The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-04-29
ROAD
LAWS WILL
Be REVISED
American Highway Association
is Making Plans Towards
This End.


| WASHINGTON, d. c., April 29-l
Road laws which have been on the
statute books OF various states for
more than one hundred years will
probably be repealed as a result of
the movement which has been inau-
gurated by the American Highway As
Isociation in conjunction with the
American Bar Association. The COM
lmittees appointed by the associations
have had prepared through the CO. !,
operation OF the United States office
of public roads complete literal COM
pilatfon of the road laws of all the
states, as we'll as the laws relating 70
Indebtedness, the use OF convict LABOR
and various other subjects which have /
a bearing upon the management OF tne
public roads. An index chart for these !,
various laws is now being prepared I
and as soon as it is completed the
committees will determine upon the
lines along which revision will be
tsought. The governors of the various
states will then be asked to recon-
mend to the Legislators as they meet
1.-THE appointment of special ccmmlttees
ito confer with the committees OF the
Il American Highway Association and !
| the American .F5ar Association, with
a view to adequate revision OF exist
ling road laws,
Committees Appointed.
n The committee of the American
H Highway Association was appointed
at the American Road Congress Ee4d
at Detroit in 1913 and is composed OF
HIP n. Colgroye, president Michigan
state Good Roads Association, chair
man; A. B. Fletcher, state highway
engineer of California; A. y. Johnson,
state highway engineer of Illinois; J.
liz. Pennybacker, former secretary
American Highway Association ana
now chief of the division OF road econ
Iomics of the United States ot1ce OF
bubble roads, and Frederick e. Wad-
;hams, of Albany, y. Y. Mr.. Wadhanns
lis also chairman of the special com
(mittee appointed by the American Bar
association to cooperate with the
American Highway Association. These
1.-TWO committees are in turn co-operat-
Eng with the committee on UNIFORM
legislation of the bar association, OF
which Charles Thaddeus Ferry OF
New York, is chairman
Many Unnecessary Laws.
: The first step in the revision OF the
state road laws will be to recommend
That All obsolete useless, or unnec-
essary road laws be repealed. The
next step will be to simplify and ar.
range in logical order the exlsting
necessary road laws. The coInInittee
has found that in some of the states
an accumulation of road laws running
hack over 100 years exists thus Great
II ing almost hopeless confusion: Ger
Il +ain basic features of good admin1stra-
i tion will be urged by the Joint COM
mittees such as the payment OF ROAD
taxes in cash; the elimination OF
multitude of unnecessary ROAD on,c-
falls now characteristic OF many OF the I
states. the requirement of skilled SUI
Fneryision in the actual constructor
and maintenance OF roads by provid-
',np qualification tests; the constant
yemnloyment of highway engineers or
s1,nerintendents; the adoption OF the
appointfve rather than the electNe
method for such officials; the su
>tution OF continuous maintenance Tor
tho nresent Intermittent method; the
nroper utilization of convict labor
where climatic and other conditions
warrant its use on the public roads
for the preparation of road materials;
the general adoption OF the prlnclple
of state aid and supervision the
proper safeguarding and accounting
of road funds.
Interesting Report.
Wherever practicable, uniformity
among the road laws of the various
states will be urged by the committees
as it is realized that the tratt1c IS now
controlled by economic conditions
rather than by state lines and should
not be hampered by connlctlns laws
of the various communities.
II e exnected that a most interest
INC raport will be made by the joint
committees at the fourth American
Road Road Congress which will be held q
+, Atlanta, Ca, November ola, 1914 The
American Bar Association will partic-
Eipate in the congress and will devote
Its energies to the subject of legisla-
ton. The annual road congress Is en-
nd actual
RECITATION of great organizations whose
work bears in some essential respects
upon the road movement. At this
wears congress the National Civil Ser
vice Reform League will have charge
Of a specific session devoted to the
merit system in road administration
thus following closely the lines OF
legislative reform already inaugu-
rated.