Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-03-22
SENATE COMMITTEE MAKES AD.
VERSE REPORT ON PROPOSED (,
COMPROMISE MEASURE.
AUTHOR MAY MAKE
EFFORT TO REVIVE IT
Chase Bill Would Have Same Effect as
Pitt.Johnston Measure Which Failed
to Get Thru House-5iII For Federal
Aid T or Roads Has Easy Sailing in
Senate.
pecial to Times Republican.


Des Moines, March oo.-The senate
committee on highways yesterday af-
ternoon by unanimous vote decided to
kill the Chase highway bill so far as
the senate committee is concerned 1t
was reported out today for indefinite
postponement.
Even the members of the senate
his hways committee who have hereto
fore favored doing away with the pres
ent state highway commission law Of
fered no defense in the senate COM
mittee meeting of the Chase bill. SEN
ator Chase himself Is member of this
committee but was not present yester-
day afternoon when the proposition
was voted on as he was attending a
meeting of the judiciary committee of
which he is chairman.
1t Is probable that Senator Chase
will make fight on the floor of the
senate today to have the bill placed on
the calendar to come up for consider
alton in its regular order, as he does
with all of his bills which are reported
out unfavorably. 1t is probable he
may succeed in getting the bill on the
calendar but it is not thought probable
that he can secure passage of the
bill itself.
The bill provides for amending the
present state highway commission law
by making only one paid member of
the commission and he $4,000 per year.
The deans of the two state engineering
schools would constitute the other two
members of the commission and would
serve without pay. The one commits
'sioner who drew the salary would be
appointed by the governor and would
be inexperienced highway engineer
Friends of the state highway COM
mission declare that this bill would in
effect work much the same as the
Johnston bin which was defeated after
a hard fight in the house a short time
ago. 1t would in effect make a one
man commission The Elwood, Mackie,
Larson, Shortess crowd were opposing
the Chase bill on the same grounds that
they opposed the Pitt-Johnston bill.
Federal Aid For Roads.
The Balkema bill to accept federal
aid in road building had comparative
ly easy sailing IN the senate Of the
Iowa legislature yesterday, carrying by
vote of 40 to 2. Those who were
opposed to the federal aid voted for
the Balkema bill, taking the position
that the money had already been APP
propriated by the federal government,
that Iowa will be taxed in the way of
q federal tax to support 1t, and the
state might as well get its share out
of 1t anyway
Senator Thompson, of Des Moines
county, declared that this state was be-
tween the devil and the deep sea so
far as this federal aid was concerned
and that while he was opposed to it
nevertheless some other state would
get Iowa's share il Iowa did not claim
1t.
However. the friends Of the bill de-
clare that this federal aid money can
be had without extra expense to the
At IN building up Iowa's roads.
Iowa countieS must put up dollar for
dollar as given by the government I'M
der this act but the countys money
will come out Of the automobile license
fund and will therefore be no extra
tax. The money Is to go to each coun-
ty In the ratio Of what the area of the
county is to the area of the state.
Iowa will receive from the govern
ment under this act the following
sums: In 1917, s145,OOo; 1918, $500, 0o8;
1919, s425.OoO; 1920, s5s0,ooo and 1921,
$3.50
The state highway commission and
the boards OF supervisors will deter
mine what roads are to receive these
improvements and the whole system Is
to be planned out with reference to
the roads of the state as a whole Not