The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-10-19

law which placed appointments Of county highway superintendents
in the hands of the governor. There was some ground for both com
plants, because in a period Of short and costly labor aud more costly
supplies, large road construction contracts have been hard 10 com
plete; and IL is probable that most people Of both parties regard the
executive selection Of local road superintendents as a mistake to be
corrected.
But the democratic ears, resting snugly upon the ground, took
these murnurs to mean that New Mexico wanted to stop building
roads. SO they went into solemn session and pledged themselves
their candidate for governor, Mr. Hanna and their legislative candi
dates to abolish the state highway commission, decentralze highway
management and return IL to local direction.
II appears never TO have occurred TO these platform writers that
the people of New Mexico do not want to go back to the dark ages
Their ideas seem to have been to write a plank that would appeal to
certain local bosses and ex bosses like Frank Hubbell whose idea Of
the use of road funds is to turn the tax money over to precinct road
bosses for use in entertaining the boys.
The net result, however, is that Hanna and democratic legislative
candidates are pledged TO abolish the state highway commission, to
wipe out all through road building, to dump federal aid funds avail
able into the ditch and stop all tourist travel with a Keep out
Roads closed sign.
that the people are against any such policy and that they are very
definite about saying so. They are so definite, in fact, it has become
worry Mr., Hanna much, because whenever anything embarrassing
comes up to him, he simply promises the people q couple of millions
more taxes from the Chino Copper company and gHdes in on his gen
themanly campaign OF libel.
Some of the legislative candidates have been trying to explain
to indignant citizens that the democratic road plank doesn't mean
what il says. They have said that it doesn't mean the return TO
the princinct road boss, but TO the county road board. But the dis
NAL failure o.. the county road board plan is Immediately advanced
cor their consideration and they usually ADM. that they do not know
what the pledge means except that it binds them to abolish the state
highway commission. "
As a matter of fact it is the democratic proposal, IIannas pro
posal and Seigmans plan, to destroy the state highway commission,
dcccntrahze highway management in this state I'D return road
funds and road management to local politics. Nothing is more useful
in building up tight local political machines than complete control
of the road management and funds. That such a policy discomagcs
construction is a matter of detail to Mr.. Seligman. His chief interest
IN roads is the use they can be put to in connection with political Or
ganization.
We have our choice of continuing intelligent road building or
of returning to the ~chuck-hoc' days of the precinct road boss. That
is the issue the democratic platform places before us; The rcpub,
Ilcan party is pledged to go on building state roads where they will
serve the most people most OF the time.