The San Francisco call., 1909-01-19
Suggestion of Road Commission
of Three Members Is OPP
posed by Executive
Sharply criticises 0rganiza-
tiOn's Bill and Picks
Many Flaws
[spseiaI Dispatch 70 The caln


Office Of Governor J. n. Gillett this
morning when representatives of the
California Good Roads association in
proposing the method of establishing
g system of good highways in the
state suggested that state highway
commission Of three members be named
TO have charge Of the work, using the
fcial
Two years ago Governor Gillett sue
ceeded in having numerous commissions
consolidated under the state depart
ment Of engineering. the state high
way commission being one Of the bu-
reaus affected by the absorption. Gil
lett is jealous Of his pet scheme. and
he lost no time in telling the good
roads enthusiasts today that he did not
approve Of their plan.
CLASH ON PROCEDURE
The governor and the delegates also
clashed on the procedure of building the
roads. The association wanted law
passed authorizing counties TO build
roads in accordance with standard speci-
ncations. the state to assume the main
tenauce of the highways that would
form part Of a general system of ar
teries embracing the entire state.
Gnlett held out for a bond issue Of
s18.000. 600 for the construction OF a sys-
TEN Of good roads that would afford
main arteries for the state He insisted
that the associations plan would find
rich counties building roads to be main
1aincd by the state. while poor counties
would not build the roads. The result
WOULD be a disconnected system that
would not serve for general state high
ways.
After today's conference Governor
Gllett announced that he was willing
70 have a commission. consisting of the
governor. the state engineer and two or
three others, to have charge Of the
roads, but was insistent that the bond
ing issue be proposed. regardless of the
associations movements for state aid.
GILLETT OUTLINES PLANS
1t was when Charles d. Daggett of
Pasadena, president Of the California
good roads association, began TO ex-
plain the associations scheme to the
governor at the conference this morn
ing that Gillett quickly asserted him
self by setting forth his plans and out
lining what he would stand for in the
way Of legislation.
n 4. Tarpey Of Fresno informed the
governor that he had misconceived the
objects Of the association. He asserted
that the organization merely sought
state aid for the maintenance Of such
roads as would be a part of general
state highway. This stirred the COVER
"a inf 70 ~ q . ho
was opposed to any legislation that
would attempt to make the state main
tain roads that did not form parts of
main highways.
When J. M. Eddy of Stockton, secre-
tary Of the state association, produced
p rough draft of a bill which had been
prepared to provide for the state aid
in maintenance. the governor quickly
discovered that il proposed TO create a
highway commission to have charge Of
the work. he came out fat footedly
in opposition, holding that the state
department Of engineering should have
control Of the work. The clause in the
bill setting forth that the state en-
gineer should be a consulting official
for the commission did not, wholly sat
isfy him.
PROVIDES FOR COMMISSION
The bill provides for three commits
ElonefS 10 De appointed Dy the gov
ernOr for nine years, each to receive
S3.600 per year. To the commission is
given exclusive charge and supervision
Of the maintenance Of all state high
ways. A state highway is defined as
one connecting incorporated cities and
towns In the same or different counties
or connecting any such city or town
with the public highway system of an
other county or Of another state.
The bill provides that the commission
shall be the sole judge whether any
highway is of sufficient Importance,
carries sufficient traffic and has been so
constructed as TO comply with the gen.
ersl requirements. Roads accepted by
the commission as general highways
shall thereafter be a state charge
Governor Gillett read the proposed
bill out loud and made numerous COM
ments as he did so. He first attacked
the attempt TO create highway COM
mission and then the possibility of dis
connected roads being foisted upon the
state. Attorney General L. S. Webb
saw a number of unconstitutional fea-
lures in the bill, among them being
the term OF Office to run nine years
The delegates explained that the pur-
pose Of this was to keep the commits
sion out Of politics as much as possible
The question was also raised that 50, 500
per year was not sufficient to secure
the services Of an expert as a commits
sioner.
URGES DEFINITE ACTION
p. Elliott, one OF the highway
commissioners Of San Joaquin county
addressed the, conference on the ur-
gency Of definite action at once He
said that his county had all the details
IL. readiness for bond election to vote
a large amount OF money for the con-
structon Of general roads throughout
the county that would be a part of the
associations proposed state system of
highways. He referred TO the fact that
Sacramento had voted bonds for good
roads ana that Fresno was about to do
So He pictured San Joaqfiin county as
the hub Of the proposed system Of good
roads for central California He urged
action along the line set forth in the
associations bill as a means of allow
ing and inducing the counties to COM
mence with the least possible delay the
construction OF standard roads along
the general highways.
When the governor attacked the
scheme Of taking the control Of the
roads away from the state department