Show UTAH OFFICIAL PROTESTS ROAD BUREAU CHANGE CHANCE State Highway Head Lodges Objections to Proposed Federal Move Protest against the breaking up of the federal bureau of public roads was lodged in congress Wednesday by Henry H. H Blood chairman of the Utah state highway commission and member member mem mem- ber of the committee on administration tion of the American Association of State Highway Officials Mr Bloods Blood's protest was supported by his colleagues on the Utah tah highway high high- wa va way commission Mr Bloods Blood's action followed advice from C. C M. M Babcock highway en engineer engineer engineer en- en for Minnesota and chairman of or orthe the committee of administration of the association that house r resolution No now pending provides for forthe forthe the work of the bureau of public roads to be turned over to the engineering corps of the United States army We have no objection to lo the transferring transferring trans trans- ferring erring of the bureau of public roads from one department to another If such a thing is deemed advisable In Inthe Inthe inthe the reorganization of federal departments departments depart depart- ments Mr Blood said We do re request request request re- re quest however that the identity of the bureau be maintained If the bureau bureau bureau bu bu- bu- bu reau could be picked up bodily and placed in another department say the department of public works the states could have no objection OUT OF TilE THE QUESTION It is simply out of the question to take the important functions of the bureau of p public roads and turn them over to another organization The bureau of public roads has been working for 16 years and has reached a high state of perfection There is not another bureau In the fed federal ral government which performs its tasks better belter than docs does this bureau The highway departments of 48 states have been built up largely to mesh in with the workings of the federal federal federal fed fed- eral organization and any change in system now now will mean that tha-t each of f the 48 states stales will have to adjust itself to lo new conditions At the end of January this year the bureau had supervised the spending spending spending spend spend- ing of of federal money in in highway building To this must be added actually billions of dollars of state money which was spent in co cooperation cooperation cooperation co- co operation with the federal program The federal aid system in this country takes in miles of road and on January 31 this year just miles of this s system stem had been completed Congress can have no just complaint with the operations of the bureau of public roads and certainly the states have been well pleased in their relations with the bureau SHOULD RETAIN IDENTITY Neither the Utah highway commission commission commission commis commis- sion nor the American Association A of ol State Highway Officials is attempting to stop any constructive reorganization tion of public departments department But we wedo wedo wedo do feel reel that whatever er change may be necessary good highway management demands that the bureau of public roads maintain its identity and that It retain its relationship with the several several several sev sev- eral state highway organizations Mr Blood who is a former president president president dent of the national association and for several years president of the Western Association of St State te Highway Officials said he would keep in close touch with officials of the national organization and with Z E. E of Wyoming president of the western association His suggestions in the matter have been sent to lo Utah's members members members mem mem- bers of congress |