The log cabin Democrat., 1916-04-24
ALEXANDER ACT
 NOT INVALlDATfD SUPREME COURT RULING Will Not Seriously Hinder Road Construction, Commissioner
 Owen Declares.


 decision of the supreme court in the case of Lamberson vs. Collins, in- volving the Alexander road law, will not stop or seriously hinder road construction in the state, according to w. B. Owen, commissioner of state lands and ex-officio chairman of the State Highway Commission. Mr. Owen yesterday submitted sections of the laws controlling his department, in which he is authorized to employ competent men to assist in preparing plans for roads, and told of several districts being reorganized since the court decision.
 "ln my opinion, the courts decfs- ion will not stop road construction" MT. Owen said, "but it will delay about 20 districts which were not or ganized in conformity with the courts ruling. A great many of these al ready are planning to reorganize. The department is able to handle the work of preparing plans and es- inmates rapidly We have II en- gineers at work and shall employ more as they are needed. For the last 90 days, all districts organized have followed the Alexander law aex- actly, and their formation is in con- formity with the courts decision.
 Twenty districts must be reor- ganlzed because of the decision. They are in various stages of organization. Twenty districts are being organized properly under the courts decision. District No. l in Carroll county, which will construct F miles of road costing SS5,000, already has been re- organized. Districts Nos and | in Little River county, providing for building P miles, and Districts Nos. 13, IA and 15 in Jefferson county, providing for building 60 miles, are recognizing. Many others will re- organize soon. In many cases plans were prepared by our department, but were not filed with the court before the district was recognized. In these cases it will simply be nec- essary to get up new petitions and to file the plans and estimates with the court before the district is form ed and recognized by the court.
 ''I am sure the law does not limit our department to one engineer and an assistant. Section No. 2 of Act BOP of 1913, creating this commits sion, provided that when the amount of the highway improvement fund is sufficient the following contingent expenses may be paid out of the same One of these named is for the payment of the necessary incl dental expenses connected with any investigation, organization or survey undertaken by the department Section No. 19 of this act pro- vides that the department shall fur nish uniform plans and specifications for the improvement of roads, high ways and so forth by contract or otherwise, and when requested by the proper authorities, it shall send a properly qualified expert to plan or supervise the same.' Section 20 pro- vides that 'th department shall aid and advise in the formation and man. 1 agement of road improvements throughout the state and it may de- tail such officers and employees for the promotion and organization of such districts as it may see fit
 There are other sections which authorize the department to carry out the work of making plans and estimates for districts and which do | not limit the number of engineers, A specific salary appropriation is made for the state engineer and his assistant. The appropriation made by the last legislature named in the purposes for which the contingent ex- pense fund may be used the expense connected with furnishing plans and estimates. This would include the hire of man to make the estimate If the state engineer and his assist ant were busy with something else.
 At present l can see no part of the law that should be amended. It may have some minor defects. but l cannot see why any change is needed at present. Certainly dist tricts properly formed will not be hampered by any of the defects, if thara ara dafaotc