The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-01-23
FRA|LEY TO HELP
DRAW ROAD BILL
Lee Senator is one Of Five Men
Named to Draft Measure to En-
body recommendations
Of Governor.
TO RETAIN ENGINEERS
Fraiiey Also Offers Changes In Work.
mems Compensation Bill, to
Make it Best In United
States.
TO RETAIN ENGINEERS

| is one of the five men appointed to
draft the Iowa road bill. The bill is
expected to carry into effect SO far
as possible the ideas of Gov. w. l..
| Harding expressed during the cam
paign and in his message to the
| Legislature:
This committee, which is the idea
of Speaker Pitt, includes Represen-
tatives Charles Johnston of. Lucas,
Rube McFerren of Hamilton, Charles
Hall Of Taylor and Senators Cady
Chase of Hamilton and Joe Frailey
OF Lee.
1t will commence its work at once.
and the general outlines of the bills
to be presented are already fairly
well known.
An effort is to be made to draft
a bill which will be supported not
only by those who were aligned be
hind the Johnston road bill Of last
session, and by those in, sympathy
with them, but by many who believe
| in the principle of the present high
way commission law.
According to the present inten-
lions no attempt will be made to do
away with state supervision entirely.
The state highway commission, or
a state engineer with advisory and
! to some exten supervisory powers Is
to be retained.
The state highway commission Is
to be relieved of some Of its present
powers to review the actions Of
county boards, who are to be given
a larger latitude in instituting and
completing work.
A provision Of the law is to pro-
vide, however, for the appeal to the
highway commission from action by
| county boards of supervisors which
citizens believe Is wrongful.
To Retain Engineers.
1 \ The county engineers are to be
] retained although it is possible that
4 a provision of the law will deprive
the highway commission Of their
present power to refuse to accept
the appointment Of a county engi-
|neer not satisfactory to it.
It has not been definitely decided
Iyet whether the commission will be
removed from Ames to Des Moines.
although this may be done.
In regard to federal aid. the ad-
ninistration will not reject appro-
priations due to Iowa under the
Shackleford law. The provisions OF
this act are to be accepted, IL this
can be done without increasing the
| revenue now raised for road pur-
poses.
| The federal aid provision is ex-
pected to be of material assistance
in case a fight develops. Although
the velvet glove is to be extended to
the upholders of the present law who
decline to consent readily to pro
gram along the lines suggested
nj, ic q a
| in case they are inclined to stir up
too great opposition.
It would be possible for the
Pitt forces in the house to block
| action by the general assembly to
take advantage of federal aid.
This could be done by the house
majority alone, regardless OF any
action taken by the senate. 1t is
considered likely that there are sew
eral highway commission supporters
| who would rather see its powers ex-
tended than reduced and will be will
ling to consent to some pairing, rather
than see Iowa ignore the opportuni-
! ties under the Shackleford bill.
Amend Compensation Act.
Amendments to the Iowa work
mems compensation act which have
| been agreed upon by LABOR oISanl-
cations and manufacturers ana are
therefore expected to pass the thirty
seventh general Assem- bly, are includ-
ed in bill by Senator Frailey cal
culated to make Iowa's law the most
advanced in the United States. The
measure has been introduced In the
house by Griffin.
Briefly summarized the most I'M
oynapdpnonfa contained IN
the bill are as follows:
Period during which employer
shall furnish medical attention is
| lengthened from two to four weeks.
Compensation now excluded FOR
first two weeks is added in two
thirds installments to the compensa-
tion of the fifth. sixth and seventh
weeks if injury incapacitates work
man that long. Plan discourages
malingering by employe.