OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

gonomble D. C. Olrer 

State HI&wag Ewine%~ 

Tuas Iilghw%y I)ep@rtmQnt 

AWtin, Tcxa8 

If. %%knovledge Pecoipt 

or thir dopbrtment a8 r0mmt 

quartermste 

Fort Worth. 

u. s. Highway X 

r nqueat h8 

either convey 

I vlthLn that 

or enter Into an agreeauthori2ln.g them to 

to all tdri0 during 

and for a reasonable period 

on or the oonveyanee or 

the Federal Oovemment pay 

a8 ply be neoemary to lmprwe a 

uud thy Depot for the ure of the 

rlod oovend by the agmszwmt or 

or this purpo80 are svallable. 

ay hUlBl1~8iOII -3.ige8 it8 obligation t0 

th% State of Taxa% %nd to the travellag pub110 %nd la 

view of the faot that th% State h%% a lsrgo inve%tment 

of publia money in the im~FOWJE~t8 OKI U. 9. BighvsJ 

x0. 01 wlthin the 1lmits or the Depot it does not vlrh 

to permamhtly ~1080, abonbon, or d5.spose of the read. 
gsmrable D. 0. Ower. page 2 

The algbvay Cwl88i0n h8 ooopmatsd &lly with all 

Oowmmental Agenote engaged ia the v1r errert in 

the past aad while it i8 not ROV dO8ilWU8 Of t?lOsing 

a primary highway, 18 VlllImg to l soede to the demnd8 

0r the amy in thie in8tanoe If it can be doam rithin 

th0 8t%tUtO 

% 

aUthorit;t of the Ca~irrlon and VithoUt 

8ubjeotlng t 8 Dep%rheat or the CmsIrrIon, l ItSer 

0rfi0iaii7 OF in their ladl*ldual O%pOitis8 to %ny 

Uebility ror 8uOh aetlan aml rurther, ii it is a88uwd 

that the HghvaywIllbe ntumedto thoDepartmant%nd 

the people or Texas alter the temirutlon 0r the sm* 

m-Y* 

*It ha8 key suggerted to orrkiale 0r the w 

that vhIle tho Hlgvay CamIsrlon 8%y not have leg%1 %u- 

%horlty to oamvq the Hlghvay by doe4 or 081)ment. 6~ 

to %gwe to the %losiag of the EIghv%y S8 deslmd by 

thea, the United States sould raqulrs it by sondsmation. 

went, Inoorpor%tIag%ll the pawlsisns 8auIdemd 

derirrble to both th4 Fsdsral %m¶ State Oeverfment8, as 

wsllas thsagreed o%nsIder%tlcm, eouldbeprepwedurd 

eatendbyylreaen t thu8 l lLclnrtIag all sf the leg%1 

@IO8tiOR8 whi& WI80 ir aI&y 0th~ 1~818 Or atU3apiiShiI2g thSead&8ind~ tbAm%W rOiiO?th 

'I have gIvsnyou% rath%ro~lstob%okgroqsld%nd 

dIS6U8Si0XI Or thr QUO8tI02% and !touild Sp~00iSk It if 

you rould eoasider the b81X’e or the Fedonl Ooww.ztt 

to sbt%In ths lilghvay vithla the lklts or the Qumtermaster Depot and %dvIso ste vh%t prooedure the 6001ission 

m8y leg81ly r0ii0v In plroIng aantml e-for that portIan 

of the Highmy In the Yar -Went. an& at the 8-e 

tlm Insur no liability, l ithsr by the State or by the 

ladIvldu%lnsaberr of the HIghV%y 0aP1881OR rOF 8uah aotlon," 

It ~I.11 be rllgt noted thrt tb# URitOd 8Wte8 Amy ha8 

requested the State HIghray Carlsalon to l uthsrlso It to ba~leade 

that portion or u. 9. Bigh%~ 81 vhtsh 1158 between the Imth aad 

South 1ImIts of the Qpartezmaster Dspot. 

It Is 80 veil 8ettled that the l stabllskment %nd maIntenanos 0r % 8y8tim 0r hIghvay8 is a govemPtsnt%l Ruratlen, no 

Cit%tiaa Of %Uthoriti%8 i8 XieOO888~;. 
ssgwzmble D. 0. Orser, Pace 3 

Ths ~gt8~tUl'O h8 -tdwt4 %Rd~~OURtWSltFOl 

over the losatiti, de8lgrdim m&d l stablls~snt Of SUO~ highways. 

