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

Road laws which have been on the
statute books OF various states for
more than one hundred years viii
probably be repealed as result OF
the movement which has been lnau-
gurated by the American Highway AS /
ISOLATION in conjunction with the
American Bar Association. The COM |
mittees appointed by the associations
have had prepared through the CO
operation of the United States once /
of public roads complete literal COM
pilation of the road laws of all the |
states. as well as the laws relating 10 1
Indebtedness, the use OF convict labor, |
and various other subjects which nave |
bearing upon the management OF the
public roads. An index chart for these I
various laws is now being prepared |
and as soon as it is completed the |
committees Will determine upon the
| lines along which revision VIII be
ksought. The governors Of the various
states will then be asked to recon-
mend to the legislators as they meet,
1.-THE appointment of special committees
ito confer with the commit-ee5 OF tne
/ American Highway Association ac9
the American Str Association, with
a view to adequate revision OF exist
ling road laws
Committees Appointed.
The committee OF the American
Highway Association was appointed
at the American Road Congress Eeld
at Detroit in 1913 and is composed OF
kP. T. Colgrove, president Michigan
state CS3od Roads Association, chair
man; A. B. Fletcher, state highway
lengineer of California; A. n. Johnson
state highway engineer Of Illinois; :.
RI. Pennybacker, former secretary
American Highway Association ana
nov chief of the division of road econ
fomics of the United States office OF
inublic roads, and Frederick Z. Wad-
hans of Albany, y. Y. Mr.. Wadhams
liz also chairman of the special com
(mittee appointed by the American b "a
/ Association to cooperate with the
American Highway Association. These
1.-TWO committees are in turn co-operaC-
ling with the committee on UNIFORM 7
Hesitation of the bar association, OF
: which Charles Thaddeus 1efis' -
, New York, is chairman
l MANY Unnecessary Laws.
The first step in the revision OF tne
lstate road laws will be to recommend
: That All obsolete, useless, or unnec-
| essarv road laws be repealed me
/ na,rt ster, viii be to simplify and ar
range in logical order the exlstin l
necessary road laws. The commlt t
has found that In some OF the states
an accumulation OF road laws runn lLt.s
hack over 100 years exists thus Great
inc almost hopeless confusion. Ger
tain basic features of good admintstra-
tion will be urged by the joint COM
Tnittees such as the payment OF road
III taxes in cash; the elimination OF
,o,IItit,,de of unnecessary road ONO
Hale now characteristic of many OF the
Estates: the requirement OF skaileu su-
II pervision in the actual construclion
land maintenance OF roads oy pEo provo.
no qualification tests; the constant
$50 a,-I Iav1nent Of highway engineers or
/ s1,nerintendents; the adoption OF the
/ aanointive rather than the elective
Inethod for such officials; the substi-
I+ution OF continuous maintenance TOT
l+fa nresent Intermittent method; the
nroner utilization of convict labor
where climatic and other conolllons
Warrant its use on the pubic roaus
Lfor the preparation OF road mate ls ans
iStbe general adoption of the principle
~ state aid and supervision; the
| proper safeguarding and accountlh
of road funds.
Wherever practicable, uniformity
,~,o,o the road laws of the various
states will be urged by the committees
as 1t is realized that the tratic IS no"
controlled by economic condiKo1s
rather than by state lines anu - 80
not be hampered by conflicting laws
Of the various communities,
II Is expected that a most interest
ING report viii be made by the joint
=. co = at the fourth American
Road Congress which will be held eI
AtIsnta ca. November 9-14, 1914. The
tAmerican Bar Association will partic-
innate in the congress and Will devote
Tits energies to the subject Of legisla-
! ton. The annual road congress IS en-
tagging more and more the actuaI par
TSgorlr hears In some essential respects
tInon Inc road movement. At this
YEARS. congress the National Civil Ser
y,ice Reform, League will have charge
~ q sneciflc session devoted to the
merit system in road administration,
thus following closely the lines OF
| legislative reform already inaugu-