The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-03-15

was asked OF Col Sidney Suggs this
morning after his arrival from Ok
laboma City, where he has been dur
inc the session of the legislature
working for the passage OF the same
when / made my report to the
chairman OF the committee on hlSh-
WAYS. for the house of representa-
tives which was published about
that time," said the Colonel 1T con
yinced the committee that something
should be done to create a depart
uont of highways for the state,
and | with the committee and sub
committees worked every spare
moment and got data from some
twenty states in the union, and from
the data gathered we drew a Dill,
went over it and thrashed out as we
thought all the Objectionable Tea
lures, and got up a good Dlll' 'Dul
when il was carried to the house,
there seemed to be objections rails
ed, that was hard to overcome. EV-
erybody seemed, or rather said, they
were for anything or any measure
that would improve the roads III the
state of Oklahoma. This bill provided
for the levy of a one-fourth min
tax. and state aid to the county 10
the amount of twenty per CEN
of the cost of building roads. Some
contended that it was unfair 10 levy
this tax for the purpose OF state
aid. saving that it really amounted
TO a double tax because it provided
that a county in order to get the
benefit OF this state aid would
have to let its proportional part
lie in the state treasury or in some
bank until the county that raised
an additional tax in order to get
the benefit of the taxes that would
be raised by the levy of one-fourth
of one mill. The committee then
dren an amendment to the original
| bill, providing for the taxing OF
| twenty-five cents per horsepower on
every automobile in the state There
was one man on the house commit
tee Mr. Woodson, who was chairman
of the committee who is the owner
of two automobiles, who contended
] L.,
| to ali owners of automobiles, and in
| this shape the bill passed the house
| but when 1t got to the senate com
mittee on pubic highways, there
was a Mr.. Williams on the senate
committee who owned an automobile.
and he contended that the levy
kgainst automobiles was far too
much, but agreed that a license fee
of one dollar each on every auto
mobile in the state would be suffi'
cient amount to create and start a
state department of highways, and
in this shape the bill passed the
senate. 1t went back TO the house,
and there were parties who OBJ
jected to the senate amendment, said
it was not sufficient and would not
accede to this amendment.
1T was then taken to concur
rent committee composed of three
members Of the house, this COM
mittee resubmitted it to the house,
and recommended that it should
pass as amended by the senate. This
was resubmitted to the house and
finally carriet by large majority,
This viii enable us to create Il
state highway department, whose
duties it will be to systematic the
building of roads in the state. This
department will have the authority
to establish a uniform system of
building roads. Each county with its
engineer and county commissioners
will act jointly with the state com
missioner and the state engineer
who will be appointed by the state
commissioner OF highways as prOVld- |
ed for in the bill, and they together |
viii decide uDon the necessities IN |
the way of roads in each county |
and al road moneys collected from |
every source, will be used in the |
comfy in which it is collected. This |
obyiates Of course. and does away |
with the necessity OF taking money |
from one county or any part of Il to |
improve and build roads in another |
county The one dollar fee provided |
for III the bill will in my opinion be
the biggest advertisement that the |
associations and its mem
bers could possibly have, talked
to a number of owners who said |
that they would have heartily en-
dorsed a fee of five dollars each, |
and some enthusiastic autoists who |
own as many as three machines
stated that they would have stood |
for a ten dollar fee. However, the .
fee of one dollar will take care