-want t0,lt.r power, the Legi8l8tum omkd the St8te Highuay 

Department and vested the s&sinlstratIve oontrol thsnoi in the 

state Blghlmy cami88ion. ArtIelo 6663, Verponts Annotated DIvIl 

gtatUts8, OXWtWJ &Ln WBIZ~J in Vhi@h WB IW8tsd pOWW8 t0 rOntllsto snd sxacut5 plans and polIcIes for the looation, oonstruatlon 

Md R%intCA4UX?e Of % CfXiI~Wh6llSiV’B 8y8ta Or S+t4 hi&W&y8 Md 

pub116 roads. 

the ease of Ilalm~ vs. Bea, 48 S. W. 

Robbin VI I LbWstan+ ~OU$~~8&~~~;~~r 

mls or Texas, In an opinion by Jwtloe 'man, adopted by the 

~xwie Couz’t, hsld that the Act Ve8ted ths oartrol of t& state 

a&hw;ra in the Stat% Hlgltway SMp%rtment tith regmd to the de8 

mtion, loaatlon, reloaation, 1mpmvemexit, eon8truotienr a b%iii&Lt 

~ant¶&usnoe themar. bwhem do t&s a&bvar l tatutes suthsrthe Stats Xl&way Department to delegsto Its pwers to other 

ageaaoiecr . 

You ars thereron sdvlsed th%t the State xilghway Oair- 

&Son does not hsve authority to %uthwLr?e th% V. S, Amy tom bsmlo&do the above mentioned porNon ar 0. 8. Hlghwiy 81, nor does it 

bsvo authority to enter into a oontraat OP agresmtmt to rush orroot. 

IA regard to whether or not the St&e XIghsuy Depsrtwat 

I8 authorlted to oonvcy the right-Of-V%y md Qsprov~ents in that 

pe~tfan of the hQ$wsy to the Fedex-1 Go-vemment, yew me sdvlsed 

thet Article 66m, Seotlon 1, Vsrnaa’s Amotsted Civil St8tuts8, 

pl'OVtba8 %S fOlbVSt 

Vhemver the state Rlghny m?SSd8SfOn hea aequlred or 8h%ll hameSter ssqulse ang 1%x&d by pureha8e, dondemfhtion, or othe~lre to bs ossQ as s 

rI5ht of u%y ror %ny Mate alghvay and thmeafter the 

route of ru0h Hightray Va8 or shall be ahangsd or akendoaed, md %x&y suah right of my bs no lsnger needsd 

‘for 8uch EIghwsy, or needsd for use 0r oitlrcons 48 s 

road, the State Highmy Cc4malssl~~ msy remxmwad to 

the Qovemor that suoh land bs aold and that he execute a deed convoying all ths State’s right, tltla %ad 

tntereet Ln euoh land 80 sequimd. Upon the reomendation or the CcssmIssion, the aavornor my emeeute a 

propor kieed aonvey~ snd/or exohangi.ng 8u0h land r0r 

dlfrercmt land belrm@w: to tha o&use perran or ersms. 

It eh%ll ba t&s duty of tha &sssisaion to fir &e ralr 

and reasonable value of all suob land %I& advFse th6: 
s~mblo D. C. Oreer, Page 4 

a o Yo r nor ther eo f l Provtcled tat Yhon rwh lamI 1 8 

given to the state, the QoPomor uy retul% tha Dame 

by proper deed to the person or 9er8cn8 tm vhan 

the wuae is reoetvt46. All ncmey derlmd frfs the role 

of such lend shall be depoalted with the funda from 

which It ~'86 originally taken. The AttOmez Qeneral 

shall approve all. tramfern under this Act. 

You are, therefore, adrired that If the State Highway 

caml88lo.n makes a Pind*~that the portlon or the right 

a que8tIcn 18 no longer needed 

of my 

Of Oiti8@A8 a8 8 roab it 

W-Au r'8U9l=. haFaG 

to be a88Ul'Od that the road will return tc the State upopl the 

feminatlon of the prerent var emergenoy Sor tb u8e of thr state 

utd it8 Citi8eM (L8 0 highway. Suah bebag the oare, we do not klleve that the State Rightray Department vould be ruthmIred to 

oater an prder mque8ting the Oovemw to oonv~ey the land to the 

?edeml Ooverr88(lPt, for, 8UCh M order .vould bu in dlraat oo@liot 

with the limitation empha8iwd abwo. 

