Goodwin's weekly : a thinking paper for thinking people. [volume], February 06, 1909, Page 13, Image 13

About Goodwin's weekly : a thinking paper for thinking people. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1902-1919

Image provided by: University of Utah, Marriott Library

                
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Motor Motions f.v.fIg 1
Toi the motorists, more than to anybody else,
may be attributed the first direct result of the
good roads agitation which was accomplished on
Tuesday lastj in the passage of the memorial to
congress by the senate. This memorial asks the
congress of the United States to grant to 'the
state of Utah three million acres of arid and
semi arid lands in this state, to be sold to pro
Vide funds for the erection of a new state house
and the improvement of the highways of tlutf,
state.
The memorial passed the senate without a
dissenting vote, and will undoubtedly pass the
house with the same, unanimity. On its signa
ture by the governor it will be forwarded to con
gress. If the congress follows the precedent
established in land grafts to other states for
similar purposes, it is probable that Utah will
be given this three million acres of public lands.
Already large farming associations have made
inquiry as to the probable location of this land
and have expressed a desire to purcnase the
greater portion. The minimum price at which
this land will 1 will be $2 an acre, so that
Che total reve will be at least ?G,000,00Q,
This means thiee million dollars for a capitol and
three million dollars for good roads.
With three million dollars available for good
roads, automobile boulevards from St. George
to Logan and from Green River to the Nevada
line are no longer idle dreams.
In Colorado there is already a system of state
highways. This reaches from one end of the
state to the other and crosswise, as well. It is
the aim of the promoters of this good roads
movement in Utah to connect with Colorado, and
ultimately to make the four hundred miles of
road in Utah a part of the system that will lead
from the Yellowstone park on the north, through
Idaho, to and through Colorado. JThis road
would take in the unsurpassed scenery of the
Grand Canyon of the Colorado, and the Innu
merable famous natural parks in that state.
v & fcj
Definite steps were taken during the week by
the Automobile Club of Utah to complete the
plans for the automobile speedway to Saltair.
A committee consisting of Dr. W. F. Beer, O. H.
E. D. Miller and J. E. Langford, appointed by
the Automobile Club of Utah for that purpose,
Hewlett, F. J. Westcott, Ben Davis, M. D. Joseph,
made a tour of inspection over the proposed route
,of the boulevard. The committee is now pre
paring charts indicating the route, estimates of
depth and filling and grading at various points.
That the boulevard will be built is now cer
tain. The plan as outlined, is to organize and
incorporate a stock company to issue 1,000 shares
at $100 each. These thousand shares will be
preferred stock in the company, and on this
slock dividends will bf paid. Other shares, is
sued after the first thousand, will not constitute
dividend paying stock, but will entitle the hold
ers to the use of the boulevard for motoring.
A large grandstand is to be erected at the
Saltair end of the boulevard. From this point
a View of the entire speedway may be had. If
the present plans are carried out, the boulevard
will make a loop around this grandstand, pro
viding a double race course froi Salt Lake to
Saltair and back.
The boulevard will be 125 feet wide, paralel
llng the railroad track on tho north side, and
running in an absolutely straight line from a
point just above the Jordan bridge to tho Salt
air pavilion, twelve miles of an ideal race course,
Nowhere in the United States is there such
an excellent automobllo race co'i-se. Its con-
1
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struction should make Salt Lake the motor rac
ing center of the world.
The first cost of construction is estimated at
$50,000. This money is to be furnished by the
stockholders, who will receive their returns from
race meetings and from the toll charged those
who use the boulevard for motoring.
& vJS
Seven good roads measures, orglually ad
vocated by the Automobile Club of Utah, and
endorsed at the good roads convention heiu in
Lake recently, have been introduced in the
house of representatives by Representative
Henrie of Garfield. The bills were drawn at the
direction of a committee of the Automobile club,
"Good Roads" Roberts and United States govern
ment experts, headed by Logan W. Page, who has
charge of highway Improvements for the fed
eral government. They embrace the views of
automobilists and roads experts from every part
of the country.
House bill No. 55 provides for the creation
of a state roads commission, a system of state
roads and a state road building fund. The pro
posed board consists of the governor, state engi
neer, state treasurer, one member of the faculty
of the agricultural college and one member of
the state university.
House bill No. 5G provides for the establish
ment of a standard of uniform construction, with
particular reference to specifications and meas
urements. House bill No. 57 appoints a county road
commissioner and defines the powers of county
commissioners with regard to the building and
maintenance of good roads.
House bill No. 58 provides- for a special road
district tax for the construction of gravel, mac- H
adam and paved roads. H
House bill No. 59 provides an annual vehicle H
tax. On each passenger vehicle there Is a tax H
ranging from fifty cents for a vehicle with only H
two wheels and one selxt for one passenger, to H
$20 for a passenger motor vehicle having more H
than forty-live horse power. The proposed tax H
on automobiles is based on the horse power of H
the machines. '?& H
House bill No. "GO provides for the use of con- !H
victs and prisoners for the improvement of coun- ;
ty highways. jH
House bill No. Gl provides for the compul- H
Eory use of wide tires on or before Jan. 1, 1915. ,H
These bills are all under consideration by the iH
house committee on highways and bridges. There H
Is every indication that this committee will re- H
port favorably on the bills and that they will be H
passed by both the house and the senate with H
little if any amending. H
& & & !
The Tom Botterlll garage, the home of the jjl
Pierce-Arrow, on State street, is nearing com- H
pletion.; The garage is one of the finest in the fl
west. The building will cost, when completed, jH
something over $40,000. Its construction makes ?H
it especially fitted for the care and repair of jjH
cars. H
iv ifc & jH
Frank Knox of the National Bank of Republic . H
has purchased a new Stoddard-Day ton car from H
the Sharman Automobile company. H
O Vx t5 D
Several of the prominent motorists and auto- H
mobile dealers of Salt Lake, are attending the H
automobile show in Chicago. H
HAVE YOU IT? " "O T CD I
SEEN THE tf UKUO: I
The Vanadium Steel Cars I
They will stand any test 50 per cent greater than is required to put any other car H
out of commission. Vanadium steel is used by the U.S. Government for armor H
plate. It is used for every steel part of a Ford Automobile. You should see 9
the Ford then buy it.
WE ARE STATE AGENTS
Consolidated Wagon & Machine Co. 1
"Legitimate Profits" GEO. T. ODELL, General Mgr. B
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