Show fAR EAR CHAMBER y SESSIONS y y 1 k r. r C t AT e CAPITOL 1 y 1 IN SECRET MEETINGS ROAD COMMISSION AUTHORIZES SPENDING IMMENSE SUMS By Vincent J. J Keating chamber sessions those relics of tile the dark ages in STAR states whereby officials are moved to speak their minds freely and to act accordingly with tile the assurance that their words and works will never come to light except in the sparse spare details that are given to the press and through it to the public have come into being a again ain at the Utah state capitol The first of the state commissions to kick over the traces and declare for sessions behind closed doors is the state road commission composed of Governor Simon Bamberger Harden Bennion secretary of state Dan B. B Shields attorney atto general Joseph Ririe tate state auditor and George F. F McGonagle state engineer The resolution dEclaring tor lor executive executive tive sessions upon motion ot of Mr Shields and seconded b by Mr Ririe lUrie adopted by the commission was passed a at t a mEeting of the commission March I 19 but It was not until agreements had bEen reachEd behind closed doors as to the tho spending ot of more than ot of the peoples people's monEy that the I wordIng of the resolution or even the tact fact ot of Its existence was made known by the state road commIssion I TEXT OF RESOLUTION The wording of thE resolution as asI disclosed by the minutes ot of the state road commission follows I Be It resolvEd by the state road commission HerEafter when petition or rEquests for Improvement or ANY ANYO O T H E R MATTER T SUBMITTED B t rl ii WI WILL t REQUIRE UI ACTION 1 OF THE TIIE STATE ROAD COMMISSION COMMIS- COMMIS SION A VOTE UPON ANY SUCH PROPOSITION BE HAD AFTER THE TIIE l IA MATTER HAS BEEN DEEX FULLY Y CONSIDERED BY TIlE TIIE COMMISSION COM IN SESSiON SES- SES SiON The effect ot of the resolution Is to preclude the commission from flOm giving any decIsIon to in open court Public hearings will be held as usual and both sides heard but when it comes time for a decision to be reached or a contra t t h b a a d e d th h Comm Ia s- s sion i must c o go int e into w executive r tl a session s t to discuss the proposition and to vote upon it behind closed doors Then the report will be Passed by the commission com com- mission or Refused by the commission commis- commis sion or the Contract awarded by bythe bythe the commissIon or vice versa without without with with- out any record of the vote beIng made public The resolution was passed b by bythe the commission to enable the members to discuss propositions lons more thoroughly thorough thorough- ly and to arrive at a decision without being hindered by a crowd in the meeting according to harden Bennion Bennion Ben Ben- nion secretary ot of state DENNION BENNION EXPLAINS The Tho resolution was passed to enI enable en- en able the commissIon to consider the I propositions more carefully Mr BEnnion declared There Ther will still be bethe I the usual public hearings but when the discussions are necessary the commission will be abl able to do It better hettel bet het- tel ter more thoroughly and more carefully care care- fully If unhindered by people in the meeting Since the meeting at which the resolution was passed the commission has opened bids for and has awarded subject to the filing of a bond satisfactory satisfactory satis- satis factory to the commission and the arrangement of other preliminaries contracts for about nine and one halt milEs milE's ot of pavIng at a cost of public money The commission also it is reported has reached a virtual agreement though no actual contract I has been signed os as to how more than additional of tho peoples people's money shall be sp spent nt for cement to toI tobe I be used In the construction of the ninety ty or more mlle miles of roads in the states state's road building program for 1919 Upon thE day th the resolution was passed the commission r solved itself into executive session several times after atter some matter had been presented Continued on nn page p E 12 IN SECRET MEETINGS Continued from page 1 The executive session was broken to admit representatives of different interests int in- in t rests with some definite proposition and then again each time went into I executive session The effect therefore of the resolution tion in actual practice Is that the commission transacts all its business in fn executive session and when anyone who ho has business before the commis- commis I Rion lon is admitted and after stating his business has withdrawn wn the executive session is resumed This worked out that the representatives I of the cement of companies the state I were in the commission rooms while representatives of the general public Were excluded from the session While no definite decision has been reached leached It has been decided informally mally lually though not irrevocably it is stated on good authority that the will purchase Its cement I for 1919 for per barrel from the Devils Devil's Slide and Baker plants and at 2 per barrel from the Salt Lake plant Salt Lake at first claimed a a. I differential of 38 cents the freight from bevils bevil's Slide to Salt Lake it itI j I a asserted The commission it is said refused to allow such I and it is further stated that the Salt Lake price was granted only the commission threatened to gIve glye all of its business to the north northerly plants plants' if it had to pay the freight anyway anway I For the paving of the ninety miles of road barrels of cement will willbe be required it is estimated Under I the present the arrangement Devils Devil's Slide plant will get 50 per cent of the states state's business and the two other I plants will divide the remaining 50 per cent it is asserted |