IA l'iQSFd t0 th0 8U&je8tiOU t&@&t th0 8108&$3 Of the hi@- 

ll8f k aoaanrplirrhed bJ OOJWbWl8tfOU, YOU am rdo18#d tbt Satin 

lyl, Chapter 11, Title 50, u. 8. aode AAnotated, 9FOYide8, IA part, 

U fOlbV8: 

'The searetary of War may 6auae prooeocl~8 to 

b8J in8titUted in th0 m Of tb &?&ted SktOe, ia 

uw Court harlru jurled%otion of rueh ~eoimdiam fsr 

thk l oqUirmentm* aox&mmtIon of any- land 

Wo thereof or other fmtere8t therein, or r 

the-to, needed for tile 8lte, leiwtlan, aon- 

~8tl'UOtiOn, Or $WO8O@XltiCA% Of VOX'k8 fdr fcYirtifIi@tiOXU, 

OW8t defW8e8, (aad)BlmtacJtramngaarqs, . l . 

utd further DrOVIdOd. th8t When 8Wh Dl'6DOX'tY f8 Wpulred in tlim of vaP, . . . gpoa the- riibtg-of tlie 

petition ror tile ooAaeaAatloA of aAy lurb, tm q 

u8e thereof, or other intonrt therdn or rlght z*- 

ining thewto to be 8UQUiPW fO2' alU Of tb DUX'DO808 

afommiid, Immediate pO8ie88iOli t&8&f mfLj be-t&m 

to the extent of the Intererrt to be arquIred and the 

land8 may be ooouplsd rurd uud for mllltary 9ur908e8, 

6Ad the prOVi8iOA Of Bect%W 175 6f tbi8 title, providing thatnopublioa6aey rhllba expmcbdupon 

8UOh land Wit11 . . . tha cOSMe& Of the ti@I8btuM Of 

the S:ate in tich the land 18 located ha8 been give, 
EoAomble D. 0. Qreer, page 5 

3ull be,ud the 8ue are hereby, rw9e~deddurl~g 

fih0 p6ri0d Of the 6Xi8tkPg WJergeAIq. 

Section 257, Cbapter 3, Title 40, u. 5. Cnde Annoteted, 

provide8 in 9Wt a8 fOl.lOV81 

'In every aa h whlah the 3ecntaPy Of the Tre68- 

ury or an? other officer of the govemmsnt he8 been or 

rhall be authorized to procure real estate for the enotlon of a public building or for other public ~808 he 

8bal1 be aUthOri8ed t0 MQUire the 8aane for the UAited 

State8 by oondmnation, wader judicial proae88, vhenever 

fn h%8 09iaiOA it 18 A8MJ8#l$X7 Or dVUsAt8geOU8 t0 the 

OOVen.tmanto do 80. l l l 

In the oa8e of @Mappar vs. UAlted Stater, 81 Fed. 76b, 

the Ciretit Cowt of A995al8 held that the 8tatutes abore quoted 

am in pax-1 materio., 

It 18 8gpaMIIlt th8t the 88Omtam Of War -8 th, 9OllW t0 

M@m the hAd in qW38tiOXl br cOAde8metioA. got anlJ ~a7 he QAAdOBAthe Zond,bUt.U~abO ooPideamtO8Ay eXkntdOrir.drad the 

8atiW IMlr ti80 be iOr t~pOZ'8lry U80. vol. 33 (Igo), ~iAiOA8 

of the Attorney 0e~eral of the tlnlted State8, page 551. IA the ea80 

8tbSLP,W6~M Of tb OplniOA tb8t theanit& St&btO8lu~ 008ldUl¶ th. 

portion of the United State8 Highvay Ho. 81 lyfpe betveen the Horth 

a?& South limit8 tkf the Quartermaster Depot and my do 80 tar tia 

uu of tha land for ghatever period of t%me it derire8. In ooAAootlon the+evith ve are of the further oplnlpian that the aaovnt of 

Mmqpa to the State could be agreed upan betveen the Opitetl State8 

8Ad the Stste of TeXr8. 

You further ark vhat proc8dum, if any, oould th6 State 

ltighn~Dep6rtm6ntgothroughto pl8OOa ht&vay vithin thellrtfr 

of the Querteammter Depot in the oantrol of ths War Deparhrcmt. 

We doubt that th6 Highway DepartmeAt ha8 the authority to plaeo the 

hlghvay in th6 aoAtro1 of the War De9WtP+nt, but ve do bellore that 

Tudor oerteln dmum8tanoe8, the highway de~rtment vould bare a~- 

thorlty to diecontlnue u8e of that portion of the hIghway vltho@i 

lirbllity 011 the part of the rtate or the indivldwl mber8 of the 

State Highway Commiseion. If th@ State Ifighwer CCWA28SiWi 8houlb find 

a8 a orotter of fast that beoau8e of the looatlon of the ngpot OA both 

Bide8 of the highway and the moving of the aatarlal8 ~ro88 the higbWLy by the War DeparU86At 6On8titUted a mom t&Ui OrdbUWy dUIger t0 

th6 traveling publio, thnt the State Hlghvsy 0Q%BUIiESiOn vould be 8uthorlzed to clorre t&t yortlon of the highvay dur&.g the uirt6nue of 

