Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1919-03-03
ROAD BILL IS
NEARLY READY
Road Work Biggest Propo-
sition to Come up in
This Session of
Legislature.
MEETS WEDNESDAY
A Resume of Some of the
Important Bills Now
Passed.
MEETS WEDNESDAY
BY G. L. CAswELL.

DeS MONIES, iowa, Mar 3.-Wlth
half Of tile session gone and not a
third Of the work done, the thirty
eighth general assembly will reconvene
Wednesday after weeks vacation
Most of the wSrk accomplished during
the six weeks past has been in laying
the foundation for the important work
ahead, in handling many bills of minor
Importance, and for the new members,
in learning the ms and outs of legisla-
ton and legislative procedure. 1t may
be taken for granted that the next six
weeks will find all on the job with a
clearer view of things, more settled
idea of the cause and effect and impor-
lance OF their state job as legislators.
Road Bill Nearly Ready.
The one biggest proposition that all
expected to have to meet when they
came here to take part in this general
assembly was the road question, 1t
was touted as the big job, the contest
ground, the battle field on which men
would rise to fame or fall to oblivion.
But up to this time the general men,
bership of the legislature has not even
touched upon it. Several road bills
dealing with incidental phases Of the
question have been introduced, and one
or two have received favorable action
SO far Bnt the concensus Of opinion
among legislators is that the whole
road laws should be rewritten to meet
present conditions and all reenacted
into one comprehensive law.
To this end the highway committees
of the house and senate have been
working together, and working hard.
day and night. Chairman Balkema of
the senate committee and Chairman
Santee of the house committee have
given their whole spare time out of tne
legislative chambers to work on this
bill. To meet the demand of members
for some sort OF an idea regarding their
work that might be reported TO their
constituents while home on their vaca-
ton, the committees have given out 81
synopsis of the road bill they have now
nearly ready for presentation. In brief.
this summary is as follows: g
The committee bill cOntemplates uat
no state bond issue will be NECESSARY
to carry out its provisions. 1t will pro-
vide for Il primary road system OF
about 5000 miles in the state compris-
| ing what is now the county road sys-
TEN to the extent that it takes in all
roads connecting from one county to
another. These inter-cOunty roads, it
is designed, shall be paved, if the people
lin the different counties vote to have
them paved, and the money to do it
will come from the federal aid allowed
by tie national government, from the
automobile licenses (Which will be
doubleday and from the land owners
lalOng the line of the paved road who
will be most benefited thereby. This
primary or inter-county road will en-
brace about one-third of the present
county road system. Then the county
road system comes next. and these
roads will get all the money at present
levied by direct taxes, and such county
roads will, be developed and improved
/ by the boards of supervisors and town
ship trustees.
In short, the main or intercounty
road system to he paved will be sub
ject to county option and vote of
the people affected. II they want pay
ed roads, they can vote to get them.
If they do not then the federal aid
money will be applied elsewhere. On
the provisions of the bin thus far out
lined the. subcommittee of both houses
are agreed.
Yes, there will he opposition later
1t is realized that such a big PROPOSE
ton cannot be enacted without OPPOSE
ton. There are as many ideas on the
road question as there are men, usually,
and some mighty good ideas are held
by people who cannot now be heard
here. But out of it ali may come some
Improvement in. the road laws and thus
start Iowa toward the program some
of the forward looking people of the
state hope for.
Old Sunday Law To Go.
For sixty years it has been unlaw-
full in the state Of Iowa to operate ON
Sunday anything but stage coaches, liv-
cry barns, ferry boats. toll roads anu to
do anything but labor Of necessity. II
will be remembered that terrible fur
ore was created all over the state two
years ago, just after the legislature
adjourned, when Attorney General
Havner set out to enforce these old
"blue laws And they didn't enforce
worth two whoops, because they don't
tit in with modern times, with rail