The Winslow mail., 1925-07-31
GOVERNOR HUNT
DEFENDS STATE
ROAD DEPARTMENT.

wv 0COl " AAuAAN' h1o VA -
of the principal speakers at the
convention of the state boards of
supervisors held Monday at Doug
las, presented the following facts
on state highway construction and
the difficulties encountered by the
department during the last few
years:
There has been a great deal
said and printed about highway af-
fairs and highway management by
men who have given little thought
or study to the subject. 1 think
you will agree that ever since
money has been spent in building
highways in this country, there has
been criticism of those who have
been empowered by law to spend
the money. That statement ap-
plies with equal effect when we
built the roads for horse-drawn We
hicIes and for the modern roads.
I'VE hear a great deal at the
present time about taking the Ari-
zona highway department out of
politics. But none of the critics
advance any theory by which it can
be done.
Some propose a highway COM
mission. Numerous states now
have highway commissions, every
one of which is subject to criti-
cism, every one of which is sub
ject to political harassment from
the opposition. Not a single one,
so far as 1 have been able to deter
mine, has been free from criticism
or free from the charge made by
their opponents that they are
wasteful extravagant, arbitrary,
and, in many cases, the ugly word
graft is used in discussing such
administrations.
I've have had highway commits
Sions in this state which have ham
died the highway affairs of vari-
Gus counties for periods of time.
If there is a single highway COM
mission that served in the state of
Arizona that was free from criti-
cism by it's opponents l would
like to know who it was.
Following the shutdown in the
copper industry, following the war,
a panicky situation was created in
this state. An organization was
formed by many of the large en-
ployers of the state, who set out to
place the control of the govern
ment of this state under the domi-
nation of the large employing in
terests. You will. recall that they
undertook to amend the cOnstitu-
tion and to take control of the gov
ernment out of the hands of the
people and vest that control in the
legislature. You will recall that
these constitutional amendments
were defeated.
The same session of the legis-
lature that passed these cOnstitu-
tional amendments put through
what is termed a financial code and
the state budget law, possibly in
themselves excellent laws, and de-
signed in theory to keep closer su-
perviSiOn and check over state eX-
penditures, but the attempt has
been to pervert them in practice
and use them in an attempt to de-
pTive the executive and admins
trative officers of the state of the
authority and control over their Of
fices and vest the authority in the
legislature, which by merely neg
lecting to appropriate the neces-
sary funds to maintain and carry
on the work provided by law for
such officials the legislature would
nullify and wipe out the depart
ment. irrespective of the law re-
naming in effect.
'"AS an illustration: | do not be
lieve the legislature would have
had the temerity to attempt to re-
peal the vocational education law,
yet by subterfuge and without dis
cussion, almost, they failed to ap-
propriate for this department and
an attempt was made to nullify the
law by this means.
Not content with the financial
code and the budget law and the
power they give the legislature
over the control of state eXpendi-
lures. an effort was made in the
last legislature to enact law TO
create what was termed a state
comptroller, to be appointed by the
senate for a term of six years. who
would have absolute control over
the expenditure of all state money.
He could deny the payment OF
claims for expenditures made by
state officials, elected by the peo-
pie. This man would be RESPONSE
BILE to no one for siX-year term
except a majority of the members
of the state senate, which would be
in session only for periods Of sixty
days every two years. An attempt
was made to pass this bill (Which
would deprive the elected state Of
ficials, chosen by the people. of
much of the authority vested in
them by the constitution and laws
and make them puppets of the leg
islature and anxious to grant
fayors in return for apprOpria-