Decorah public opinion., 1923-02-07
Iowa General Assembly Busy With
Many Proposals for Iowa Roads
With Various Changes
Suggested
FEDERAL AID
THRESHED OUT
A Number of Bills Have Been Sent
to the Governors Office for
His Signature.


laws in such particulars as might be
| necessary.
1T appears to this department
| that while the certificate for the rea-
sons given, could not be accepted
and approved for transmittal TO the
secretary of the treasury, a finding
might be made that the state CT
Iowa had complied with the provis-
ions of the federal highway act inso-
far as its existing constitution and
laws will permit and that the depart
ment therefore might continue to ap-
prove projects for the period speci-
fed by law five years. from No
vember 9, 1921.
1T is suggesed that steps should
be taken promptly 30 have the exist
ing laws of the state changed 50 as
10 enable il 20 meet the requirements
of the federal highway act on or
| before the expiration of the period
during which this department is au-
thorized by law to continue to ap-
prove projects, thus permitting
continuance of federal aid co-opera-
tion thereafter"
To this, the governor replied:
81 am in receipt of your letter, and
| frankly | was amazed at its contents.
| Of course the failure of Iowa 10 en-
act suitable legislation 20 cooper
| ate with the federal government in
| the construction of highways was
| from inadvertence or oversight.
will proceed at once 10 have the diff
| iculty corrected by the next general
assembly
Several months later Mr.. Wallace
wrote supplementary letter in
| which he said
1T would appear that the Iowa law
in reality gives the state highway
commission no autho rity whereby IL
may compel the maintenance of a
federal aid project improved by grad
| ing and draining, or by placing
| thereon a surfacing of gravel FOR oil.
= Further consideration recently
| given the Iowa law discloses that the
maintenance provisions is even less
adequate 10 meet the requirements
of the federal highway act than was
thought at the time the earlier letter
was prepared"
There is no dispute 'as to what
these Wallace letters mean. Iowa
now, in the matter of federal aid, is
Der 9, 1926 to bring her laws into
conformity with the federal statute,
and if at the expiration of that per-
| iod the changes have not been made,
federal aid will cease. The changes
| that must be made are TO give the
state highway commission initiatorS
authority as to the kind of paving
that shall be put on federal aid
roads, and 10 give the commission
similar authority over the mainten-
ance of these roads, once built
Both the Fackler and Patterson
bills were held by their opponents,
and even admitted by some of their
friends, to be set in an opposite dir
ection. As to the Fackler bill there
was no quarrel with any of its speci-
fic provisions. The state highway
commission has recommended that
primary road rights of ways TO pur-
chased from primary road funds. But
the clause that permitted the expend-
diture of primary road money for
any purpose upon which boards of
supervisors and the highway COM
mission could agree, was contested.
The point made was not that these
expenditures would not be sufficient
ly safeguarded, but that this blank
ct provision introduced an uncertain
and variable element into the law.
1t was held that the federal high
way commission may rule that the
expenditure of federal money by any
state be completely regulated by
specific enactment. II was not argu-
ed that loose practices would creep
into proceedings begun by county
boards and o. KID by the highway
commission, but that the federal road
officers might not be able, under the
federal law, to take into account any,
thing except the written law of the
state.
No one tried TO argue that the
Patterson bill was not a step back
ward from federal aid. 1t makes
federal aid projects subject to re-
vocation later. One of the reasons
that Mr.. Wallace turned down Iowa's
certificate was that "the highway
commission would be powerless to
effect pavement without action on
the part of the boards of supervis-
ors or a vote of the people" The
Patterson bill would make even ac-
ton by the boards of supervisors or
the people inconclusive.
The house today, therefore, instead
of going toward compliance with the
federal road law, is backing away
from it. This is not said as a
criticism; perhaps the Iowa peo-
pie want 20 abandon federal aid.
With the Fackler and Patterson laws
on the Iowa statute books, there Is
even some doubt that our probation
would continue until 1926. for the
reason that the federal highway de-
partment mighty logically rule that
Iowa no longer had complied with
the federal act insofar as its con-
stitution and laws permit, as those
laws stood on November 0, 1921.
There l. now available for Iowa
about eight million dollars OF federal
, aid MONEY According 10 a complrt-
alton by c. D. Curtis, assistant chief
Of the feieral bureau Of public roads,
Iowa contributes IN federal taxes To-
; ward ifst eieh' mpl.Ons. total of
i FF4t. -