The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1919-04-27

tho law to pave It's streets. tho cost
~ construction uf the road within
the corporate limits OF such town
CO.. city cannot be- met out OF the
state bond issue but II the town or
Guy has not such power, the state
builds tho road through the town or
'i'y aud pays the entire cost ~ con
suAction out ~ tho state funds. Any
"'h.r plan would be unfair 10 the
vide nwako, progressive towns and
rlilo1 of The yi1br which have HlFrady
paved their streets
Highway Department
u VIII require "A certain amount Of
administrative cost to build the state
system ~ roads. whether they are
hunt on the bond issue plan or
some other plan. There must bc u
corps ~ employees 10 supervise the
spending ~ the money and the
building Of the roads in whatever
plan may be adopted There must
h" clerks, Etcnogrnphcrs. engineers.
inspectors and other employees of the
state, ana the cost viii be- the same
under whatever system may bc
adopted. The proposed amendment
does not create n duplicat" highway
department but leaves the present
highway department 10 perform and
fulflil the duties imposed upon II hy
law At this time. which is all IL can
do. with llH present force Of ON
ploycs Tho building ~ this system
~ hard surfaced roads In made an
Independent and separate project,
and IL placed I'm IN" hands ~ n
com mission ~ fIv" successful cap
able business or professional men OF
the state The governor IL n mem
her and chairman uf the commits.
sion the other four members are 10
be appointed by the governor and
confirmed by the senate two re-
puhllcauS ana 'wu democrats The
commission has the authority 10 em
ploy all the help and assis,a nee
necessary to accomplish the purpose
of constructing and paying for the
system Of roads dcsignnted and TO
fix their mpcnsntiOn II may call
10 its aid the department Of high
ways and It's force Of employees. In.
Guiding the state engineer and his
assistants
Tho building of this system Of
roads In OF such magnitude and I'm
porthnce To the people that those
who have charge of tho matter
ought 10 give their entire time to tho
work hni have the system construct.
ed In the most efficient way. with as
little cost TO the people nH possible
The plan proposed In the amendment
was In the judgment Of the legisla-
ture. the best and most oconOmi cal
system to accomplish that purpose
The designation OF the route in the
amendment IN guara ntce to the
people that the road will be built
along these routes The voting OF
tho $50, ,000, 900 Of bonds md making
the fund available to meet appro-
priations by congress In aid OF road
construction In n guarantee To the
people that n sufficient amount Of
money has been provided TO con
atruct tho entire system. and that
the construction work will be done
In accordance with the best plans
and specifications, and under the
hest supervision and inspection that
tho state and federal government
can provide. The people know In
advance where the roads will he To-
Gated and built. and what the system
is going to cost them. The plan II
submitted to them In advance Of any
appropriation. or any construction
work, 40 th~Ythey may express their
approval or rejection OF the propo-
sltlon. II the people want these
roads built they will vote for the
amendment. II they do not want
them. they will vote against II.
Those who are opposing the
amendment protest constantly that
they are for n state. wide system OF
hard surfaced roads, and admit that
Oklahoma needs such a system, but
ihAN that lhnfa Ia nd
better p.an to acquire the roads. 1t
Is no time to quibblo about the plan.
ANY plan that will provide the road
will satisfy the great majority OF the
people Of this state. But there Is no
other plan by which the road system
outlined IN the amendment can be
built under ~ years, and the prob
abilities are strong that the entire
system can never be built In any
other way than by state bond issue.
II the legislature should appropriate
81 000, 900 for II years as proposed
by the opponents Of this amendment,
II would only produce for road con-
structiou the sum OF Sbl ,00O. 900. The
money appropriated each year can
not he spfead over the entire system.
but must he spent I'm some particu-
lar locality TO he designated by the
legislature. or commissioner OF hiRh-
ways, or some commission provided
by the legislature. The first appro-
prlatiun would he spent In that To-
cality having the AtronRcst political
"pur" with the locating power. and
that locality would then have all the
roads It could reasonably expect dur
Ing the next II years The senator's
and representative In tho legislature
from that section would Immediately
proceed 10 oppose the appropriation
OF any moro money TO build roads In
other parts OF tho state, And the To-
calitv having tho next strongest po-
litical "puln with the locating power