The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-02-26
THE JOINT COMMISSION BILLS.

Two bills have been sent to the House
and the Senate from the Joint Highway
Policy Commission with strong recon-
mendation that they do pass, and accom-
panied by a report that advances some
reasons for their passage. But of neces-
sity these reasons are not detailed, and
the commission falls back upon the broad
statement that the bills are economic and
of first Importance and that their passage
will repay the State.
One of them establishes q Highway
Bureau, to exploit the whole road policy
question, enlarge public information,
search out error, advise the people of any
county in road economies and road con-
struction, ascertain deposits of road ma
terials, encourage their use and investi-
gate the causes of present wastefulness,
and why the policy is adhered to which
the joint committee in its report declares
is unworthy of California, serious loss
to taxpayers, and one that ought to be
abandoned, and to visit the counties and
hold:public meetings and arouse local in
terests. This bureau is to exist but two
years, and is to cost for all expenses of
research and education and promotion of
road economies about $4,000 year.
1t is conceded, on the basis of official
statistics gathered in two distinct years,
from the majority of the counties, that
70 IL, - i
ministrative methods relating to them in
yolve some S4,OOO,O0O year of practical
loss, mainly due to lack of information
as to just economic methods. Some sta
tisticians place the figure higher, finding
in the wagon movement of products alone
at seven and a half cents instead of two
or three cents ton mile, more loss than
that. But if the work of bureau for
two years can result in a saving of so little
as per cent, there will be saved to the
people $4,000 more than the bureau will
have cost. a similar bureau in Massa-
chusetts has effected in so small State
such good and saving, and the people are
so well pleased with it, that they have or
dered it to 60 on tor two years more, be-
ing satisfied that the simple educational
value of the bureau far outweighs its
cost.
Some of the important work of such
bureau may be understood from the re-
marks of United States Road Engineer
General Stone in his recent address to the
State Road Convention and later to the
legislative joint commission:
am not here to advocate any rash. hasty
experiments nor to rush into high taxation,
or unlimited debt, but am here TO advocate
q thorough Investigation OF your road affairs
in this state and a study OF the question to
whether you are getting the best results for
tina money that you are spending. This is the
vital question OF the moment. You ought 10
have in this state the finest roads of any State
in the Union. Road material is scattered so
nearly all over The State that it is available
from every part OF the State You have kinds
OF road material that we could not get in any
other State in the Union. You have every
thing that people could ask for except the
knowledge of the systematic business-like
methods of doing things.
The other bill reported by the joint
committee is simpler and involves no
cost to the State, but looks to positive
money gain for an important fund of the
treasury. 1t calls on the Governor and
State Prison Directors and the Highway
Bureau to use the power at Folsom, and
convicIs in number sufficient for the pur-
pose, say 100, to crush trap rock by ma
chinery on the State grounds, to make
road metal, to be furnished to counties
and cities and towns at cost of produc-
ton, with 10 per cent. per cubic yard
added. This 10 per cent. is to pay back
to the treasury the necessary SIS, 900 70
buy and establish the plant, and viii, it is
estimated, do it in a couple OF years, and
some of the joint commission think in
less time after establishment of the
crushers, leaving the State possessor of
the plant. After this return of the
money only per cent. is to be added,
and that is to 60 into the fund for the
support of the State Prisons. But this
work is not to be undertaken until $4,000
cubic yards of road metal are subscribed
Tor, and until agreement is reached with
railroad carriers to carry the prepared
road metal at such rates as will warrant
the enterprise.
The plan of the bill will enable such