The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-02-14
Senate Makes Many Changes in
House Measure.
Proposed Highway Laws viii
Be Discussed Wednesday.
MAY DECLARE EMERGENCY
Amendments Give More Power
TO State Commission.
Those Benefited Must Helm
Pay for New Roads.

Several things have happened to the
road bills which have been passed by
the house of representatives since they
have been in the hands of the senate
committee on roads and bridges, and
the representatives will hardly know
their bills when they see them on the
floor of the upper house
Road Bills Up Wednesday,
The senate committee has altered
the house bills, and recommended
them for passage as amended The
road bill has been set as a special or
der of the day for Wednesday, at
10:30 o'clock
The companion bill, which provides
for graduated license fee for auto
mobiles, should be discussed at the
same time by the senate, Senator Kyle,
chairman of the committee, said this
morning. He will make an effort to
nave an emergency declared, the
rules suspended, and the bill placed
on third reading where it can be dis
cussed and acted on at the same time
as the state aid bill. A similar at
tempt was made with the same bill
IN the house this morning, but was de-
a place well down on the house CAL
endar.
More Power To Commission.
Some of the amendments which the
senate committee have made to the
state aid bill are to give the state
highway commission more power in
the approval of projects. In a hearing
On the bills early in the session the fact
came out that many members of the
house are distinctly unfriendly to the
state highway commission, and does
not want to see that body have any
more power The senate committee
doesn't feel that way about it,
Another provision is to the effect
that residents along a short strip of
road who try to hold up the county
and get a section of road built which
will benefit them, and yet which will
be paid for by the entire county, with
state and federal aid, don't get any
road until they are ready to pay for it.
Build at County Expense.
Instances where there is a short
strip of unfinished road between two
stretches of hard surfaced roads, have
been brought to the attention of the
committee" said Senator Kyle this
morning. 1.-THE residents along these
stretches of road have taken their op-
portunity to refuse to form a benefit
district, because the demand for the
road is SO great that usually the coun-
ty commissioners will go ahead and
build it at county expense. The amend
it impossible for the commissioners to
build the road until the people who are
trying to get something for nothing
have paid their share"
Another amendment provides that
where a project has been commenced,
and not finished, that the people who
are benefiting from that portion al
ready completed, may be called on to
pay their share before the completion
of the project A hard surfaced road
project between Chapman and Abilene
was cited by Senator Kyle in discuss
ing this amendment. The project is
completed only part of the way and
the people living along that portion
which is finished, may be called upon
to pay for t, under the terms of the
amendment which the committee has
tackled onto the bill.
A New Bill Proposed.
A new bill which is to go into the
senate hopper late this afternoon will
add to the powers of the county COM
missioners in the matter of purchas-
ing road machinery.
Some years ago piece or ieg1sla-
ton was slipped over on the state leg
islature by Interests Under the
provisions of the old law, it was i'm
possible for the county commissioners
to purchase rock crushing machinery
for use on the county roads without a
petition signed by 65 per cent of the
voters of the county. Now, rock
crushers don't cost any more than
many other pieces of road machinery
which the commissioners may pur-
chase to any extent they like.
The force behind the bill was some
quarry company which owned a rock
crusher of its own and wanted mo-
nopoly on the rock crushing for the
county roads. it is said. And they got
it But a bill introduced by Senator
Kyle takes restriction off the pur-
chase of rock crushers. and leaves it
up to the county commissioners. Sew
eral counties have been held up for
tl.cir- l-,.I1shad r-nclS a result of fhn