| Show tah ah Houses Blast oad Unit for i las as as' Tax Pressure 13 3 Senators Senator Denounce ce Commission I For Curtailing Maintenance r PATRICK R. R ECKMAN Postponing consideration of all bills both houses of the Thursday took time out to fire lire a barrage of criticism he he state road commission for Cor what was termed an attempt to tog Ig fiig g press pressure re on ort the legislature to increase the gasoline tax shortly after the senate cond con- con d Thursday morning three waters tors tor took the floor on personal f and joined in denouncing curtail all but regular sice ce ann announcement a u nee men t issued edn b by Ray H. H Leavitt d commission chairman to er ef Engineer Roy W W. 1811 all district engineers This is merely a move t to ti com com- legislature to enact an gasoline tax said Sen t thell R. R Grand first ator to speak L i Fund Not Cut The e road commission l lation tion was not cut or curtailed d dit it will receive every ery cent from funds he added Sen cn also threw a barb at v V. V Herbert B. B Maw when he ted I If It Gov Maw hadn't op op- Bed d the legislature so bitterly the thc publicity and industrial de- de department fight he gut have been more successful his his recommendations for the i ased gas tax Gen Sen en Ward Wara C. C Holbrook CD D. D DaK Da- Da 4 K cochairman of the na us 5 committee next took the theor theor theor or clUng citing figures he said dis- dis Mr Leavitts Leavitt's contentions it the appropriations bill would the tho commissions commission's n program Based on the gas tax collection the past six months the reve- reve B for the next biennium is esti- esti at 1266 1000 1000 he said li h toe road commission was budget budget- yat tat it with the differ differ- a m matter of being seated for road construction constructionS I roses S 9 Add to that a plus pius on hand plus fc federal deral cred- cred of f and it looks likey like y iy have flU ill the money they d d. d II Mr ir Leavitts news release was oily any out of line and the curtail- curtail nt rit Instruction merely a smoke i in cen en n Sen Holbrook continued I if reality the road commission has become aware that q legislators have been watching idle r.-idle idle men Hie rhe final was delivered by 1 iB B. B Manning Jolley R. R Utah urman man of the appropriation sub sub- on the road commis- commis who termed the crux of the nation was the road commisa's commis- commis a's as 3 resentment at being placed placeda a budget jr i. i Instructs Engineers n his Instructions to commis- commis n engineers Mr Leavitt warned TO t not to expend any addi- addi aal Ral funds whatsoever for state i L Ld l construction betterment ape ape- jobs or for any purpose r than regular maintenance ne commission feels it iy ly necessary to take this dras- dras action cUon because when the main- main nee nce budget has been used up is ls all the money that there is for that particular item Better concluded J Leavitts Leavitt's remarks a n. pitched battle in Chouse house se seith with ith house Democrats Ing to Mr Leavitts Leavitt's defense lie le Republicans ns were blasting curtailed budget remarks HP p.- p. Mark Paxton R. R Millard M It See Pago 7 Column 1 louses Blast V Road Unit br or Gas Tax Pressure Continued from rage Page One Irman n of ot the house highways ltee and a member of the theat thet at t appropriation committee hed the fuse soon after the theon theon don on convened SIng on on personal privilege p. p Paxton cited figures to show I road commission could fully ch h federal funds and still have havee e money for state road con- con action cUon in 1947 1 than was used 1946 It S accused the road commis- commis of f issuing a misleading I Cement because they resent be- be tied mediately he was was challenged Rep Erastus T. T Gardner D D. Washington who accused Rep Paxton of ot arriving at t his total revenue by using overoptimistic over over- overoptimistic over over- optimistic figures Then in rapid succession Hous House Majority Leader Rep Clifton C C. M. M Kerr R. R Box Elder and Rep Reuel E. E Christensen R. R Sanpete Sanpete Sanpete San San- pete chairman house appropriation tion committee rose to point ou out that Mr Leavitt had been permitted permUted permit permit- ted to present his views before th the appropriations committee Rep Kerr said Mr Leavitt could not make any recommendations when asked for them At that time said Rep Christensen Mr Leavitt Leavit told him Im not a tax collector collector collector tor Im I'm a tax spender We Ve took him at his word Rep Christensen continued and se set his department under a budget Then on request of Rep Val Va ValE E E. E Johnson R. R Utah Rep Paxton Paxton Paxton Pax Pax- ton revealed details of a highway committee hearing at the first of oC the session when a move was under way to remove the road commission from finance department department depart depart- depart I. ment control At that time Rep Paxton re recalled recalled re- re re-I re called both Mr Leavitt and Gorton Gorton Gorton Gor Gor- GorI I ton Taylor Hyde then finance commission chairman met with the committee to present their views Mr Leavitt Rep Paxton re re- re claimed he was waa hamstrung by the finance departments department's supervision supervision supervision super super- vision and as an example told o oa of ofa a truck purchase in March 1946 which although approved by th the governor in iri the absence of ot a fi finance finance fi- fi nance commissioner later was denied de de- deI de- I nied by the commission at a lo loss to the truck dealer I At that time tune Rep Paxton said I Mr Hyde sal that on March 14 1946 1046 he received a purchase order for 10 30 trucks at each cach which he discovered had been delivered I Ion on telegraphed orders of March Marc 4 4 and March 5 nearly 10 days day before the tiie requisition was sent to the finance department I am making no inference from this Rep Paxton said aid but th the commission on this large an order would amount to from to 2 Jumping Into the debate House Minority Leader Mrs C C. L. L Jack D D. Sal Lake demanded of Rep Paxton whether he was inferring the road commission slon or the fi finance finance finance fi- fi nance commission was crooked I 1 am not inferring either ither I am just stating both sides of the story and anyone can Cin draw his own conclusions conclusions con con- elusions Rep Paxton answered Well Vell replied Mrs Jack I 1 think its it's a good smear story And so 80 ended the road commission commission commission commis commis- sion incident |
