Bisbee daily review., 1919-01-29
HIGHWAY MEETING
APPROVES BILL TO
SPEND LARGE FUND
FOR IMPROVEMENTS
Concludes Meet
ings With Passage of Reso-
luton for Commission and
County Highway Building
CBy Review Leased wire1


PHOENIX, Ariz., Jan. Estate to-
day the convention called by the Ari-
iona Good Roads association passed
what was termed by delegates the
keystone resolution of the session
and urged the state legislature to pro-
vide at the earliest practicable mo-
ment for submission to the voters of
a SS0,000,000 road bond issue pro-
posal. The resolution contained the
stipulation that the bonds should be
issued from time to time as required.
The convention adjourned to meet
in Tucson next year
Side by side with this action went
three other resolutions, one favoring
the establishment of an unsalaried
state highway commission to direct
the construction of a system of roads
and second recommending increas-
ing the present 10 per cent road tax
to meet available federal road and
forest road funds thus to take care
of the unemployment problem, and a
third urging county action in highway
building
Fear Political Intrigue.
The resolution urging the establish
ment of a commission to direct the
state highway department brought out
considerable discussion, the burden
of the debate being that the delegates
feared politics in the naming of the
members and their subsequent activ-
titles. This point finally was cleared
when an amendment carried provid-
ing that, in the event of its establish
ment, the commissions members
should serve without salaries The
resolution suggested that five COM
missioners be appointed by the gov
ernor with the consent of the state
senate, not more than three of whom
at any time should be members of
the same political party. Five-year
terms were suggested for tie COM
missioners, while it was expressly
stipulated that members of the same
political party should not be appoint
ed to the first commission for terms
expiring in consecutive years. The
commission, under the suggested plan,
would appoint a state highway engi-
neer and fix his salary
The unemployment problem inject
ed itself into resolution which was
unanimously adopted requesting the
legislature to refer to the voters an
amendment to the state constitution
raising the limit now placed on the
bonded Indebtedness to an amount
not to exceed per cent of the as
sessed valuation of the property in
the state. AT present it is rated at
one-third of 1 per cent of the as
sessed valuation
Need for Action.
The preamble of the resolution
brings to the attention of the legis-
lature the necessity for taking early
action to privide some means of al
ieviating the situation in labor circles
consequent on denomination and the
curtailment of industries which have
been running at top speed during the
war
a motion to increase the automo-
bile license fee and to insure the col
lection of all such licenses met with
the unanimous approval of the con-
vention, while similar action was
taken on proposal to place adequate
signs along the roads of the state.
A memorial to congress and particll-
larly to Arizona's representatives at
Washington was unanimously ap-
proved, petitioning for an appropria-
ton of $4,000 to construct spans. ap-
proaches and protection works to the
ella river bridge at the highway
through the San Carlos Indian reser-
walton. The memorial declares that
| owing to washouts passage is blocked
several months each year.