The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-11-17
Against State Highway System
Under State Department.
Refuse to Endorse State High
way System Programs.
ASK ROAD LAW AMENDMENT
Want Auto License Funds
Turned Over to Them.
County Engineers Differ From
Commissioners on Law.


A disorganized. piecemeal. haphaz-
ard agglomeration of mud roads in
Kansas suits the majority of the coun-
ty commissioners of the state better
than an articulated state highway sys-
tenn, SO long as the county commits
sioners can cling to the control of the
state aid fund derived from the au-
tomobile license fee.
Kansas may stay in the mud indefi-
nitely, so far as the commissioners are
concerned, if a state highway system
built and maintained by the state and
controlled by a state highway depart
ment is the only remedy for the con-
ditfon, Kansas may continue to pay
her share of taxes into the federal aid
road funds and forfeit any participa-
ton in that federal aid, rather than
that the commissioners shall lose their
hold on the money of the motorists,
they are determined.
1t is estimated that there is now ac-
cumulated in the treasures of the
various counties of the state. between
$2.0O0,O0O and $S,Q00,000 of this au-
tomobile license money which cannot
be expended for any purpose under
the existing road law, and it will con-
tinue to accumulate at the rate Of
about $1,500,000 per year.
Turn Down State System.
The commissioners made their at
titude plain at the last session of the
Kansas Official Council IN Topeka
all suggestions of state system, voted
to continue to receive federal aid so
long as they can controI its Gisposi-
ton, and declined to approve the plan
of the Kansas Automobile Owners as
sociation for a state highway system.
They took the action after having
had explained to them. painstalSingly.
the federal road aid law which makes
administration of federal road aid
necessary function of a state highway
department, and not of county gov
ernment.
After NJ. w. Watson, state highway
engineer. and E. J. Heckle, secre-
tary of the Kansas Automobile own
ers' association, had spent the greater
part of Thursday telling the commis-
sioners how the automobile license
funds could be used without any ad-
ditional cost whatever to the payers
of personal property taxes. Charley
e. Scott, a county commissioner from
Rawlins county, got a Vocfferous round
of applause when he declared that
ne didn't want to go back to his
constituents after having voted for
approval of something which would
add to the burden of taxation of the
already overburdened Kansas farmer"
Want Auto Funds.
In a resolution presented by the
legislative committee OF the County
Commissioners association, the cons
mtssioners demanded the amendment
of the present alleged state aid road
law so that the state aid fund" will
be wholly at the disposal of the COM
missioners.
The resolution, which was signed by
j. H. Burnett, chairman of the com
mittee, and William Washburn, its Sec
retary, was as follows:
I'VE recommend the amending of
the state aid road law as follows: Ali
funds now on hand from automobile
license fees known as the state aidN
road fund, be released to the boards
of county commissioners in the county
where said funds originated, to bs
spent in building county roads within
the county at the discretion of the
board of commissioners.
That all funds derived from the
same source in the future be imme-
diately placed at the disposal of the
county commissioners to be used in
the bsilding of country roads"
Scott, who led the attack on the
automobile owners association and its
program declared that before he voted
for a resolution approving it's objects
and purposes, he wanted to know
whether 1t Is branch of the state
highway commissions office" A. A.
Rodgers, county commissioner OF
Shawnee county and a director OF the
association, invited Scott to tell the
commissioners what the state highs
way commission had recently uncov-
cred in Rawlins county, of which Scott
is commissioner, and assured him
that there is no connection between
the office of the state highway COM
mission and the Kansas AutomobiIe
Owners' association.
Sco0 was appointed a commissioner
following The oust.ng of the former
board of commissioners of RawIins
county as the result of information on
read construction which was un-
earthed by the state highway commis-
sion, and was reelected at the last
election.
Responding to Rodgers's invitation
to tell the commissioners what the
highway commission had done for
Rawlins county, Scott said, they have
co-operated with us. of course. and
we have been greatly benefited by
them"
Not Opposed To Commission.
I'm not opposed to the highway
commission, but 1 do say that they
have too much power, and their pow
ers should be delegated to the county
commissioners When they take away
our right to say where roads shall be
built in our counties. they bring about
taxation without representation"
Scott was not deferred from making
the statement by the fact that Wat
son had explained to the commissions
ers that the state highway commis-
sion has no initiatory powers what
ever, and is limited to the authority to
approve plans prepared by the county
commissioners.
THE tax payers league got busy
suited in the ousting OF the Rawlins
county commissioners" Scott de-
cIared. He charged that the state