Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1917-01-20
BIENNIAL MESSAGE
(From Page ~

Quoted in conformity wit ntne Prov
sions of the Federal Act. Road bond
would be justihable for other con
struction If such construction were II
every way substantial and permanent
in character. and not otherwise. Fol
every dollar made available by direc'
expenditure on bond issue OF the
usual form in Nevada the people mus
pay an additional dollar in interest,"
We would all regret to see the tax
PAYERS. ten, fifteen or twenty year.
hnce taxing themselves to meet bond
interest and to redeem Obligations
incurred by us if there were no tan
pible assets in the form OF existing
roads as the result of these oDllga
tons.
1t is my hope, therefore, that yot
will give unusual care to the adoption
of your highway program. The Inn
tied funds at your disposal make
imnerative that road building at Stat
expense cannot be conducted on an,
but the most useful and permanen,
highways and that no costly eXperi
menting with unframed supervisor
can be tolerated A highway en-.
gineer of training and experience VIII
be a prime requisite to any system
which you may adopt, and l believe
that such measures as YOU may pass
here should prescribe the quallhca-
tioins of the engineer and require the
approval of his appointment by the
Director of the Federal Department
of Public Roads and Rural Engineer
ing. =. -.
In conclusion on this subject urge
patriotic and publicspirited consld.
Grafton of what | am confident VIII
prove to be vexatious and contro-
versial phase of this problem; namely
the location of such highways as the
State may build. Sectionalism Will
doubtless manifest itself in your del
alterations, but since we cannot pos
sibly finance all of the road projects
which may be presented and cannot
possibly gridiron with goods roads {
State of our small population and
large area, as have done some wealth.
ier and more populous neighborns
commonwealth. it becomes our duty
to see that no mistakes are made
either in the selection of routes or IN
the spreading out of our limited re.
sources to the extent that permanent
construction anywhere will be impos
sible.
The Primary and General Election
Laws.
The legislature in 1909, in recogni
ton of popular demand for the abo
ltion of the convention system for the
nomination of party candidates, wen
to the direct primary laws, none OF
which proved directly satisfactory
The last of thees laws, enacted in 1918
met with very general criticism on
the grounds that CD the expense tc
the taxpayers and the candidate was
excessive; (2) that candidates of {
party seeking nomination by that par
ty were committed to no set of prln.
ciples excepting such platform as
they themselves might adopt after
their nomination; CD that the plan
lent itself admirably to political mach
nations designed to permit an I'M
proper interference with the selection
of the candidates of particular po'
litical party by persons not animated
with such party; (4) that no pro.
visions were made for the bringing
out of candidates who might be reluc
tant to enter the public service with
out urging, thus leaving the electo.
rate a choice between only such mer
as. because of political ambition, saw
fit to enter the primary contest, and
(5) that, in such free field as the
system offered, primary candidates
who were not the choice of the ma
jority of the party might still receive
the party nomination. Some of the
defects complained of are perhaps IN.
herent to any primary law, while 9th,
ers are subject to correction.
The legislature, in 1915, passed ar
indirect primary law by which dele.
gates to convention were selected
at a primary election, and it was hoped
that the plan would put into effect
the good, while eliminating the bad
features of both systems. A single
trial of this compromise measure ha.
indicated that it is neither practica
nor popular. Serious study of the
convention and primary systems Of
other States and of the defects which
resulted in the repeal of our own ex'
Perennial laws here have been made
by number of public spirited citi
zens at a series OF conferences init
ated and conducted by members o.
your own body 1t is hoped thai
from these conferences will grow the
draft of law which will eliminate
the features not found satisfactory il
the earlier Nevada statutes. In be
lief that our people demand a return
to the primary system. you are respect
fully urged to provide again for di
rect nominations on the ballot and
am confident that you can at this
session enact legislation on this sub
ject to which few reasonable objec.
tons may be urged if the matter re
ceives the careful consideration al
your hands to which it is entitled.
The general election law, while fun,
damentally correct. is likewise sub
ject to criticism. mainly, because o
the expenses entailed in its admins
tration. To Hon. w A. Fogg, Coun
ty Clerk of Washoe County, the legis
lative and executive department are
indebted for a set of most helpful
suggestions which come as the out
growth of many years of practica
.xoa~;a,ca with the admin c fra ti0o n