The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-02-23
HOUSE KILLS
BILL TO TAKE
LICENSE FEES

A,SVU IHIleS VI SrdulHS ana SUU ullcS
of gravc!ing already have been asked
construction next year. Even with
its present income, he said, the de-
partment is planning only 500 miles
each of grading and graveling.
Would Reduce Road Program
Since state expenditures are bal
anced by an equal amount Of fed
eral aid money, Lynch said, the re-
suit of the bill would be to reduce
the road program $1,52O,OOO during
the next two years.
Every county in the state has
numerous requests for roads on file
said, and warned the members that
if they voted for the transfer of
funds they will be held accountable
by their constituents. The president
has recommended to congress with
drawa1 of the federal aid money, he
said, and advised that North Dakota
make use of it while it is available.
BY their vote on the two-cent gaso-
line tax the people showed that they
are sold on the idea of good roads,
Lynch said, and charged that diver
sion of the money would be in di-
rect opposition to the mandate of the
people as expressed in the vote on
the gasoline tax.
Fred Ferris, Nelson county, said
he had been advised by his county
commissioners that they object to
the bill and would oppose it for that
reason.
Defending the plan advanced by
the appropriations committee, L. l..
Twichell, Cass county, majority
floor leader, said the diversion Of
money would not stop or even
aid roads and advanced figures to
tional money the highway depart
mcnt income would be sufficient to
meet all the federal aid money
available.
Twichell's Claim
Twichell said the people who voted
for the two-cent gasoline tax did
not have in mind the fact that the
highway department already was get
ting $650,0O0 year from the auto
mobile license department and point
ed out that if the money were left in
out that if the money were left in
the highway fund the highway de-
partment will have more money to
spend than the entire amount APP
propriated by the legislature at this
session. The figure, he said, would
be in excess Of $S,000,000 for the
He estimate $4,000, 900 from the
gasoline tax, S1,400,0OO from auto
mobile license fees, $2,5OO,OOO in fed
eral aid and additional appropria-
tions made by the legislature for the
operation Of the highway department
and the state bridge fund.
The people, Twchell said, were not
we'll advised when they passed the
two-cent gasoline tax law and SO
arranged matters that the legisla-
ture will have no control of the
money.
The federal aid money, he said,
pays most of the engineering costs
because the state highway depart
ment ''loads" most Of the engineer
ing charges onto the federal aid. The
reason, he said, is that the federal
government permits engineering
charges up to 10 per cent of the
total cost Of any project.
The plan offered by the depart
mcnt, he said, contemplates the cx-
penditure of $500 mile each year
for maintenance costs whereas two
years ago the maintenance charge
was only 70 cents a mile. The main
tenance expenditure has been loaded,
he said, to use up the money which
will not be needed to meet the fed
eral aid apportionment.
The agreement two years, ago,
Twichell said, was that the counties
should be relieved of their share Of
the cost of building roads when the
funds of the highway department
were increased.
He charged that the two-cent gaso-
line tax was "foistcd" upon the
people by highway department prop
uganda in an effort to rid itself of
legislative control and that the high
way department has been running
unbridled and spending state money
without any semblance of control.
No one opposed the two-cent gaso-
line tax, he said, because it was
popular with the people. He explained
that he was managing the Independ-
ent campaign at the time it was be-
ing considered and did nothing re-
garding it, although he would have
opposed it had it not been for the
fact that he was otherwise engaged.
Commenting on the charge that the
bill would ''loot" the highway de-
partment, Twichell said the highway
fund as conceived by the people is
the money received from the gaso-
line tax and knew nothing about
the money received from automo-
bile licenses.
Would Exceed Rights
II. +. SWEET, Kidder county, said
the people had only one thing in
cent gasoline tax and that was their
willingness to tax themselves for
good roads. The legislature, he said,
has no right to divert the money and
alleged that the term ''loot" was
the only one applicable. 3
Watt commended that the people
were not informed when they voted
for the two-cent gasoline tax, that
they were prOpagandized by the
highway department and had no
chance to resist the proposal.
The question, he said, is either to
slow up on road building and give
the state institutions the money they
need or let the highway department
continue uncurbed at the expense of
other state departments and institu-
tions. The legislature, he said,
should endeavor to take care of all
the needs of the state, giving the
real needs of all departments as
much consideration as possible.
]. M. Thompson, Burleigh county,
pointed out that surveys for 100
miles Of road have already been COM
pleted and suggested that the sur
veyors could be let off until the de-
partment caught up with the work
already before it. The highway de-
partment, he said, reminded him of
team of young horses which his
farm hand had 'hitched up. The
man, he said, forgot to keep hold of
the lines and the inevitable hap
pened."
A motion. by SWEET that the bill
be recommended for passage with
out the amendment carried, 43 to Al.
When the committee of the whole
rcnorted to the house in formal