Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-03-04

county.
"To furnish. They are to furnis
standard plans and specifications 10
bridges and culverts and for the ord1n
airy highway improvements, and spec
ial plans where requested, to count
boards and trustees; also maps for tn
classification Of roads and forms TO
uniform records. reports, blanks, ETC.
Tho County Board Powers.
"The county boards also have certain
definite powers:
"To employ an engineer. The engln
eer may be employed full time or D!
the job, or any way to meet the needs
Of the county.
"They classify the roads. They are
required to classify the roads into
county roads and township roads anc
| designate same upon maps furnished
by the highway commission, and have
profiles and surveys made and SEM
| to the commission for approval.
"Construction and maintenance
They are to do all the grading, bridge
building and dragging and have com
plete charge Of the county roads, which
! will be about 10 per cent Of the roads
Of the county, and have charge OF the
! SURVEYS and culvert work Of the town
ships.
"Records-They are to see that all
maps, papers. profiles. reports estl-
mates and cost records are filed IN the
county recorders office as permanent
records.
"Expenditures-The county board
! expends the automobile tax, the road
funds and the bridge funds, according
| to plans and specifications Of the high
way commission and pays for all such
work when completed in accordance
with the plans.
Township trustees-The township
trustees have charge of all the town
ship roads except the bridge and cul-
vert building They are to hire one
road superintendent for the township
who has charge of the contracts for
dragging, repairing and maintenance
Of those roads. They can secure expert
help from the county engineer at the
expense Of the county for advice and
building of roads to be taken over by
the county board. They make levies
same as now and spend them sub
stantially the same, but only In accord
ance with the approved plans of the
highway commission. All culverts will
be located and sizes figured by the
county engineers and have bench
marks placed thereon to aid in estab-
fishing grades.
1.-The bill contemplates, in general,
the establishment of permanent plan
for road improvement and mainten-
ance. Each locality or county can do
the work needed by that county. If
ready for hard surfacing they may do
that or If grading is the thing neces-
sary to be done, they can do that, or If
they have gravel and wish to gravel
the loads there is nothing to hinder
them from doing that. In all Instances
they expend only the money Of the
county.
1T is arranged that expert help is
to aid in the planning and establishing
and building Of roads, bridges and cul-
verts wherever done, and that expert
supervision shall be given to all road
enterprises from the top down. Con-
tracts are safeguarded and expend1-
lures must be accounted Tor IN DuSl-
ness like way.
Certain newspapers object to the
bill because the county board is given
charge of the county highways. The
committee thought this a better ar
rangement than to have it done by the
state commission. 1t is better to have
the county boards in charge OF the
work than to centralize the power IN
any highway commission. The papers
say that the commission has not
powers enough. The thought of the
committee was to give the commission
supervision and control sufficient to
insure uniformity and quality, and
that the work be done in accordance
with plans adopted by the commits
sion.
under the centralized plan advo-
Gated by these newspapers it was fear
ed by the people that the commission
would have authority to build roads In
the state and expend thereon funds
that may be provided therefor so that
hard surface roads could be made by
the state highway commission at the
expense of the state. The bill Is drawn
so this cannot be done. The money
raised in a county will be spent by the
county on the roads in the county, in
the way the county wishes, provided
they conform to the specifications pro-
vided by the highway commission"
This is the first complete analysis OF
the bill yet presented by any member
Of the Legislature at all familiar with
the bill and what was planned by those
who framed 1t.
Legislators Back Tuesday.
The legislators get back on the job
tomorrow, ready for the long pull to the
finish. -,
Undoubtedly first consideration will
be given to the bill to strengthen and
vitalize the state highway commission
and improve the laws as to road con-
struction and the expenditure Of the
road and bridge money.
1t is almost as SOOC as Settieu tHdt
there will not be created any state tax
commission.
Certainly there will be no public util-
tiles commission on the basis OF the
bill proposed.
In regard to these two commissions
systematic work is being done from
somewhere to prevent their adoption
An effective lobby is at work getting
the signatures of farmers in opposition
to the tax commission idea. The rep
resentation Is that 1t Is only a scheme
to raises taxes, and that is enough to
array against it most Of the people who
are interested in maintaining the pres
ent taxing system. The public utilities
bill is declared to be so full Of holes
that 1t will need a great deal Of patch
Ing before it would be acceptable to
anyone.
In regard to prison reform measures
the initiative taken some time ago by
Gov. Clarke In calling conferences and
getting things started is likely to bear
good fruit. AT the conference on this
subject last Tuesday evening, Gov.
Clarke analysed the various bills and
made it plain to the legislators that
here was a field for the activities about
which there could be no doubt.
On Wednesday 1t is expected that a
vote will be reached on the house reso-