The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-02-20

NNN'N HNANA|
of an expert. trained man In order
20 get the best value for The money
expended II would be a foolish and
exiravanaA policy for every county
10 maintain n force OF skilled road
builders. The chief argument ia
favor Of n central state administra-
tive road organisation. such a. "A state
highway commission. " u "A u con-
stIfutcs this central expert oreaniza-
ton.
New Jersey was the first state TO
put into practice this plan Of a state
highway commission In 1891 Since
that time the practical working out
% this plan has emphasized ITS THOR
ough wisdom. and the powers Of the
state highway commission have been
| front year To year increnaed IA tho
effective working OF the plan has be-
come apparent. ~ the present time
almost every state In b Union has
lis state highway commission and the
power OF that commission over the
administration Of both state and local
road funds Is increasing from year %
year rather than diminishing.
VERY naturally the people ~ any
county feel thnt they should have the
chief voice IN snying how their coun-
ty rond fund should be expended. But
no real statcsman viii 90 10 Tar as to
carry this matter OF local authority
too far. VI a state have no voice In
the methods of expenditure Of county
road funds the same prnctico might
apply to tho expenditure Of rad
funds produced by each precinct, and
following that argument TO ia lcgitl-
mate conclusion. we would soon have
every precinct demanding that the
road funds produced by that precinct
be spent IN mat precinct alone. 40
systematic plan 81 our Highways viii
ever be built up by following such a
theory.
There CONS 90 be In the present
LEGISLATURE n strong sentiment favor
ing the abolition OF the existing d
board system, These who have fol-
lowed the history 81 road admins
tratinu In New Mexico viii admit
that the county road board system
has been n great advance over the
old plan OF administering county road
funds without any other supervision
than the county road authorities N
the form Of supervisors. over n mil
lion and a hall dollars Of county road
money has been spent upon th'
/, county roads Of New Mexico In th'
, last fifteen years. aud until the pres.
cnt county road board Hyateu
came into existence n great part oi
that money nad hccn squandered
Otherwise We should have far bcttcl
roads than those now existing.
III II IL deemed best to abolish tn
road board system we should see e
Il that whatever plan takes rs place
shall be- u which inaurcs efficiency
in The eNpen liture 81 road funds. Tn
road interests of the state constitute
AT present too important a publi'
question 10 admit NJ any backward
step. and whatever is dom should b'
a distinct step forward.
IT Is contendcd that In mani
counties Of The state the road boar,
system has not worked satisfactorily
because of friction between the roa'
lhonrds and the county commission
c.s; because road board member
serving without salary do not taxi
"a sufficiently kcen interest In the du
tien of their position, ana for othc'
reasons.
whatever plan h adopted by tn
present legislature should above al
things connect the system Of count
road administration with the stat
highway commission or the state en-
gineer's office In such "a maunor al
90 secure the manifold benefits 90 tn
expert advice and the check upoi
northumberland which this contra
authority avoids.
Among other plans suggested, on
which seems to find favor contem
plates the appointment by the boar
OF county commissioners for eac'
county of a county road commission
or who shan be the recognized roa'
administrators Of the cOanty an
whose operations shah be subject I
the oversight Of the state engineer q
well as the board Of county commits
%sloners. The advantage Of this pla
is that Il creates In every county "A
official who will be the recognize
road authority of the county an
| whose duty II shall hc, among oth'
! thinEs. to see tina emergency world
| done promptly and efficiently. tn
| contemplated plan also provides tn
In the rase Of road building the fact
. litlps for expert advice 10y tho sta