The copper era and Morenci leader., 1919-02-07
HON. AMAR COBB WR|TES0PENLETTER
 ID LEGISLATURE

Gives His Oponion Regarding Crea- tion and Administration of State
 Highway Department.
 Hon. Lamar Cobb, eX-State High way Engineer. who ably served the State of Arizona in this capacity for period of five years, has addressed the following open letter to the mem bers of the Fourth State Legislature anent the proposed legislation for the organization of a State Highway De- partment:
 To the Legislative Assembly,
 State of Arizona,
 Phoenix, Arizona.
 Gentlemen: s.
 May I ask that in the creation of a State Highway Department you give brief consideration to the sug- gestions of one who has made a most careful study of highway laws of the several states of the Union for the past seven years and who has been so fortunate as to have administered the affairs of the highway depart ment of Arizona for five and one half years during the former period. My sole interest is to see that Ari-
 
 in the United States. -. How may that be accomplished?
 It is comparatively easy.
 There are three fundamental re- quisites. If they be recognized and govern the construction of your law you will have succeeded.
 First. An executive head with un- divided authority
 Second. A board of from three to seven members, who will select the executive head and to whom he is responsible, they in turn being re- sponsible to the people. Third. As brief law as possible, ] with only such limitations upon your highway officials as are absolutely necessary. No legislative safeguard has ever in itself compelled a public official to perform his full duty to the entire public nor turned a dis honest man into an upright official. Assume that they will be as honest as yourselves; if they are not, legis- 1 lative restrictions or safeguards will be of no avail.
 You should create State Highway Board" not a Commission. 7 Tho Webster may define Board as sy- anonymous with Commission" in l not so. A "Board'' is created to ex- ercise supervisory authority. tho at will it may exercise executive or ad- ministrative authority A "Commis- sion' is created to exercise executive CT administrative authority. The State Highway Board should be given authority to appoint a State Highway Engineer Commissioner who should be the executive head of your high way department and responsible to the State Highway Board. All mat ters concerning state highways should initiate with the State High way Engineer Commissioner, subject to the approval of the State Highway Board. The Highway Board should also have authority to employ con- sulting engineers at such times for such periods as they shall deem nee essary. It being assumed that sucn consulting engineers will be of ma tional reputation qualified to advise both the State Highway Board and the Engineer Commissioner.
 The advantage of a State Highway Beard to exercise supervisory author ity in place of a Commission to eXer- else executive or administrative au- thority are manifold You can se' cure more able men Io serve upoh a Board than you can upon Com mission: witness some of the dlshn- ea1ished members, both past and pres, ent of the Board of Regents of the State University. A Board may not necessarily be limited to the smallest number three, so necessary for etH ciency in a Commission, exercising executive or administrative authority The primary function of either Highway Board or Commission is tC raise the money with which to cen struct the highways and this end 1s attained through the confidence o the public in the integrity and ability of the personnel of the Board ol Commission. Therefore, Beard O five to seven members, apportionec and selected with geographical fair ness. is far more likely to secure ;
 favorable vote upon bond issues. a ) almost every section of the state VII be represented, than a Commission
 properly limited to the minimum 0 three members. The only other prol ) CT function of such body is to su , pervise the work of the State High
 way Engineer Commissioner unles,
 the Board or Commission itself b. | composed of engineers, for all tn other problems entering into th building of state highways are pure j. ly engineering problems. Let me r
 peat, the only proper functions of i, Highway Board or Commission is , raise the money and to see that
 is properly expended by the Highwa , EngineerCommissione not to perso ally direct it's expenditure but to s' l. pervise it. Bear this in mind. I ) matter how able may be the men
 bers of your Highway Board or Cor } mission their work will be failul V if they choose a poor Highway Ens
 neer Commissioner and no matt |, how poor Board or Commission yo may have. their work will be a su
 cess if they choose a competent e
 gineer That statement is not su ceptible of successful contradiction
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