The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1921-06-11
CHANGES ASKED
IN TWO. BILLS
ON GOOD ROADS
North Dakota Good Roads Asso.
citation Sees Harm to State
in u. S. Measures
WRITE TO CONGREssMEN
Legislative Committee Plans TO
Ask for Political
Highway Body

Opposition to features of the Dowell
bill and the Townsend bill, now pend
mig in Congress, which would deprive
North Dakota and q number of other
states of federal aid in highway con.
struction at this time is expressed by
the legislative committee of the North
Dakota Good Roads association.
The committee. In a two-day session
and spent considerable time prepaI Iina
preliminary draft OF q constitutional
bond issue amendment for good roads
to be submitted to the people Of the
state. ~
Both the Townsend and Dowell bills
provided that federal aid shall not be
given to states which divided the cost
of state highways with counties, but
require that state highways shall be
built solely out of state funds. Under
present highway laws the federal aid
money in North Dakota Is matched by
the counties, with the state doing the
engineering work and bearing expense
Of preparation Of plans. Ultimately.
under the good roads association plan,
state highway will be built with state
funds. but the association opposes q
change In the federal law at this time.
Drafting Amendment.
Opposition also is expressed to tht
feature Of the Townsend bill which
would remove the federal bureau OF
good roads from the agricultural de-
partment. The legislative committee
believes that agricultural states will
fare better in the participation in fed
eral aid II the bureau is left in the
department Of agriculture. --@
The committee, which is composed
OF F. w. Mees, chairman; F. w. Turn
er and A. T. Kraabel, is not ready to
announce a draft of the proposed con.
stitutional amendment. ut was stated,
however, that the amendment, when
completed, will provide for highway
commission appointed in manner that
will make the highway commission as
nearly q nonaf,olitical body as possi
BILE.
Letter to Senator's.
The following is a draft OF COM
munication prepared by the commit
tee to be sent North Dakota senators
and congressman:
1.-The legislative committee of the
4 North Dakota State Goods Roads as
ISOLATION heartily approves the prin-
cipal elements of both the Doweli
bill and the Townsend bill.
The only objection that we find t.
either is that the Townsend bill would
undoubtedly and the Dowell bill would
probably cause North, Dakota to lose
the opportunity of using Federal Aid
OF the new appropriation until after
January LIST, of 1924. -.
1.-The provisions to which reference
is made are those directing that no
project be approved for federal aid
until after the state has provided a
rstate fund at least equal to the Federal
Aid, and State Fund for Maintenance.
North Dakota at present has such
state funds, could only set up such
funds through constitutional amend
, ment requiring action at the polls and
in the legislative assembly.
I'VE have given some thought to the
matter Of the constitutional amend
ment, had intended to sponsor legis.
latiOn, such as would now be neces
sary, even though the pending Federal
Acts had not forced the issue. Our
plans, however, had been for circulat-
ing petitions early in the spring of
1922, voting on the initiated measure
, at the June primary and then having
! the measure placed before the legis-
lative assembly in January OF 1923.
The constitutional amendment and the
attendant legislation to give 1t force
would then become effective on Jan.
uary LIST, 1924, the proposed changes
necessitating change, an increase, IN
the automobile licensing.
I'VE feel assured that whatever ac-
ton may be taken by Congress we, in
North Dakota, cannot provide "State
Funds" to meet Federal Aid until 1924,
and to care for maintenance"
Urge Careful Drafting.
= I'VE hope, therefore, and urge, that
the senators and congressman repre-
senting North Dakota in C0ngress-will
use all of their influence to have what
ever Federal Aid bill may pass drawn
so as not to be harmful to the road
building program in North Dakota. We
have a federal and state aid plan of
construction we'll under way and need
the additional Federal Aid of the pro-
posed new bill to carry it on but would
urge the representatives and friends
of the state to oppose new measure
providing Federal Aid under such con-
ditions that we could not, at least for
two years, avail ourselves of its bene-
fit.
F. w. Mees,
Chairman.
F. W.sTurner,
A. T. Kraabel.
Legislative Committee.