Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-03-04
WILL TAKE MOTH
ING AWAY FROM PRESENT
ROAD STATUTES.
WILL ADD SEVERAL
STRENGTHENING CLAUSES
Chief Weakness Of Law Is in Admin
istration Features, and Remedies
Will Be Adopted-Supervisors to Be
Permitted to Hire Engineers, But
Commission May Remove.
IL to Times.Renuhlican

special TO llmeS-
Des Moines, March ALI of the
highway legislation Of the Thirty sixth
general assembly, like that of its inn
mediate predecessor, will be conslruc
tive in character, amendatory of the
new law and designed to make it more
workable and practical intended for
betterment of the system, in accord
ance with suggestions growing out OF
the experience Of the past year.
The highway legislation is being
framed up by joint subcommittee
embracing among others such plain
and practical men us Balkema. Jones,
Munro, Foster, Farr. Durant, Gilmore,
Perkins. These are the men who had
the making of the present law. They
and their associates are deeply devoted
to the idea of good roads. They are
meeting nights and odd hours and
working hard on bills that will be of
great benefit to the road makers of the
state. That out of this Eork will come
much good legislation can not be
doubted
Designating Authority.
ant things to be done. and bill has
been framed for this under the direc
ton of Senator Jones. is to straighten
out the tangle which came from
controversy as to the exact relations
of the highway commission, the boards
of supervisors and the county engi-
neers. The law is not clear. The bill
to amend in this respect provides that
the board employs the county engineer.
for a term not longer than one year,
and he shall be subject to removal by
the highway commission for incom-
potency or by the board Of supervisors
fer cause. That makes the, board Of
supervisors boss in its own depart
ment. The highway commission will
lay down the rules and regulations and
provide the procedure in general terms
and the boards and engineers do the
work under these rules. This bill will
remove one great cause for friction the
past year.
The chief weakness Of the new
law" says Senator Jones, lies in the
matter of administration. My own idea
would be that the highway commission
should be empowered to employ an ad-
ministrator, a plain and practical BUSH
ness man; but if we can straighten out
the law SO there will be no misunder-
standing as to who IS who in matters
Of authority, we will get very much
better results. a, great WORK has been
done under the new law and by the
commission, but by some changes we
will get still greater results
Dangerous RAILWAY Crossings.
Senator Farr has been at work, by
assignment. on three or four bills that
will meet the problem Of the dangerous
railroad crossing. It will be provided
that a part OF the county road fund
may be used for paying the costs Of the
rearranging Of a crossing, or there
may be a special tax on the township
to pay for part Of the cost. Provision
will be made for Harmonious action be-
tween the highway commission, the
railroad commission and the railroads.
Senator Foster is anxious to have
something done to insure better road
dragging. There Is some doubt, how
ever, as to whether the bill to strength
en- this feature will work, and the pa
troll system is regarded as rather ex-
pensive Just what will be done has
not been decided
The bill to provide a way for con-
demning land for highway purposes
has passed the senate. The members
really thought it was in the law be-
fore, but it was Inadvertently dropped
out. The cash poll tax bill has also
passed the senate. A drainage district
bill will go thru without opposition.
As to Culverts.
Senator Foster has a bill before the
committee to provide that culverts Of
four feet or less may be constructed
out of the road funds rather than the
bridge funds. What the sub commit
tee is working on is a plan whereby,
as to the smaller culverts, the county
will contract for the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
of steel or cement-and deliver at the
railroad station and the township
trustees will put them in. 1t will be
required that the township authorities
shall do the dirt filing in over culverts
within a reasonable time or the county
will do so at township expense. To
offset these burdens on the townships
a bill Is being prepared that will give
to the, townships 10 per cent of the
automobile fund. The fact is recog-
nized that as to many Of the smaller
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