons and the base upon which it stands twelve tons, all set upon a foundation nine feet square. The material used in making these twelve monuments is algonite, made of crushed granite, stone, marble, cement and screenings of lead ore, all poured into a mold, then sculptured in finish-ing.

Tall, stately and significant will be this mother of pioneer days; a baby on her arm, a child clinging to her skirt, a weapon in her hand a startling and heroic figure. Her boots are of raw-hide, her dress is of homespun, her head covered by a homely sunbonnet, but faith, vision and courage in her whole body and her noble face. Pioneer men came west in the old days for many reasons to escape restriction, to seek gold, to taste adventure-but the women came for one reason only-to make homes. They helped break the wilderness, build the cabin, tend the crops, weave the clothes, and they gave strength to the bodies and minds of men. In the midst of crushing work and crude surroundings they bore chit-dren and around clean fireplaces in isolated cabins they taught lessons be-fore the coming of the school teacher, taught religion before the arrival of the cricuit rider, and sowed the seeds of rational living on every new frontier.

As the years pass Arizona wiil more and more come to treasure this new shrine to be placed in Springerville as a part of this great national movement to honor the best in our past. At the ceremony of unveiling on September twenty-ninth, many nationally important people will be present along with those prominent in Arizona in the work of this state to keep step with the rest of the nation.

The National Old Trails Road is truly "Route One" of America. Composed of Indian trails, colonial pikes, military roads of Revolutionary years, post roads, stage-coach routes and ways over which the cumbersome covered wagon forged westward into one continuous trans continental route-the main street of America.

The ceremony at the dedication will be impressive and interesting, and a visit at that particular time of the year to the Round Valley and White Mountain country will be doubly enjoyable, since the hunting season opens October first. It was another evidence

ARIZONA HIGHWAYS

that the citizens of Springerville have a keen sense of the appropriate that they selected September twenty-ninth as the date for this occasion. Hunting and fishing in the White Mountains-but that is another story.

Accounting for Highway Expenditures

(Continued from page 14) over stores is the most important of these.

It is believed that the state is getting good return for the funds now being expended. The accounting system is controlling these expenditures about as effectively as the average corporation is able to do.

The growth of highway departments in the United States in the past ten years has been enormous and Arizona has kept up its share. The expenditures for the whole country have increased approximately twelve hundred per cent. An activity which increases at such a rapid rate must naturally suffer from growing pains, and encounter some snags. Our state is fortunate in having been able under these conditions to accomplish the present results. This viewpoint is not popular with many of our citizens. Criticism of the department has become one of the favorite amusements. The personnel of the department would welcome more visitors to the building and be glad to show them what is being done. The size of the department and the ramifications of its activities are probably not realized by many citizens. Roads cannot be built with picks and hand shovels. More than hoes and rakes are needed to maintain them. Twenty-one hundred and fifty miles of highways are now being taken care of. This is being done with modern equipment, as fast as it can be obtained. As modern methods must be applied to the problems of construction, maintenance, planning, testing, storeskeeping and the other activities, it follows that modern accounting ideas are necessary. Unless this is done it will not be known whether the taxpayer's dollar is being used for the purpose intended. A mistaken idea respecting the financ-ing of the department appears to be prevalent. It is believed that when the com-mission adopts the budget the money for it is immediately available. The is not the case, as expenditures cannot be un-dertaken until the revenues are received or are in sight. These revenues come from several sources. The largest single item is Federal Aid. The government does not advance the money to the state. It

SEPTEMBER, 1928

is just the opposite. The state furnishes the money and does the work. When the government accepts it the state is reimbursed to the exent of the government's participation. This results in the tying up of a large part of the state funds for several months at a time. Fortunately the relations between the department and the Bureau of Public Roads are and have been cordial. No unnecessary delays are encountered, but the fact remains that these advances are not available for other projects until the reimbursements are received. The other revenues are spread out throughout the year. This makes it essential that a program be adopted which will not exceed the revenues. It is the intention of the department to do this and preclude the inconveniences to the state treasurer of registering warrants.

The department believes that it has made good progress during the past year and that it will stand the test of comparison with the departments in other states. It needs the corporation of the taxpayers. It welcomes fair criticism but believes that some of it in the past has been diffused without thorough investigation.

Driving Habits Do Change

(Continued from page 25) A modern oiling system does not drain off as the motorist supposes but remains in various parts of the system to dilute the new oil that is added. Wise owners flush with a quart of fresh oil where flushing is considered necessary.

Because it has been customary to use the choker when cranking the engine many owners of new cars are adding raw gasoline to the crankcase contents and are courting sticky valves. There are many times when the new cars will start off without the choker. But the habit is still operating to the motorist's detriment.

Ancient habits cannot keep pace with new conditions, experience shows. The man who fills the radiator up to the brim religiously each time he starts out on a trip is simply braking up the wrong tree. It always has been true that too much water in the radiator meant losing a lot through the overflow because of the syphon created when the water heated, but with cars running at higher speed over good roads the syphoning is greatly increased. With the circulating system going at top speed the water is often forced out of the overflow, It is time to stop these antiquated habits. Your car deserves better treatment.-Touring Topics.