The Penn's Grove record., 1912-03-08
COL. STEVENS ON
ROAD PLAN EVILS
Commissioner Analyses Bills
Before Legislature.
MANY CHANGES ARE NEEDED
Discusses Measures that Affect Auto.
lists and State Funds-Three-
Headed Boards Have Failed
in Other States.
Especial Trenton Correspondence.

Especial Trenton Correspondence.
Trenton.-Colonel Edwin A. Ste
vens, State road commissioner, is
making a determined effort to enlight-
en- the Legislature in every way pos
sible before any road legislation is
passed at the present session.
There are several bills now pend
ing in the House and Senate which, if
they become laws, will radically
change the method of road super
vision in this State, including tile bills
of Senator Gaunt to abolish the pres
ent road department and in its stead
establish a three-headed commission.
Colonel Stevens, in addition to ap-
pearing before the Republican mem
bers of the Senate at a majority con-
ference to discuss the proposed legis-
lation has supplemented these re-
marks by the following letter, which
he has sent to each member of the
Senate:
Dear Sir[ respectfully submit a
statement of the points l brought up
while a guest at the conference of the
majority of the Senate.
"In submitting these views, 1 tried
to act as a witness and not an advo-
cate, feeling that those responsible
for the legislation are entitled to the
opinions I have been able to form and
my reasons therefor, as part of the
duty owe the State as one of it's SER
wants.
'"The subjects as to which l spoke
were covered by Senate Bills 6S, SO, 70
and II, the Gaunt Bills, Assembly Bill
%, the Stickel Bill, and 292 and 293,
the Whyte Bills.
Senate 6S proposes to abolish the
Road Department, the State Highway
Commission and the Motor Vehicle
Department, and devolve all their du-
ties on a three-headed commission.
The bill is not in final form, but it
does commit the State to the principal
OF a three-headed commission. My OBJ
lection to this principle is based upon
the following reasons:
First. The States hat have adopt
ed the three-headed commission have
not had good results therefrom. For
example, Massachusetts, otherwise ex-
cellent in its road work, has beenh ham
pered by this form of organization. AS
to this | quoted, with his express per
mission, Mr.. Harold Barker, late chair
mar of the Massachusetts Highway
Commission and one of the best
known authorities on road matters in
this country, who recently resigned
from the Massachusetts Commission
and refused a commissionership in
New York for this reason-that both
these States have adopted the three
headed commission.
Second. A State Highway Commits
sion being, in my opinion, of immedi-
ate and pressing Importance, l cannot
u feel that the success of the svs-
TEN should not be endangered by asso-
ciating its adoption with a new. and.
to us, untried organization. Fitting
our present forces to a new work will
be difficult enough without complicat-
ing the task, as would inevitably hap
pen under a new organization, with
he friction necessarily incident to
starting new machinery.
Third. Some changes will almost
certainly be needed in our present or
eanization. What all these may be if
is impossible to foresee. Changes at
this time should be limited to such
as are now seen to be advisable
When the highway system has be-
come a fact, such changes as are de.
manded car be made more wisely and
without the risk incident to experi-
mental changes at this time.
while ~disavowing any intent to
charge political motives as a basis for
this bill, expressed a hope that
everything should be done to avoid
any possibility of such a charge being
made, and pointed out that if we are
to have good roads at a reasonable
price, our system of construction and
maintenance must be treated as a
most important business and engineer
ing enterprise, and one from which
political consideration must be di-
vorced.
Il pointed out that Senate 60 and
Assembly 293 covered the same
ground in much the same way, except
ing that the latter provides for doing
the work under our present organiza-
ton instead of under a three-headed
commission, and adds some financial
provisions that would simplify our
work and render it more efficient. I
expressed a decided preference for
Assembly 293.
Murderer Scott Sentenced,