Arizona republican., 1922-02-02
The Highway commisison

ne Highway Commission
The activities of the county highway commits
sion have been suspended by litigation at cost Of
something more than $1,000 day. including interest
on the highway bonds and the overhead expense Of
the commission. We not, though, criticizing the
officers who have instituted this litigation for if
there is any serious doubt as to the status OF the
commission it is essential that it be resolved
But the thing the people want to know is that
the attitude Of the board Of supervisors to the com
mission Is not one Of hostility and that whatever
be the result of the litigation, the present commits
sion will be left in charge Of the county program
until it has been completed
When the last bond issue was voted the people
voted it with the understanding that the proceeds
were to be administered by the then existing
mission winch was the as the present one with
single exception, one member afterward resigning
Not only did the Of the commissioners appear
on the ballot but just before the election firm of
able and reputable attorneys made public an opinion
that the county highway law authorized the admin
istraton Of the proceeds the proposed bond issue
BY that commission.
The people then expressed their confidence in
the commission, and every act of the commission
since then tended confirm popular confidence
Even then, though, there was some opposition to
the commission, based, however no frankly stated
grounds on no openly stated grounds
It was charged by some that the commissioners
committed to single type of paving That
not fact and was a fact. 1t will be
recalled that before the first contract awarded
it widely suspected that the commission was
committed to wholly different type. If the
mission had preference for any type it wisely
concealed It in order that competition might not be
discouraged More recently the commissioners have
definitely stated that the commission is impartial
Its advertisements for bids for the completion OF the
program recognizes four types, and assurance is
given that bidders each will be accorded fair and
impartial treatment Knowing the character OF the
members of the commission the people DO, that
assurance must be accepted guaranty.
we will now disclose something that to many,
not to ALL is secret. Tne real opposition
in some quarters the commission is not because of
its commitment to any type of paving, but because
it is NOT, committed certain type. II the attempt
last spring to replace the commission had
ceeded we would then have known Immediately
precisely what type we would have under the
bond issue. The bidders, too, would have known and
there would have been real competition. Such q
replacement would have cost the taxpayers Of this
county many hundreds OF thousands of dollars.
A replacement now, though the new commission
might be composed OF fair impartial intelligent
men, would be only lessened disaster. They would
have to learn all the present commissioners have
learned The splendid engineering organization Of
the present commission would displaced and there
would be a long and costly delay Of highway
struction. Already, the notice that the commission
issued month ago that it would call for bids has
attracted enough bidders to insure keen competition
some of these bidders would assume, rightly
wrongly, in the event OF the appointment Of a new
commission, that they would be barred and they
from he field leaving o
other bidders who would feel restraint in fixing
the cost.
Under the present commission there has been
avery nossible conservation of the taxpayers money
The commissioners felt their slowly, so slowly
a. first that they were criticized somewhat, but all
the time they were avoiding costly blunders. But
once sure OF their ground they moved rapidly in
,ba execution of the greatest county road program
q, tbe United states the result far has been
b construction Of 14O miles Of paved highway which
~rerts from all parts of the country have declared
- he unsurpassed. 1t is wnoder that the people
.nard that the completion OF the program be left to
euch commission
The commission has fought the cement assoca-
49,, d the railroads the last cent OF the peoples
lust as the earlier days it fought bidders and
,uuoa down bid after bid which it believed to be
.na.xve No public money was ever more honestly
- .,0,ciouslv expended than the nearly 100000
- has PASSED through the hands of the com
mission. .,- ..,,
4.t,, +1,e taxpayers il they will let them know at
~, earliest moment that whatever the status OF the
on,roission at present may be determined by the
court to be- the present COMMISSION 9N'N 'O4ipi0'e
the program
e.nG4isL Cardinal