Bisbee daily review., 1919-10-16
BONDS OF 3RD H|GHWAY BOARD
 ARE APPROVED

Announcement was made yeSteruay at Tombstone that the board of coun- ty supervisors had approved the bonds of the third highway commission, and that the hoard had notified the coun- tv treasurer of its action and of its belief that this board. selected last week. was the legal highway body or the county.
 County Treasurer Welch stated this morning that his office would honor no warrants from any of the commls- sions other than those dated on or urior to yesterday. October 14tn. It was agreed several days ago that war rants signed by the old and the sec ond commission would be honored py the county treasurer, provided they were signed by both commissions, but with the appointment and qualif1ca- tion of the third commission, Treasur- or welch stated that he would honor no warrants from any of the commls- sions. until such time as one of the three was legally proclaimed the high way commission of Cochise county.
 County Attorneys Statement
 County Attorney Robert N. Frencn made the following statement to Prospector reported yesterday a1ter- noon regarding the situation: eos
 "There is no doubt in my mind that inc last named highway commission ie the legal commission. The men who were appointed at the September meeting of the board to constitute the highway commission were never. In fact. legally a highway commission. Their bonds were not approved by the hoard of supervisors. and believe the board acted wholly within their rights ir anpointing a new commission in their stead The law states specific ally that each commissioner snail give bond to the county for faithful per forrnance of his duties. in such sum as the board of supervisors may re- uuire. and which bond shall be ap- proved by the board of supervisors. Inasmuch as the bonds of the commis- sion appointed at the September meet ing were never approved by the board. it is very clear that they never were a commission.
 "I do not believe that the highway commission is a body entirely inde- pendent of the board of supervisors. as Section 13, Chapter 31 as amended
  ture of 1917 says: Said highway com- mission shall at least once in every six months. make and file with the board of supervisors detailed state ment of their proceedings, showing the amount of money in the Highwaf Improvement Fund at the time of their last statement, the amount of all dona- tions since received. and the purposes for which said donations were made, the amount since expended, the con- tracts entered into or other obliga- tions incurred bv them and still out standing. the highways in court of i'm provement or completed since their last statement. and the condition of the work on each, together with any other information that they may con- slider of interest to the public'
 Therefore. l believe inasmuch as the county highway commission is ap- pointed by the board of supervisors. and gives bond to the board to be approved by the board. and may be years expending for them $1,000, 900 in building a highway system be- tween Benson and the county line east of Douglas. He has been build ing the paved road from Bisbee to Douglas.
 Before his appointment as highway engineer he was county engineer and division engineer for the state He built the highway from Risbee to Tombstone.
 In making the selection, R. E. Fishburn. chairman, made the state ment that the board was guided sole ly by the question of efficiency and picked MT. Ryan because of his abil- ity and experience
 MT. Ryan was paid a salary of S5000 by the Cochise commission
 MT. Ryan will report here on Dec 1. as he is under contract with the Cochise county highway commission to finish the work there He will however. devote some of his time to- ward getting the dirt flying in this county. He will be here frequently and will immediately re-run the sur. vey of the road from Ajo to Gun sight with view of letting the con. tract for constructing this road as soon as possible and he will aid the highway commission here in getting their organization together