The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-09-05

I
approximately s5,OOO,0O0, will be used
for building roads in other states of
| the union.
| This highway bill was submitted to
| the recess committee and with a few
| minor amendments added, was unani-
| mously approved. Soon after the re-
| convening<of the legislature, the senate
| passed the bill unanimously and with
| out debate.
OPPONENTS SHOW HAND
"a companion bill to the senate bill
| having been reported favorably was
made special order of business on the
! thirty seventh legislative day. In the
I meantime the senate bill was placed
on the house calendar. The hand of the
! opponents of good roads was first dis
played when the chairman of the roads
| committee asked unanimous consent
that the senate bill be substituted for
| made. No explanation was made as to
why this objection but friends of good
roads can only surmise.
THE first amendment offered to meet
objection was to provide for a state
highway commissioner from each con-
! gressional district to be appointed by
| the governor, and the state geologist
the professor of engipsering at Au-
burn and the professor of engineering
! at the university, Is in all
Without investigating, this would
; not seem Objectionable to the average
member of the legislature. and the au-
thor of the amendment never once in
quired as to the probable effect this
would have on the efficiency of the
department. With the enormous amount
of work that will be thrown on the
highway department, especially If the
Bond bill becomes a law and the con-
stitutional amendment is ratified by
the people, it can reasonably be esti-
mated that the conffniss will have
| to meet at least twice month. In view
| of the fact that these men are to serve
| without salary, receiving only their &C
| tual travelling expenses, does any sane
man believe it will be easy to have a
quorum very often? If a large com
mission is essential for the efficient
execution of work, why does the United
states government recommend com
missions of not exceeding five and why
| is it that no state in the union has a
commission with more than five mem
| bers, many have three and a few have
only one?
Can't We reasonably follow the lead
of states more experienced in this work :?
If the governor can't find five men in
the state who are honest and efficient
and will treat all counties fairly, is there
any more reason to believe he can find
thirteen.
1T has been absolutely proven many
times over that for efficiency n small
Body of men is far superior to a large
Body Surely those who have given this
matter years of study are better pre-.
pared to advise than three men who got
together and wrote the amendments "a
49, LII fsxr,
"a division of the funds derived from
the licensing Of motor vehicles among the
81 counties was the last and most dam
aging amendment of all. What does it
mean? After all incidental expenses are
paid each county in the state would
ceive between 5000 and $4,000. What
will they do with it's Those counties
that are able will supplement it with
two or three times as much in order to
be able to get government aid and to
present to contractors a project Of suffi,
cient size to make it worth while for
them to bid for the work. Those coun-
ties that have we'll equipped outfits will
take the states aid, and if not able to
raise more will spend it without addi-
tional funds in building a very short
piece of road. AT least half of the coun-
ties have no outfit or funds. what will
they do? Nothing whatever. They will
lose both state and national aid and
when the next legislature convenes four
years from now they will be deeper in
the mud than they are now. What eff
feet will this have on the proposed road
bond issue The funds are given the
counties. therefore there win be nothing
left to pay interest, create a sinking and
maintenance fund and the bond issue will
be still born
what is proposed by the friends of the
department? Here it is: That the state,
with the aid of the government, will con-
s-rucl system of good roads connect
ing the county seats and other cities anu
towns of Importance and each road be
maintained by the state. To do this re-
sprns Unity must be placed in the high
way commission. The pian for work as
mapped out by the state engineer will
be to begin construction on those sections
of the roads in various counties that are
impossible during good portion of each
year. To do this the state must have
authority to appropriate for such work
ore-half the total cost Should the cost
be $4,000 the state will appropriate $685.
900 and the government $25, and the
entire section of bad road will be made
good. Working in this way the state
highway department will be able to do
good and substantial work in every
tounty in the state within three years.
Is this not better than trying to build 81
short pieces of road with consequent
overhead expense and the high prices
that will have to be paid because of the
small size of the projects?
Having been associated with the state
highway commissioners for eight and
one-half years. | desire to say that they
have always been absolutely impartial in
their decisions and only done what they
considered to be the best interests of the
state. 1t is inconceivable to believe that
five men could be selected who wo>.d go
absolutely contrary to the wishes of the
people and center their efforts on one or
two roads in the state. 1t is very easy
for man in the heat of debate to saw
that someone has said, that someone told
him that it is the purpose of the com.
mission to do an unfair thing Nothing
can be more unfair than to make such
statement when the party making il
knows that it is untrue.
Il must earnestly urge, for the good OF
this grand old state of ours, that the
members of the legislature rise to the
occasion and pass this most important
bill as prepared by men who have not
only given time and thought to it, but
have always given their time and money
to this most necessary cause"