Arizona republican., 1919-02-28
NJ CHANCE FOR HIGHWAYS BILL
 THIS SESSION
Good Roads Legislation In
 Deadlock In House With Little Chance Of It Being Broken, Opinion Of Many

legislature yesterday was the fact that good roads legislation is in much 1. more precarious situation than the ' most pessimistic had supposed. There l was until yesterday afternoon some 1 hope that an agreement might be reached by which a bill could be agreed upon, but after a suddenly sprung epi- sodo in the house in the afternoon, it was the opinion of members on both sides that a deadlock had been reached without a prospect that it could be broken.
 senate Bill 17. after a stormy ses- sion of the committee Of the whole on Tuesday. had been sent Co the commit tee on enrolled and engrossed bills by a vote slightly less than will be re- duired Co pass it with the emergency clause attached. It was expected that it would be brought out the following day for third reading but it was eX- plained that the committee was del- uged with bill yesterday morning it was understood that it's friends were not willing to put the matter to test yet and that no action would be taken on it then.
 Tn the afternoon Mir. Eddy moved that the bill be brought before the house in order that he might offer an amendment to it. There was no ob- lection to the motion. ard the bill was brought in. Mir. Eddys amendment provided that there should be annually levied a tax that would produce si.500- 900 for good road purposes Co be eX- pended under the authority ofthe high way commission proposed by senate bill 17.
 Things Begin to Happen
 It also appropriated s200,00O annu- aI trrff .strr4N from the federal government and pro- vided that this sum the ensuing year should be taken out of the general fund and should be replaced by the proceeds of levy that would produce that amount next year. The amend rnent was made without division or op- position and Alf Eddy was preparing to return the bill Go the enrolling and engrosSing committee when Mrs. O'Neill announced that she desired to offer an amendment. Members began Co sit straighter and notice things.
 The amendment of Mrs. O'Neill was that there should be substituted for the section providing for the organization Of the state highway board and the highway commission, the suggestions offered in the resolutions of the late good roads conference in Phoenix. Those resolutions had been forwarded Co the legislature and had been referred Co the committee on good roads of the two houses, but nothing more had ever been done about them.
 The good roads conference, said Mrs. O'Neill. had brought together 1000 rep rescntative men from every county in the state. representing all parties and all walks of life. They had come to- rether. not as republicans or demo- crats. but as boosters for good roads. The resolution to which she referred proposed a highway commission of five members to be appointed by the gov ornor with the advice and consent of the senate. She therefore moved that the bill be amended in compliance with the resolution.
 Had Injected Politics
 Mir. Lines spoke against the amend ment He said that the conference had merely made a suggestion to the legis- lature; that he did not believe that it was the intention of the conference to attempt Co direct the legislature; that it had only asked the legislature to present a good law in it's own way.
 Mir. Galbraith replied that the rcso- lution was definite and not a mere suggestion; that it wag the best sense Cf tho conference composed of men who had come together, neither as democrats nor republicans, but as good roads enthusiasts, without a thought of party advantage. that commission should be formed in the manner out lined in the resolution.
 But was it not possible. Mir Eddy asked, that politics had been intro duced into the resolution? Had it not been slyly prepared by the republican members Of the resolutions committee and been put through over the unsus- pecting democrats? Mir. Galbraith re- piled that politics had been injected into the discussion in the resolutions committee by Lamar Cobb. former state engineer, who opposed the plan on political grounds and secured the opposition of three democratic mem bers of the committee. The other ele- ven members, democrats and repub- hcans, had endorsed the plan and it was endorsed by the body of the con- ference. Mir Calbraith said that he did not know who drew the resolution. and no other member present could give any information regarding the personnel of the committee. though it vas understood that the resolutions as they appeared were dictated by Judge Shute Of Gila county, a democrat.
 Hoped for Harmony
 Politics however. said Mir. Galbraith. had been introduced into the good roads bill here by the democrats. That. hc said, had been admitted by the speaker. He had hoped since the house had proceeded so amicablv through the session that it might con- tinue without the injection of politics nnd he believed that it would have hone SO but for the buzzing of poli- tical bees in the senate.
 Mr. Nyne said that he had at first favored Senate Bill 17 as it stood. but later, witnessing the growing conflict between the majority in the legislature and the governor. he had felt inclined 70 yield 10 the latter fin a matter so important as the good road sbill. Later. however. he had become alarmed at the tendency to centralize power: he be- heved that the amendment proposd n further capitalization. so he was com pelled to oppose it.
 Mir. Howard of Gila said that he did not Ike the bill as it stood and he did not entirely approve of the amendment. TIC suggested a plan of his own leav- ing the appointment of the commit tee Co the governor with the consent not of the senate. but with that of tho president or the speaker Of the houso
 NIT. Lillywlbte declared that the plan as proposed In Senate Bill r was an innovation. In no state west of the Mississippi sold he had a hirhwav commission been formed in the way ii was proposed Co be formed by the bin as it then stood. Tho amendment of tered by Mrs. O'Neill. he said. was ir line with the practice in all othe, states In his opinion the plan pro- posed In the bill was indefensible ana was intended only Co give the demo- crats control Of the road construction