22 ~Tbtl a danger to thu traveling: publlo, we belL6ve that tha 

IA the eVeAt BiUAStkme tire 8tOPed at the depot md aU6h 

Cmir81oA vould bo jU8tifisd in alO8ing tb 9WtlOA Of th. b%.ghVay 
gmreble D. C. Freer, Pago 6 

a que8tiOn t0 the publla Vhile 8UOh danger eXi8t8. Thi8 for the 

~mea8OO that tll th. Oa8e Of Beathur 78. t%iA&tletm. 12 9. u. (26) 

i$&ttl!S ckXW3i881Oa Of hypO818, speaking thhugh j’iutlae Shori, ' 

"The Act amating the 

bi the term8 of which that 

state J5-y Departanant 

department was fill and 

;F;t;fY VO8ted Vith the edrinistrative --+ aon rol of 

a roads, whioh right bo a part of the state 

B&hvay Sy8tU, . . . @nd, jUri8dictiOlI Vlth re8peOt 

to the de8ignatl 

COAIltNCtioA, eb& 

, reloaatlon, lmprovaent, 

xK8aontlnU8.nae and OOn- 

&-& of rush of th8 pub110 P@ail8 a8 VOM then reas 

nlzed a8 a part of the State lIl@nm~ SysteA, or ov8r 

suah of the pub110 1~848 of the state a8 thereafter 

. . . beaome a part of the stat0 xilghvay sy8teis.' 

Tht3 Highway @mBla81On hVbg the 8U.thority a8 Ht forth 

in the above clfatlan, it follov8 that it 18 authorlred to dlreot 

th. floV Of tx'affi0 OV8C 8Uah -8 end PI 18 held in 16 WX. 

ar. 5621 'If the re@etlons are intended to, and do in trot, 

px'Ot.Ot the live8 and 9lW9ertv Of OitiMA8, they are aa uemi8e 

of pollae paver." It Mtlll’d~ fOlhV8 that 8U8h Mgu&AtiaA 011 

the part of the EighVey DeOartimeAt would be l uthorlsed bmmme it8 

broad ponr8 under th6 hot croatlag rush department IAherently inelude the 9olloe power of the govOmment ln8ofar a8 highway tnffla 

18 eomomed av@r hlghvays aoA8tmtOted by the State Hi$hvsr Depertmt. 

Ycu am therefore advlred that lf the Stab Bf&nray Cmmlrrlo~ ahonld find that the fact8 above asntloned exirt end that 

they aonrtltute a AeAAae end dmger to the trevellA& publio, 8Uah 

fpet8 vould constitute 8Uah good faith cm the part of the State 

Elghny Commlrslon and their aot of di8contlaukg the UM of the 

road during the eXi8teAUe Of the emergemy would be juttifled. 

Uhetller or not the Strte of T6Xs8 or kenber8 of ths Hl~hvay C~~misalon indivi.dwally vould ba held liable for d8aagos lr 8 

we8tiW Of fact. You are advlled, however, that If the barrloading s.nd dlscont¶..maanas of the highway would cl0843 8cm6 pemon~r 

aacesa to snd PrOm hi8 property, there vould be llablllty on the 

part of t&a state. By th18 Ye do not ~eaA that a pereoA ta8a U. 

S. Highway 81 vouZd be entitled to damages becswm he Ya8 not peF 

mitted to travel over the clorred portion thereof, but that he ear&- 

not ba deprived of hfs ecaem to a hQhvay. It matters oat that 
th8t permn light hte to trrY.1 4 mera slreultou8 reuto to go, 

m vi11 say, to Fort Worth. 

"!mle dango mlmt be the diroet and iasdltlt* Qon8O~lNO Of the 8Ot CraguiIiOd Of UAd FOQOte Uld mt-t dWBge8 8N not noovanrble. %‘hO PetitiOWp, 

b8 fFU aeGO t0 8u Of hi8 lot8 w poblio Itl'O,~#r' 

~ObonZO~Ofhl8 a=pbint18, th8t iXIgOtagt Gee 

Ofhi hOU8.8 inth0 W diFOUtiOZ¶h@Wybe 0 a i-d 

to go further than he 0tharv3.8. vould. The inoonvemion00 -8 not nrsh m inJ= 4Wi8 him ia hi8 prOpUty 

a8 VOUld Or&tit10 him to d6W&O8.' 

Rxrthrr, in the au0 Of Fearfnst Y8. Enrin, 55 A. I. 486, 

tho court haldl 

You are, thoroforo, advlrod that if there ar8 a0 porsoau 

VhOU8. ~p~OO~~fiiord~~?tlaplOt~highrrOE8~~ 

of lngrosr or egx-0~8, there voald~be no liability. 

Tnl8tlagthat the fongalng fullr an8ver8 yourlnqulry, 

vo 819 

Iowa very truly 

ATTOBBBY @lSRXML OF TEXAS