The Butler weekly times and the Bates County record. (Butler, Mo.) 1918-1950, 1921-06-16
DRAFTS STATE ROAD PLAN
Senator Ralph's Bills Ready for The
Special Election.

St. Louis, June o.-Senator Richard
| A. Ralph of St. Louis County, chair
man OF the senate committee on roads
and highways, has prepared for intro
ducing at the special session OF the
legislature, which convenes in letier-
son City Tuesday, bills providing 2
complete plan for the building Ct 2
state system of connected hard SUM-
| faced roads under the 6o-million-doa-
lar bond issue voted last November.
The plan Is distinctly a hard surface
highway scheme and specifically bars
the dirt road from participation IN
the bond issue expenditures.
In the main it is the Wisconsin
plan, which Ralph and other members
| of the legislature studied in detail SIX
weeks ago on tour of other states
Investigating road conditions.
| There is created a commission OF
three members to be appointed by
| the governor for four years and to pc
paid $40 day each for time actual
ly employed.
"A "hard surfaced road is defined
10 be road surfaced with gravel,
macadam or other suitable materials
approved by the commission; an
earth road shall not be considered
| hard surfaced road. !. I
All road projects approved by the
| present commission shall be compiet-
ed as planned.
The chief engineer, who must have
had five years practical experience IN
the construction and maintenance OF
hard surfaced roads, shall be appoint
ed by the commission. He shall ap.
point other employees with approval
of the commission.
| No salaries, except for members Of
the commission are fixed, the com.
mission being given power to fix all
salaries.
Members of the commission and all
employees are prohibited from hav.
ing "pecuniary interest" in the sale o.
road or bridge building material
tools, machinery or supplies and in
any contract for the construction OF
roads or bridges.
| A state highway" is defined as
Highway constructed or maintained
at the cost of the state, Or for which
the state. has paid a portion Of TIT
ii cost of construction and which has
been included in the state highway
system"
A statewide connected system o
hard surfaced roads of approximate,
six thousand miles is proposed, ex
tending into each county, to be 10
Gated, acquired, constructed, recon
structed, improved and forever main
tanned as public roads and the neces
sary grading, bridges and culvert
therefore shall be constructed by tn
State of Missouri.
Contracts for road construction
shall be let to the lowest responsible
bidder, who shall give bond in still
equal to the contract price.
Rights of way for roads shall D.
not less than fifty feet.wide and tn
surface roadway shall be of suffcien
width to meet the reasonably ex
pected traffic requirements. Th'
commission shall designate the route:
along which the highways shall b
constructed and determine the typs
and character Of construction.
Whenever state highway runs
over a road constructed by county
or road district or by the state, the
federal government and county or
| road district, the commission shall
construct for the county or road dis
trict roads equal in value to that TAX
/ Ell over by the state.
If any county or road district de :
| sires a road OF higher type of cor-
struction than decided upon by the
commission. it may have such road
| by paying the difference in cost.
Construction of the state highway
system shall start at the same time
at twenty different points il the
state and on sections OF road at least
ten miles long.
Not less than 100000 OF the bond
issue money shall be spent i'll any
county. All roads designated as part
of the state system shall be main
tanned by the state from the time the
system is designated.
The commission shall provide for d
patrol system to maintain roads.
State Bureaus Badly Crippled by
Ha1dinU I'm EmnlnvA's Paw