The Bismarck tribune., 1929-02-09
EXTRAVACANCE and
WASTE IS CHARGED
TO FOOLISH rules
-"

Present Arguments for q
~
One Man Commission
Nss
new GAS TAX BILL READY
Bill Cutting Bridge Funds AftsG
1891 Is Recommended for \
Passage by Committee !;
Organization and operation Of tho
state highway department wero
| grtlled at . meeting OF the senate
highway committee today.
Senator A. +. Bonner. r.. Of Lidger-
wood. was the principal chef In tha
grtlltng operations and he was aided
BY Senator Joseph r. Poupore os
Grand Forks.
The matter under considerakion
was Bonser's bill to throw the present
highway organization into the discard
ana place operations under the con.
troll OF one man. to be appointed ~
the governor, with the governor ana
state auditor - supervising members
OF the commission.
Reciting the financial strineencv
now faced by the department, hon.
1er charged that 1t u partly due q
ine1fictency In managing the states
road building business. He asserted
that one-man commission would
increase the efficiency by one-third
ana enable the 5tate to build more
roads with less money.
Gas Tax Bill Seen ~
In connection with this phase az
the highway situation It became
known today that another bin 20 in.
crease the state gasoline tax NAV s.
presented In the legislature with q
least the tacit support Of the admin
istration.
The Watt bill to increase the case.
line tax one cent and give the add.
tlonal revenue to the counties cana
IN yesterday. The proposed bill would
add still another cent and the rev
enue would 60 to the state highway
department. This would be intended
70 maintain the building program g
something like the present rate 81
speed. Unless something Is done 70
increase the highway depastment,s
revenue, analysis Of its report for
1929 shows. new construction win be
practically at . standstill by 1880.
Senator Bonner today asserted that
the department will have only enough
money in 1929 to build roads carried
over from 1928 and to build, Ia eddi-
ton. 55 miles Of earth grading. 36s
miles Of graveling, and less than :
mile Of paving.
'Foolish Regulations
Senator Poupore charged thst
foolish regulations" by the highway
department have greatly increased
bodybuilding costs and that contrac-
tors are raising their bids to take
care Of the cost Of ''saud-paperine"
roads as demanded by the highway
He Is 4 former member
of the state highway commission ana
= former member OF the Grand Forka
county commission.
Poupore cited one road which. he
said, cost the state $500 : mile.
whereas the county built roads Lead
Ing into It for $500 Z mile. TIA,
county roads, he said, were Is coed
Dr better than the state roads.
Poupore said that contractors;
knowing the policy Of the department..
u demanding compliance with "fool-
lsh specifications. have increased
their bids out Of all proportion To-!
what the roads should cost In ordorI
10 meet this situation. He cited somo|
Instances which had como TO ~
knowledge to support his contention.
Inefficiency Cited
Bon2er related tnstances Of alleged
lnefficiency by the engineering stafeI
of the highway department to SUM
port his claim that q one-man come
mission would cure the states road-l
Ills.
The committee decided to ask tb6i
highway commission to appear q. ri
future meeting and present its sidol
u the question.
The Atkins bin, cutting In half thu
AMOUNT which win be ret aside 1or
bridges annually after 1881, was rec-
Tor passage. At present
$4,000 from motor vehicle licenses
Ioes into the bridge fund annually,
After 1881 the Atkins bill would r.
luce this 10 466,O00 q year. He soid
i would slow up the bridee-building
program somewhat tut would poemib
me major bridge every two year5. ]
rne money VIII b Of more use -
>Q1< H. =. - 8