The border vidette., 1927-04-23
WHAT is FOR ARIzoNAs eooD7
(Arizona Republican,

The minority in the legislature
opposing House Bill 127. the
state highway bill vetoed by the
governor, is made up of two
elements-the blind followers of
the a ministration who stand re
udy TO accede to any demand Of
the governor. We have no doubt
that if the governor should ask
it, this element would favor an
amendment to the constitution,
lodging the functions of the le.
gislative and judicial branches
of the government in him.
There is, though, another class
on Legislators in the minority as
to highway legislation. who will
support the governor because
they are hopeless of any high
way legislation not acceptable to
him. They believe that-highway
legislation must be carried on his
terms, or not at all. Apparently
in this class are some who pro
claim that they are not concern.
ed in the quarrel between the
governor and his opponents but
are for Arizona, "and that high.
way construction must go on.
There is no use to labor with
the governors blind followers.
Argument can be carried on,
with any prospect of profitable
result, only with the honest pro
ponents of the good ofArizona. ;"
So that becomes the issue.
Is it good for Arizona and its
taxpayers, who, by the way are
all of the people of Arizona,
whether property owners or not,
that a very large sum of money
should be placed at the disposal
of the state highway department.,
a comparatively small part of it
to be given to actual road build
ing and maintenance, and a very
large part thrown to the winds
in partisan and factional political
campaigns?
Is it good for Arizona that the
people should be compelled to
raise year after year, uuder the
guise of state hig ghway fund for
the perpetuation of this regime?
Is it for the good of Arizona that
the money which ought to be
spent on highways should be
spent in maintaining an outrage.
Gus overhead. in the employment
of a horde of political workers
and the maintenance of scores of
automobiles for their use in polit
ical activities?
The money of the state high
way department which goes into
actual highway construction and
maintenance may be compared
with a sailors description of the
sailors share of prize money.
Said be: We divide the prize.
money by sitting it through a
ladder; what sticks to the rungs
we sailors get what goes through
is the officers" So, what of
the highway fund may not be
needed for political activities
may be employed ia highway
building and maintenance.
It is of far greater Importance
for the good of Arizona to break
up this system either by the sub
stition at once of a business-like
system, or else by the violent
strangulation Of the present sys
TEN. The majority in the iegis
lature is apparently not quite
strong enough to accomplish the
the first, but it is within it's pow
er to accomplish the later. That,
of course, would involve some
inconvenience, some sacrifice,
but the annihilations of the pres.
ent political machine would be
worth whatever sacrifice on the
part of the people it may cost.
Nor must the fact be overlooked
that the governor would have
made the sacrifice necessary by
his rejection of a bill for the ad
equate operation of a non part
isan business like highway sys.
tenn.
Aut with the strangulation of
the present system the ground
would be cleared for a real high
way department which circunst.
ances would force upon the state
"a system under which every
dollar of the highway funds
would purchase a dollars worth