Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-01-27
GOOD ROADS QUESTION TO De
uPPERMosr DURING COM.
ING WEEK.
EXPERTS FROM OTHER STATES
MAY BE GIVEN HEARING
Invitation May 30 Extended to En-.
sineers From Wisconsin and Mime
Lower House in Work - College
Fight Still Up in Air.

Des Moines, JAN 27.-The permanent
roads question will attract most at
tention in the program of legislation
during the present week. The commit
tees on roads and highways in both
houses Of the assembly have COM
pleted all the preliminary work of or
ganization. The members have threshed
out their individual ideas on the best
methods for Improvements and are
| ready to start the long grind. incident
to working out comprehensive meas
ure
A subcommittee of five members
will be appointed from the committee
J from each house by the respective
, chairmen during the week with in
structions to draft tentative road bill
and return it for the consideration Of
the whole committees. With that
measure to work on the process of re-
vising and remaking it will be UNDER
| taken.
A number of experts in road building
were before the joint committee OF the
two houses last week and 1t is probable
that invitations will be issued this
week to highway engineers from Min
nesota and Wisconsin, with view OF
getting the benefit Of the experience
which those states have had in high
way construction.
From the informal discussions held
in the committee meetings and the
opinion of members expressed outside
those sessions there appears to be little
objection to the milf tax recon-
, mended by the Iowa Good Roads Asso-
citation and but little objection seems
likely to that method of increasing the
revenue for road purposes.
There will be sharp fight. however.
on the question Of state and county
supervision. Good roads enthusiasts
are advocating the plan adopted In
many Of the states which are con-
structing permanent highways by
making state highway commission
supreme Members OF the committee
have indicated that they win fight Bit
| terly any effort to usurp the authority
| of county supervisors
| IT is apparent now that the whole
question of road legislation will re-
solve itself into stubborn battle on
this one issue, Of whether the state
or the county shall be the unit. Sup
porters Of state supervision point out
the years of failure under county and
township control. Their opponents
argue that individual counties are fully
/ competent to care for their own roads.
The former contingent would give
the state highway commission COM
plete Jurisdiction over construction
work, while the latter class would
create commission merely for dec
| orative purposes, clothed with advis-
DRY powers only.
| Senator Balkema, chairman of the
senate committee on highways, intro
duced a bill in the upper house last
week for state highway commission.
/ The measure provides that the attor-
| ney general shall serve as member,
another, a civil engineer, to be ap.
pointed by the state board of education
land three by the governor. He would
give this board supervision over con-
struction work
| This measure is very likely to pre-
cipitate the fight expected In the COM
mittee.
Another bill, introduced in the house
last week. which provides for the
Justification Of roads into two divis-
ions, the first division for permanent
| improvement, appears to represent the
sentiment of a majority Of the COM
! mittee.
A fight which it has been predicted
| will be the bitterest and most unrelent-
ing before the legislature in years
probably will be begun in assembly this
| week. 1t will come when an effort Is
made either to sanction or reject the
shift made in the state schools by the
board of education.
Rumor about the hotel Hobbies yes.
terday indicated that a start Is TO bt
made soon. Whether those favorins
the changes or those opposing thu
changes will begin It is question. II
Is more likely that the latter will make
the first move in order to insure full
airing Of the different opinions.
i The manner in which the fight is t
be carried on has not been made public
The question might be placed before
the legislature in the form Of join
resolution or bill restricting the pow
ers of the board Of education and de-
claring void the action already taken.
ALUMNI VI the luICC oSAOVA0 ~iScA' S>
; are taking a hand in the movement
The university at Iowa City probabl,
has more representatives discussin'
the situation with the legislators thsl
either of the other schools. severa
members Of both branches Of the as
sehbly are graduates Of the univeesti!
and those who do not approve Of tax
ing the engineering seshool away from
the university believe they will get tn
solid support Of these legislators.
The senate, It IL understood. H. Al
most evenly divided on the question. II
the preliminary school skirmish in tina
body Friday roll call disclosed tina
neither side is certain Of its ground
This skirmish was over new norma
schools, but under the surface 1t wa
declared by some to represent IN
sentiment on tho other proposition.
Those who are opposing the board
education are placing their hopes Il
the house. They feel sure that thi
body will defeat any attempt TO en-
dorse the boards actiqn.
II IN understood that there IL an aGt