El Nuevo mexicano., 1916-10-26

H|H.fE ."AL|" NNA. L.|E|L I|H
and the Republican county clerk OF
Republican Stanta re county follow
go suit and refused To make the sub.
scription.
The Republican state land commits!
sioner, a member of the state high.
way commission, attempted to pre-
vent the commission from transfer
ring the road funds to the banks.
The Republican state auditor re-
fused to make the transfer Of the road
funds from the state treasury to- tho
banks, and It was necessary for the
state highway commission to bring
%mandamus proceedings to force him
to do so. ss
That was the way the Republicans
sought to help the cause OF good
roads In New Mexico.
The Injunction suit and the proceed.
ings In mandamus went to the SUI
preme court. and both were decided
in favor OF the Democratic officials.
Through Democratic business man
agement and determination a Repnb-
Rican measure deliberately intended
to be Observation-Disclosures solely as
q sop for those eager for good roads
in New Mexico, was made effective
and 100000 thereby made available
for highway construction in the state.
And this without a dollar Of extra ex-
penee to the taxpayers.
That wal the Democratic way OF
working for good roads in New Mex
leo.
The Vetoed Road Bill
The road bill vetoed by Governor
Mcdonald at the last session Of the
state legislature was not the bill In
troduced at that session, bearing the
approval Of many Of the good roads
enthusiasts OF the state.
After the bill was introduced the
Republican bosses attempted another
deception. They attempted TO re-
establish the old system Of absolute
control of county road work by the
county commissioners. This was the
system under which road work lam
guished, and under which in counties
controlled by the Republican ring,
graft flourished for many years. 4
The bill as introduced, while 1t abol.
ished the road boards, provided for
the appointment, by the county COM
missioners, with the approval Of the
state engineer, Of road commissions
ers. It provided further that in the
event Of the services Of an experience
ed highway engineer being required,
"slcb engineer shall be detailed and
furnished BY the state highway COM
mission.H
The bill as passed left the appoint
ment Of road commissioners entirely
with the county commissioners, the
words with the approval Of the state
engineer having been stricken out
and the word may" having been sub
stituted for ''shall' in that section
relative to the state highway commits
sion furnishing highway engineers
when needed.
The effect was to make the county
commissioners again supreme, with
out restrictions, and without expert
supervision, in county road work. In
disappearing the bill Governor Nc
Donald said: For a good many years
the county road business was entirely
in the hands Of the county commits
sioners. The results of such man
agement speak for themselves"
The bill, as passed, meant retro
gression in road work. The Repub-
lican bosses who passed it knew this.
That is what they wanted.
Yet Il. o. iBursum, Republican can
dldate for governor; builder Of the
Observation-Disclosures road, is going
about the state declaring that a bene-t
ficent road bill, endorsed by the road
boosters Of the state, was vetoed by
the Democratic executive. This state
nent Is in line with Mr.. Bursum's
other gross Misrepresentation. It is
a campaign lie, pure and simple.