Pueblo chieftain., 1921-04-09

THE new highway bill should make
for greater efficiency" Senator W. o.
Peterson stated to Chieftain repre-
sentative yesterday, in discussing
general matter connected with legisla-
ton passed during the session OF the
state assembly Just ended.
The bill takes the supervision Of
| road building out of the hands OF the
old commission, heretofore composed
| of five members, and puts it in the
charge of a road engineer, who is un-
| der the direct supervision of the gov
ernor. AS the matter now stands, the
| law as to the state and counties par
| ticipating in the cost of building state
roads is not changed, but there will be
a seven man highway advisory board
appointed by the governor, and this
| board will prepare a budget of the eX-
pense for road maintenance and con-
struction in all of the seven districts.
| There will be a road engineer, also
appointed by the governor, who must
be a licensed engineer, and who has
and five years highway construction in
the way of experience, and who VIII
hold his office under the civil service
status in the state.
4 This engineer will receive a salary
Of $500 a year; the highway board will
serve without pay, except as to travel
ing and actual expenses.
When the budget is prepared, the
| highway engineer will let contracts,
under the approval of the governor.
and there can be q deviation of not 10
exceed 10 per cent with any item OF the
budget.
The state has been redistricted to
seven as against five districts, follow
ing the topography Of the land. Dem
yer city and county comprises one
separate district, the Platte valley
country another, the northwestern
western watershed. the counties of the
southwestern corner Of the state with
San Luis, Huerfano and Las Ami
mas: the Arkansas Valley counties;
FL Paso and counties to the east and
west. form other districts.
The law provides that the highway
advisory board shall meet twice .
year, and as many other times as the
Lgovernor may deem necessary. Three
men of the board are to be appointed
to terms of one year; two to three
years, and two to years. Then, as
terms expire, appointments are made
for three years. Any member can be
removed for cause.
THE new bill is certainly moro
workable After the budget is pre-
pared and the contracts have been let
the work is under the direct super
vision OF the highway engineer; 1t IL
up to him to push 1t thru. And he IL
kept In line in the matter Of secttonn
Expenditures by the provision of the
10 per cent deviation from the highway
boards budget recommendations.
THE big fight over the bill came
from the fact that there are at present
5000 miles of highway in the state
that are now state and county main
tanned. The friends of the one man
commission had it in mind to reduce
this to 1900 miles OF state maintained
roads, by turning 5000 miles back to
the counties. 1t was the fear that the
5000 miles remaining would be i'm
proved sectionally, in and around
Denver to the exclusion OF other sec
! tons of the state, that brought on the
, fight
The minimum salary bill for teach
. ers. the Senator stated, was another
5 important measure. As was the con
gressional reapportionment bill. tho
national guard and armory bills.
THE minimum salaries for teachers,
he stated. have been placed as fol
G lows: The minimum for any teacher
/ will be SIS a month. To teachers will