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Show Statehouse Report . . . House Acts to Give State Control of Junkyards Along Hiqhvvavs Despite Federal Opponents Attack A 'bill to permit state control con-trol of junkyards along highways high-ways cleared the House of Representatives Monday afr ter being lambasted by o-ponents o-ponents of federal domination. domina-tion. This measure, one of three aimed at beautlfica-tion beautlfica-tion being pushed by MrS. Lyndon B. Johnson, won 35 votes, barely enough to send it on to the Senate. Rop. Ralph C. Anderson, D-Salt Lake, sponsor, explained ex-plained that the ibill would provide for licensing junkyards junk-yards within 1,000 feet of interstate or primary highways. high-ways. Takoovor Area Where possible junkyards would be screened from view of motorists. Otherwise Other-wise the commission would take over the area by purchase, pur-chase, exchange or condemnation. condem-nation. Cost for re-moving or screening 75 existing junkyards junk-yards along the mnjor highways high-ways is estimated nt $34.1, 000, of which the stale wouldl pay $112,300. This would be done In two to three years. If the bill Is not prtssed and signed Into lnv, It is estimated the stole would lose up to $G million a 1)1-ennlunn 1)1-ennlunn in fedenil highway funds. Fo'foral Control Speaker of the House Franklin W. Gunnell, R-I.o-;;,-in, pointed out thnt the tedenil government nlrendy controls 75 per cent of the slate,; land mass. "I Ihlnlt to sel aside n strip two blocks wide along the major hlchways Interlacing Inter-lacing this slain and pulling II under (-(inlrnl of the slnlf In going one slcp loo f.n," m m he declared. Five representatives then changed their "aye" vote to "no." Two Mors Bills Rep. Ralph S. Cannon, R-Salt R-Salt Lake, explained his "no" vote. "I would rather have a good wholesome dump than erode the freedom free-dom of America," he said. Henry C. Hellend, s'ate director of highways, told the House that If they eliminated elim-inated the power of eminent domain from the bill it would be worthless. Two other bills, granting eminent domain for roadside road-side parks and benutifica, Hon and for control of billboards bill-boards are awaiting action. Must Bills Both are "must" bills if Utah is not to be penalized penaliz-ed heavily in federal highway high-way aid. Signed by Gov. Calvin L. Ram.pl on Monday was SB 24, empowering the governor gover-nor to contract and do o-ther o-ther necessary things to oh. tain federal benefils for complying with federal highway safety requirements. require-ments. Priorities for .f.lO million worth of road projects to be 'built ns soon as fund.': are released were imtiounc-eil imtiounc-eil by Gov. Ramplon Monday Mon-day after the federal government gov-ernment released $175 million mil-lion of $1.1 billion I,, m-pounded m-pounded -federal road' mon-''.V. mon-''.V. Cut $19 Million Utah's Ro.'id Commission was cut $10 million i,lst September by the federal cutback. Some of this s o be released by July 1, The projects Miiniiuiice I are: . I KO east of Weudover o , Knolls, $10.3 million; I -SO from Coalville to Echo Junction and 1-180 N. I reliefer reli-efer to Echo Junction, $10.4 million. Final surfacing and widening wid-ening of 1-15 from Provo to Lehi, $1.G million, and three 1-70 projects: Ghost Rocks to Rattlesnake Tass, $2 million; Cisco Wash to north of Cisco, $2.2 million and Rattlesnake Bench to to the San Rafael, $3.5 million. mil-lion. Raise Salartas County commissions in counties of the second class will bo able to raise salaries of county officials to the same level as in Salt Lake County if a bill passed by the House Monday clears the Senate and is signed by the governor. This bill also would permit per-mit counties of the third class to raise salaries, except ex-cept for commissioners, by $1,000 a year. Purchasers of draught ) beer will have to pay sales tax provided Gov. K.'amplon signs a bill now passed by both houses. Also awaiting the governor's gov-ernor's signature is a bill to eliminate double taxation on Utahns who buy cars in other states. A bill to tighten state anti-obscenity laws and bring them into conformity with a recent U. S. Suprer.e Court decision was passed by the Senate Monday and j sent to the House. |