The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-10-10

DlllN ShOulN ltSI "PNh ''""N'
highway engineer. or road supervis-
or. who shall have first passed ar
examination for competency, to see
that standard plans and specifica-
tions established by the state are
carried into effect, TO supervise local
road building. and to inspect road
ana bridge work done by contract
before the same H. paid for. All
local reyenuec for road purposes
should I've consolidated in county
fund and expended, either directly
under responsible and competent in
spectlor Money should be eNpend-
ed equtably over the county with
particular attention to rural routes
All taxes should be paid in cash.
and ii any labor tax is provided for
it should be in the nature OF cred
il to the land owner for mainten-
an,e work on the road adjoining his
ldnV II NDut uhNtl dpl''O''u ''N''
DDS. Records and statistics OF all
local work should be required.
3 1t should be made necessar.
that all bids for road and bridge
building should be made upon stand
ard plans and specifications fixed by
the state, in order to prevent the
pooling and combinations of bridge
concerns aud contractors. Oficia!
certification that all plans have been
complied with should be made by
the county highway engineel or su-
pervisor. to the county commission
crs before a valid warrant can be
issued in payment for the work.
Either upon request of the com
missionc"s or upon its own motion.
the state department sholld be auth
orized t. dispatch a competent man
TO inspect any work done under
state plans. and in this event ar-
proval of the department should
also oe required before payment.
Road District Law.
{. \ special road improN ement dis
trict law should be enacted, which
will conform to the limitation of the
state constitution as construed by
our supreme court in several i'm
rortant decisions handed down since
the last session of the legislature.
). The state highway department
law should be amended to provide
suitable penalties for violation. That
portion relating to automobile Ii
cense should be amended to fix an
annual registration fee for all auto
mobiles, of not less than s. for each
machine owned and operated in the
state. :Ee fees to be paid into a
state hiehNay fund, and owners OF
machines should be relieved from
any other special License or tax bv
any city or municipality State reg
istration should 6e the only one per
mitted and the state should fur
nish "A tag for each machine. The
state highway fund should be
kept in separate fund ami
appropriations made therefrom in
the regular manner on warrants
issued Ivy the auditor, and registered
bv the treasurer, Tor all vouchers
issued by the department. The bal
ance should be available for state
aid on state roads. Since the amount
received from collections has fallen
far short of the amount anticipates
hv the legislature in its appropria-
tion for the department. and since
an effort has been made to comply
with the duties imposed by the leg
islature. l believe the deficiency
should be provided for. a penalty
for non payment would unGoubtedly
result III tblltN llNH VI u lsiA ~ "'i'NN''''
Of delinquent fees. for lack of which
the department has been seriously
crippled. in some instances unable tc
perform the duties required by law
which involve considerable expense.
This work is important and should
be done.
6. The state highway fund should
he augmented from other sources
and state aid provided for building
state highways connecting important
market centers. Into this fund should
he paid a tax imposed upon pipe
lines. telephone companies and 9TH
ers utilizing the public highways.
Wherever practicable convict labor
might be furnished in lieu OF funds
and I suggest that the most pracu-
,,,Io ,,-rtb05 of amOlOVinu convict