ARIZONA TRACTOR & EQUIPMENT CO.

BETTER ARIZONA ROADS

Built with “Caterpillar” Tractors

“Caterpillar” Road Machinery

ARIZONA TRACTOR & EQUIPMENT CO. ARIZONA HIGHWAYS What Other States Are Doing ILLINOIS

Completion of the bond issue system of hard roads will require approximately $110,000,000 and can be accomplished in the next three or four years providing present road revenues are continued.

That information was transmitted to Gov. Louis L. Emmerson by Director H. H. Cleveland of the department of public works and buildings.

With revenues continuing to come from motor license fees, Federal aid funds and from two-thirds of the state's three-cent gasoline tax, new pavement of standard width, and important widening and grade separation projects equivalent to a total of 800 miles can be completed each year, the highway officials said.

Any curtailment of the present road revenue would seriously delay completion of the bond issue system, as well as hamper the construction of grade separations and paving projects necessary to relieve traffic congestion in the metropolitan areas, they said. "The principal and interest of both tond issues are being paid from curren motor license fee receipts, and the yearly surplus is used for construction and maintenance."

"To date 7.631 miles of bond issue roads have been paved, leaving approximately 2,200 of the 9,800 miles system to be slabbed."

Approximately $285,774,000 have been spent up to November 1, 1930, in constructing bond issue roads, while outstanding obligations for roads in the process of construction total about $14,250,000.

CALIFORNIA

Abolition of the personal property tax on automobiles by the counties and substitution of a weight basis tax to be collected by the state at the time of registration is a new plan embodied in the proposed constitutional amendment which has been introduced in the California legislature by Assemblyman William B. Horhblower of San Francisco. Under this arrangement, the bulk of the proceeds would be pro-rated back to the counties to be used for street and highway improvements. A state fund would be set up for participation with cities and counties and the railroads in the elimination of grade crossings on streets and roads off the state highway system. Additional aid to joint highway districts would also be provided out of the tax revenues.

Under the proposed plan the counties would receive the same amounts now obtained from the personal property tax, while the additional revenue derived from those who evade the tax under the present method would be applied to grade crossing work and joint highway districts.

Endorsement of the measure has been voted by the directors of the Automobile Club of Southern California, the California State Automobile Association, the Motar Car Dealers' Association of San Francisco and of Los Angeles, and the Northern California Motor Car Dealers' Association.

Features which caused the Automobile Club of Southern California and the northern association to actively oppose Amendment 18, the state taxation proposal which was defeated at the election last November, are obviated by the Hornblower measure, it is stated.

MINNESOTA

Bids on bituminous treatment of 630 miles of graveled trunk highways were received by the Minnesota Highway department March 17. Another 150 miles, more or less, may be added to the program later in the season, it is announced. Minnesota now has 1,150 miles of bituminous gravel in the trunk highway system and the 1931 program will bring the total close to 1,900.

The tentative schedule on which bids were received March 17 calls for figures on 12,700,000 gallons of material. Separate figures will be taken on material delivered at the nearest station to each project, and on application of the material. In addition to the new treatment, the schedule also includes 822 miles of retreatment of routes previously treated. Retreatments, on the average, are required two out of three years.

While bituminous materials come in three general classes, oil, tar and asphalt, there are several grades in each c'ass. Before any gravel road is treated, there is a careful study of traffic conditions, sub-soil, cost of materials, and other factors, to determine the right grade and amount to apply. Using the wrong grade, too much or too little, or any error in the method of application, may result in a road surface worse than an untreated road.

COLORADO

Colorado builds her mountain roads to connect her people of the mountain towns with the people of the cities of the plains, and in so doing builds for the use of the tourists.

Neither our mountains nor our plains roads are completed as through highways from east to west or from north to south.

The unimproved portion is our weak link in the chain.

To complete our system of state highways will cost about $60,000,000. Our present highway program of construction is about $4,000,000 a year.

ARKANSAS

The Ninth Biennial report of the Arkansas highway commission forwarded to the governor and the state legislature contained 473 pages showing the detailed status of all contract work between January 1, 1927, and Nov. 30, 1930. The foreword of the report says: "A perusal of the contents of this biennial report will give a very clear idea as to the magnitude of the construction program inaugurated by the State of Arkansas through the passage of the Martineau road law.

"Nearly four years have passed, each marked by a nearer approach to a parity of construction in each of the 75 counties of the State and by the completion of various inter-communicating highways throughout the State.

"As the provisions of the Martineau road law, providing for a parity of construction throughout the State, precluded the possibility of the completion of the through, or interstate highways, such highways have been completed only in part, but now that parity will be reached by the end of this fiscal year, the through highways should be completed as rapidly as possible."

"It is felt that the efforts of the State Highway Commission should be directed during the next biennial period toward the early completion of the interstate highways and toward higher type dustless surfaces on our heavier traveled roads, which will reduce maintenance costs, together with increased revenue due to the completion of our through highways, will be available for building other much needed roads in all parts of the State."