The Dolores star., 1921-04-15
HIGHWAY BILL
AGREED UPON
SEvEN-MAN ADVISORY BOARD
PLAN ACCEPTED BY BOTH
HOUSES.
Western Neu,paper Union N.x, s,r,,e..j

The Twenty-third General Assembly
of Colorado adjourned sine die last
Thursday afternoon at the end of the
longest Legislative day" 6fty-siX
hours, on the states record. Only nine
senators were present when Senator
Francis J. Knauss made the motion at
> ~ O'Clock which ended the session
for the Senate.
Governor Shoup addressed both
houses briefly in the afternoon, and
virtually declared to the representa-
tives that there will be no special ses-
sion, as he had threatened there would
be If action on the highway bill, which
delayed adjournment, was not satisfac-
tory
"You have done your work so well
that ! believe the next time you will
be called together here will not be un-
til there is n Twenty fourth General
Assembly" the governor said in the
House.
Following hours of conference and
argument, the General Assembly ac-
cepted report of its joint conference
committee providing for Il highway
law to be administered by highway
advisory board of seven members act
ing in the capacity of advisers and a
onc-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
pnSpI nf spyan mpubprs n bp nnpnipt-
ed by the governor at once one mem
Der from each of the seven districts
set out in the bill as originally intro
duced in the House as Il 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
all employees of the board except the
| engineer, who is appointed and remov-
| able by the governor alone.
The board meets and prepares an
outline of the work it desires done
and transmits this recommendation to
| the highway engineer who at once pre-
pares n 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 its report to the governor and
transmits the budget therefor. The
| governor is given full authority to ap-
| prove, disapprove, 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 as
| planned by the Good Roads Associxl
| tion with the exception that the advis-
ory board consists of seven members
| instead of the authority being vested
in one man. To all practical intents
and purposes ii i5 such a one-man law
| as has been advocated ever since the
| old highway commission proved un~
wieldy and wasteful in its manage
! ment.
The agreement on the bill was only
| reached after one of the longest and
most bitter fights ever waged in a
General Assembly in this state over
anything but a purely political ques-
ton or the election of some United
| States senator before the direct elec-
tions came into vogue
1t represented the battle of the coun-
| ty 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 fol
highways, finally passed the House rs
amended by the Senate Immediately
| following the solution of the highway
law itself, so that all that is neces-
| sary to start the highway machine has
| been accomplished. All danger of an
| extra session vanished with the agree
| ment on these two measures.
Besides winning a 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
said this record is unique for Colo
| RADIO. Customariiy, they declared, the
| final days of any session are marked
| by three to a dozen appeals day from
| the speakers rulings.
The Twenty-first district of Rotary
at 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 1923.
Governor Shoup has signed the bill
repeating the State Railroad Commits
sion law. BY the signature the last
chance to vote on a new bond issue for
the construction of the proposed NIof-