The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-03-06
Senate Accepts Committee Mi.
nority Report q to n in
+
Thursday Battle
STAGED EXTENSIVE DEBATE
Would Go to Governor Should
Body Pass Measure on
Sessions Last Day

Sessions Last Day
A bill providing for construction OF
q bridge across the Missouri river at
the Big Bend, southeast Of Garrison.
was on the senate calendar for action
during the last-minute rush Friday.
A majority of the senate commit
tee on roads and bridges recommend
ed that the bill be killed but the SEN
ate rejected this plan and adopted a
minority recommendation that the
bill pass. The vote was q to 20.
The Nonpartisan senate minority
went solidly for the measure and was
joined by five I. v. A. Solons. They
were Walter Bond, Minot; William
Martin Of Morton: H. A. Field,
Wahpeton; F. T. Gronvold, Rugby,
and T. N. Putnam, Darlington.
Passage by the senate will put the
matter up to Governor George F.
Shafer, since the bill, offered by
Rep. Gottlieb 1saak of Dunn county,
already has passed the house.
. Subject of N of the most extern
sive debates of the session, the bridge
was attacked and supported In a dis
cussion that several times became
tinged with bitterness.
A majority of the committee on
highways and bridges recommended
the measure be indefinitely postpon-
! ed, but this request failed. after which
the senate first took up the minority
| recommendation for passage and
adopted the report. The vote In COM
Ihittee wa seven In favor OF. post
porement, and six for passage.
Eastgate Makes Reports
The bill came before the senate
when j. E. Eastgate, chairman Of the
highways and bridges committee.
turned in the two committee reports.
The majority report was signed by
Senators Lynn Sperry, Burleigh, A.
F. Bonner, Richland, S. J.. Atkins,
1owner, E. w. Jones, Mercer Oliver
Dunn, j. K. Poupore, Grand Forks
and Chairman Eastgate. all I. v. AS.
The minority report was signed by
Gust Wog, Billings, DR.. E. G. Stucke.
Mclean, Anton Larson, Emmons-
Kidder, j. K. B%rostuen, Mckenzie,
and l.. o. Fredrickson, Nelson. all
Nonpartisans.
AS o as the committee reports
were submitted Senator j. p. Cain of
Stark county moved q call of the sen
ate and all members were found to
be present.
Chairman Eastgate then moved
that the majority report be adopted,
and DR.. Stucke, as a substitute mo-
ton, moved that the report OF the
minority recommending the bill Tor
passage be adopted.
Debate on the measure was opened
by Senator Cain, who declared
that this senate Is now called upon
to decide whether you are going to
build roads for the next two years
or whether you are going to build
one bridge" q
Sees Harm TO Roads
IF this bill passed and becomes q
law, it will take $800,000 or more out
| Of the road fund, or that much money
that could be used for building
roads," Senator Cain said.
with the amount OF money used
for this bridge. together with the
amount we appropriate, there will be
approximately $800.000 devoted to the
construction of the bridge.
with this amount, we could build
400 miles Of earth graded roads or 200
miles Of graded and graveled roads.
There is q bill before this body
calling for taking q large sum out OF
the bridge fund to be used tor build
ing highways, but it has not been act
ed upon for the reason that II this
bridge bill does not pass. the amount
to be transferred can be increased
over and above the amount now pro-
posed.
rs it OF more benefit to the people
| Of this state that 100000 be used for
| the purpose Of constructing one
bridge, or that 1t be scattered over
the state in completing our highway
system?
"The site Of this proposed bridge
Is not upon any federal or state aid
road It Is not wen located upon
any laid out highway. It Is the first
time, to my knowledge, that 1t has
even been proposed that . bridge be
located upon q site where there Is no
state o. federal aid highway.
Says Mercer Opposed
"The people Of Mercer county and
| the officers Of that county say they
cannot and viii not pay any money
toward the construction Of this
bridge. The county commissioners
have said they win not join In the
building Of the bridge.
Are we going to force upon the
people that do not want the bridge
the obligation Of paying one-half Of
the $177,000 which must come from
Mercer and Mclean counties?"
Senator Cain then cited the fact
that the present legislature had re-
Gently voted to appropriate $4,000 for
preliminary work on the construction
Of = bridge across the Missouri ct
Ebowoods, west Of the big Bend"
site, the remainder Of the cost Of
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