The copper era and Morenci leader., 1921-02-18
Senate Makes Favorable Report On Omnibus Road Bill
$75,OOO INCLUDED FOR MULE. CREEK INTERSTATE LINK

Late telephone advises to THE COPPER ERA from the state capitoI bearing upon the status of The Omsi- bus Highway Bill, give the infor1na- tfon that the Bill, as printed, carry ing an appropriation of approximate ly s1,0o0, 100000, was reported by the committee of the whole in the Senate on Tuesday afternoon favorably. with the recommendation that the bill do pass
 Parts of the bill adopted as print ed were the Superior-Miami road for $200,000; Geronimo and Solomonv.lls, for $50,e00; between Clifton and New Mexico line, $75,O0O: Williams-AsA Fork, $25,OOO; Arrowhead Trail, $1os,- 000; Tucson7Nogales highway, $75,- coo; s75.000 for road. between Ask Fork to Mohave county line and for completion of the Prescott-Jerome highway; $10O,O0o road and bridges from Yuma to Maricopa county fine and extension of the Antelope bridge.
 The Omnibus Road Bill is special appropriation bill prepared by the State Highway Department, and in- troduced in the Senate to provide additional state highway funds to be matched with Federal Aid on the
 various projects enumerated The strongest argument brought forward in it's favor is that unless additional state roads funds are thus provided A,-s1 q Federal Aid funds.
 | At the time the ERA goes to press the Bill had not as yet come up in l the senate for final passage. I The Senate on Wednesday had the bill under consideration again and by | close vote carried a motion inadD. by Senator Stoddard to cut from ID cents to cents the state road fex levy. \ rider te the omnibus hN previously had been placed carlfhg for the 10 cent road tax to be incInd- l ed in the omnibus bill. Senator Ed [ dy before the Stoddard motion had been voted on, said the reduction of the levy by half would mean that tho I state road fund would lose $400, ,goe l The omnibus bill as it was reported
 for passage by the committee of the whole Tuesday afternoon, provided
 for all road appropriations totaling | $975,000. The bill, with the Stod-
 dard amendment, went back into the l committee of the whole Wednesday | afternoon. Senator Eddy said that such an
 amendment would kill the omnibus
 bill and MT. Stoddard replied he
 would be willing to amend his 'motion
 to include the revenue to be derived
 from the proposed gasoline tax and
 the increased tax on automobiles.
 Contrary to expectations, the omu-
 ibus highway appropriation bill did
 not come up for consideration by the
 senate on Thursday. When the com- I mittee of the whole sent it to be re-
 vised and engrossed late Wednesday i it was assumed that action would be
 followed by final vote the next day. It was apparapt, however, that sup
 porters. of the measure as it was in- / trodUced originally were at work dur ing the day with renewed hope that it might be passed without amend
 ments which they considered hamp- ering
 As the bill now stands it provides
 a total of S975,000 for construction of
 highways, the itemized cost of which
 is figured in the bill at $1,025,00O.
 Senator J. H. Laresen today issued i, written statement denouncing at-
 tempts to reduce the road tax levy
 from 10 cents to 5. He declared the mining companies. railroads and
 other industries, which3 he said. paid
 two thirds of the taxes, would bene- : fit by such a reduction. It would cut
 the state road fund s442.00 he assert
 ed.
 , The Stoddard amendment on the
 Omnibus road bill does not reduce
 the amount of appropriated in the
 Omnibus biIl but has for it's purpose ' the reduction of the general state road tax lew for the ensuing two years firm 10c on each s100 to 5c or 2 each s100.
 3 The supporters of he Omnibus bill - carrying the originaI rider of a 16c : general state road tax. contend that r. this amount is necessary for carrying n out the state road building rrogram
 and insure the full benefits of Feder-
 al aid.
 a The passage of the Omnibus bill n insures the construction of the Mule r Creek Interstate link as it carries r S75 900 for this project, which match s ed with Federal aid would provide . l. sum of s15O000.00 not to mention { d proposition of the seventy-five pei d cent state fund available in thi' l'l county.
 MT. and Mrs. Haynes, of Douglas a, visiting Mrs. Haynes mother, Mrs