Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-02-08
new ROAD BILL
WILL Be READY
WITHIN A week
Committee Has Tentatively
Agreed Upon a Commits.
sion With Engineer and
Assistants.
tLBY ORA WILLIAMS. I

Des Moines, Feb. II .+-sThe most pro,
|r ssive legislature for many years is
making fine progress In preparation Of
a bill for big advance in regard to
good roads in Iowa, and inside OF a
week the measure. will be ready for
friends and critics to attack. So far
as decided upon, even in tentative
manner. here are the main points:
A state highway commission, or en-.
largement and strengthening the pres.
ent highway commission, with an en-
gineer. assistants, Office and suffl Client
funds to do business.
( A county engineer in every county
of the state In place OF county sur.
veyor, with large authority and
charged with heavy duties in regard to
the surveying and plating OF high.
ways.
Classification OF all roads into
either county roads or township roads.
with complete maps and profiles, same
to be kept on file in the county and
With the state highway commission.
Dralfging of roads with 2 miles Of
the township levy to be under super.
vision Of road dragging trustees, this
body to be charged generally with the
up-keep and repair of the roads not
{ signated as county roads.
Building Of permanent highways on
L +, county roads to- be in charge Of
the state highway commission and
county engineer and board, to have
control Of all road and bridge funds
other than the 2 mills for the road
dragging and repair -.... .t
Elective state supervision and di.
Icction Of all road building, with pow-
er to direct where expenditures shall
be made in general way and the char
acter Of the improvements. Expense
of the state highway commission to be
borne from the general funds Of the
state.
The matter of providing funds other
than as indicated is to be left to a
Geparate bill The administrative ma
chinery is to be first fully organized,
SO that effective work can be done no
matter how large or small NAV be the
funds; then provision for additional
funds can be made If that is deemed
desirable by the people. A bill will
be presented providing for sDecial
state tax to raise funds for a bonus
for roads. The committee has not
agreed upon this as yet The sub.
committee is now at work perfecting
the bill which has been under con-
sideration almost from the first day of
the session and regarding. which there
has been some illnatnred criticism.
objects to Paving Cross-State Road
In g. committee meeting the other
day Senator Quiglev Of Clayton county
de-: -red to some of the proposals for
borrowing a big sum Of money to be
used for road construction. He was
asked to explain what it all means.
"Yes.' he said. T can tell just what
is the matter here. An effort is being
made to induce the legislature to bor-
row 25.O0OnOn or some other big sum
to he placed in the hands of a CON-
mission here at Des Moines to be used
as that commission decides in road
building. Those persons here who are
urgif this scheme believe they have
enough political nlinence 81 that they
can compel the use Of the big fund in
the paving of roadway across Iowa,
through Des -.olnes. and the people
of the entire state will be -ked to pay
for the same. while 80 per cent Of them