The Meeker herald., 1921-04-23
HIGHWAY BILL
AGREED UPON
egvHN.MAM ADVISORY BOARD
PLAN AccEPrEo ~ BOTH
HOUSES.

HOUSES.
t0w,ss MsspaeR Uslsa fsss arvso.D
The Twenty.third General Assembly
Of Colorado adjourned sine die last
Thursday afternoon at the end OF the
,susest Legislative day." fifty-six
heurs, on the states record. Only nine
senators were present when Senator
Francis J. Knauss made the motion at
6:<S o'clock which ended the session
for the Senate.
Governor Shoup addressed both
houses briefly In the afternoon. and
virtually declared to the representa-
tiyes that there will be no special SEES
s,oa. q he had threatened there would
be II action on the highway bill, which
delayed adjournment, was not satisfac-
tory.
"You have done your work 20 well
that I believe the next time you will
Be called together here will not be I'M
I'll there il q Twenty-fourth General
Assembly" the governor said In the
House.
Following hours of conference and
argument, the General Assembly ae-
cepted q report Of Its Joint conferences
committee providing for highway
law to be administered BY highway
advisory board Of seven members act
ing In the capacity of advisers and q
one-man executive branch supervised
by the governor.
The provisions Of the bill as finally
agreed upon by both houses are as fol-
lows:
The highway advisory board Is COM
posed of seven members to be appoint
ed by the governor at once. one mem
Der from each Of the seven districts
set out In the bill az originally intro
duced In the House as a one-man bill
at the opening Of the session. Denver
constitutes the first district.
This board meets In regular session
twice each year and has full advisory
powers over the work to be done By
the board. 1t also has the naming Of
ell employees Of the board except the
engineer. who b appointed and remov-
able by the governor alone.
Tho board meets and prepares N
outline Of the work 1t desipes done
and transmits this Recommendation to
the highway engineer who at once pre-
pares q complete budget and working
plans for such program. which he re-
turns to the board for Its information.
Upon this budget the board In turn
prepares it, report to the governor and
transmits the budget therefor. The
governor IL given full authority 70 ap-
prove. dlsapprove, alter and amend, In
whole or In part. any budget or plan
submitted BY the board.
Once completed, the highways and
roads themselves then come under the
control and direction Of the board.
The members Of the board receive
no salaries. They are appointed for
terms Of three years. Five members
Of the board constitute quorum for
the transaction Of business, but four
must concur In order to act.
The bill Is practically the same a.
planned BY the Good Roads Associa.
tioa with the exception that the advIs-
Org board consists Of seven members
instead Of the authority being vested
In 90 man. To all practical intents
and psrposes It u such \ one-man law
a. has been advocated ever since the
old highway commission proved un-
Wieldy and .wasteful In Its manage
msnt.
Ths agreement q the bin was only
reached after one Of the longest and
most bitter fights ever waRed In q
General Assembly in this state over
anything but purely political ques.
ton or the election Of some United
States senator before the direct cleo
lions came Into vogue.
1t represented the battle Of the coun-
y commissioners all over the state for
the retention Of the powers they pos
sessed over the roads and highways Of
the state and counties.
The enabling act. or bond Issue for
hishwayA finally passed the House ~
amended BY the Senate Immediately
following the solution Of the highway
law itself, 10 that all that Is neces-
sary to start the highway machine hns
been accomplished. All danger Of an
extra session vamSne0 win tne agree
ment on these two measures.
Besides winning reputation for de-
termination on the highway issue,
Speaker Davis closed the session with
the record Of having made no decision
which was appealed from. or for which
appeal was sought. Veteran members
aid this record ID unique FOR Colo
RADIO. Customarily. they declared. the
final days Of any session are marked
By thrse to dozen appeals day from
tie speakers rulings.
Tia Twenty-flrst district Of Rotary
ut its seventh annual conference In
Pueblo launched . boom for the hold
ing Of the international convention of
Rotary In this district at Estes Park
In 1e2a