Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-03-05
POLK COUNTY REPRESENTATIVE
READY TO OPEN ATTACK ON
PITT-JoHNsToN BILL.
MEASURE COMES UP AS
SPECIAL ORDER ON FRIDAY
Weaver Refutes Some of senseIess
Charges Made Against Highway
commission-Says One Man Commits
sion With Office in Des Moines Would
Put Highway Work in Politics.
,ecial to Times Republican.

Des Moines, March 5.-James B.
Weaver, state representative from
Polk county will attack the Pitt
Johnston road bill on the floor of the
house when it comes up as q special
order of business on Friday Of this
week. The Polk county representative
has been making. a study of the high
way commission measures, both of the
present law and the state highway
commission the Pitt-Johnston law
and the Elwood amendment. With
reference to these laws Representative
Weaver today gave out the following
statement:
~One of the great advantages Of the
present highway commission is that it
is non partisan and can not be reached
by political considerations. The COM
missioners select the state engineer on
the ground of competency only and as
long as he is faithful and competent
they can retain him, regardless Of any
political pressure or pressure Of par
ties who wish to profit by contracts
with the state or the counties.
"ouId iFuS IL Int0 PoItiCS.
'If the highway commission is re-
moved to Des iMoines as the Johnston
bill proposes and made one man
commission appointed by the governor
the result will be to put it squarely in
to politics. Every time a governor Is
elected there will be d lot of candidates
for highway engineer and the cement
and contractor interests that wish to
take advantage of the counties in their
road work will interest themselves in
the election of a governor and in the
Question of who is to be highway en-
glneer for the state. Furthermore the
engineer himself, who is in office, will
be, every two years. out working to
hold his place, and he will work with
the most powerful interests.
1T is perfectly obvious that such a
proposition puts. the highway work Of
the state squarely into politics and
makes it to the interest Of every con-
tractor and manufacturer of road sup
plies and material to get right into
politics in the election Of governor and
highway engineer. Also. the private
interests referred to will begin to in
terest themselves in the election Of the
men on the boards Of supervisors for
the same reason. The people Of Iowa
could not make greater mistake than
to adopt the proposals Of the Johnston
bill in this particular. Il
The Johnston road bill also pro-,
posssfo make thcspawerssof the high
way commission purely advisory so
that theyscan not insist on COM
pliance with the plans and specifca-
tions. and contracts that may be en-
tered into by contractors. This is not
in the interests sof, thorough work or OF
economy and will make the commits
sion a mere job and turn us back to
the old system under which 50 much
money was lost
sSsnseIess Charges.
"The claim against the highway
commission last fall was that it was
in league with the men who wanted
to pave the country roads and so get
big bond issues. They also said that
the highway-commission was in league
with the cement trust, AT that very
moment the fact was that the highway
commission was making a bitter fight
against the cement trust on its prices
and the unjust conditions it is seeking
to impose on counties. The CORE
spondence between the highway COM
mission and the cement trust in the
fall OF 1916 shows that the cement
people are refusing to sell to the coun-
ties cement for season delivery and
want to force the counties into buying
it from local dealers at the time the
prices are the highest.
ALSO 1t was claimed against the
highway commission that it was in
favor of paving the country roads. It
and its supporters in the legislature
are absolutely opposed to paving the
country roads. We want nothing bet
and graveled road.
"The people of the counties shonld
decide how much work they want to
in that direction. At the
very moment they were charging the
highway commission with the desire to
pave the country roads, the commits
sion was recommending, as shown by
its report on file, that the only law
that permits the assessment OF paw
ing to farmers should be repealed as
unfair to farmers. This recommends
ton is found on page 16 Of the report
just filed.
To Eliminate Red Tape.
THE road law that has been pre-
pared by the friends. Of the highway
commission will reduce a lot Of red
tape and give counties the initiative
in. deciding how far to 60 with their
road improvements. It will also pre-
vent something that has occurred in.
the past. namely. surveying and max
ing profiles for a lot of work away
ahead Of contract. It win cut out q
lot Of expense, reduce the cost OF
maintaining the commission, and make
the law much more workable in many
ways. .4sr- q 4
"The road expenditures in Iowa
amount to over fourteen million dol
YarS per arnrm and IT LIS absolutely in