The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times., 1917-03-01
AUTO LICENSE SHOULD
Be RETURNED TO THE
COUNTY ROAD FUNDS

The collection of the motor vehicle
tax should be transferred to the coun-
ties in which the tax originates. Let
each county collect its own taxes and
remit to the state whatever amount is
necessary to pay a part of the expense
of the state highway commission with
its engineering and advisory force.
There is nothing to he Gained by the
state in having this department bur-
dened with lot of clerical work, that
could be done in the several counties
at less added expense. Relieve the
state highway department of this te-
dious detail and let it have time to
get out and get next to the real prob
lem of building and maintaining roads
in New Mexico.
Make the law read so that this
motor vehicle tax cannot be spent for
any purpose other than the mainte-
nance of roads, except in such coun-
ties and in such sections of any coun-
ty where natural soil on the section
lines is a sandy loan, or of such ma
ture that proper maintenance cannot
be had until some form Of surfacing
has been done. Wherever such a con-
dition exists, this fund should be used
as fund for surfacing roads, provid-
ed that each mile improved in this
way from this fund shall be maintain
ed.
Briefly, would have this road main
tenance fund so guarded by the Ian
guage of the law that it cannot be
spent for any purpose other than the
maintenance or surfacing of roads
confining it to the maintenance or sur
facing of state roads, first; then, if
any balance is left, let it go into q
fund for maintaining any stretch of
road connecting with the state roads
and having been approved by the coun-
ty engineer. This will gradually
bring the whole system of roads in
the county under one general manag,..
mant, where it should be for greatest
economy and efficiency in future man.
agement.
The arrangement for dragging con-
tracts should be extended to mean the
absolute maintenance of that part of
the road for which any man takes
contract for dragging. The $50 much
per round" for dragging is not going
to get results in proportion to the
money it will cost. II man takes a
contract to fully maintain mile or
two miles of road, he will do his part
to make the drag do all that it can
to maintain that road. | can show
you roads now under the drag where
the money is being spent, but very
little real maintenance is obtained.
The contractor drags his miles and
then unhitches. Ruts six inches deep
may have formed, as in places where
have observed, and they will continue
to form under the present system of
$50 much per round" for dragging.
Other states have already found that
this method is failure for satisfac-
tory maintenance.
Make the county engineer the man
in actual and absolute charge of the
roads of the county as fast as they
come to the requirements in construc- /
tion that entitle them to systematic
He is the man, who.
by virtue Of his position and his pro-
fession, is supposed to know the best /
there is about roads. The county en-
gineer is the one man upon whom the .
responsibility for organizing, coach
ing and schooling the road mainte-
nance forces of the county should rest.
Up to the present we have been too
muchly inclined to look upon the SER
vices of county engineer as being
Of value only in the construction of
roads, bridges, etc.
FRED WALTHER.