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Show ROAD BOND-ISSUE BILLINTRODUCEO AUTHORIZES LAND COMMISSION TO NEGOTIATE LOAN FOR HIGHWAY WORK. Governor's Proposal for State Bond Issue of $1,500,030 for Road Purposes Pur-poses Takes Concrete Form in Shape of House Measure. Governor Mabey's proposal for a state bond issue of Sl,5tKl,t00 fur state road purposes, took concrete form on February l'J iu the shape of a bill providing for such an indebtedness. The measure was introduced in the house by Representative Day. The bill would authorize the state land commission to provide for and negotiate negoti-ate as needed for the purposesof ihe measure, loans aggregating SI, 500,000. the bonds to bear a rate of interest to be fixed by the hind board, but not to exceed 5 per cent. Funds for the printing of the bonds and other necessary preparations for the issue are provided for in the bill. They would be taken from the motor vehicle registration fund, and these funds also would be used to pay thi-interest thi-interest on the bonds. As a companion bill to the proposed road bond issue, representative Day introduced a bill which would repea the action of the legislature of 1910, which called for a bond issue of $1,-000,000 $1,-000,000 for the Utah soldier settlement fund. The measure simply provides for the repeal of the soldier settlement act. When the state senate 'adjourned Saturday, it was with the understanding understand-ing that the senators would not meet again until Wednesday morning. The members of the house decided to hold a session on Monday. By unanimous consent, one bill was introduced in the senate February 19. The bill is the uniform law prepared by the National Farm Bureau association associ-ation for co-operative marketing of agricultural products. With the signing by Governor Mabej on February 18, of eight hills relating to the establishment of a state department depart-ment of finance and purchase, the first big step toward carrying into effect ' the program of reorganizing the state government on a more business-like basis, was put into effect. The bills as passed by the state legislature are in force on approval, with one exception, which has no particular par-ticular effect on the general program. Legally, therefore, the state department depart-ment of finance and purchase tbok form with the signing of the governor's name on the engrossed bill. It is explained that the department of finance and purchase will not in any way displace the state board of examiners, exam-iners, which now is legally and by the constitution required to approve all claims against the state before they are paid. Other duties of the department are to publish bulletins for the informa-' informa-' tion of the departments and of the general gen-eral public of the work of the government, govern-ment, and to investigate duplication of the work of departments and the efficiency effi-ciency of organization and administration administra-tion of the departments. It is also required to formulate and put into effect plans for the better cooperation of departments and the co-ordination of work, eliminating duplication and overlapping of functions. In spite of a well-considered, care-j care-j fully worded and logical plea on the part of the author, the state senate, without a dissenting voice, killed the Quinney bill amending the present law fixing eight hours as the maximum which a woman may work in any one day and forty-eight hours as the maximum maxi-mum in. any one week. Publication of proceedings of boards of county commissioners in newspapers met with the disapproval of Representative Represen-tative Seegmiller in the house and he succeeded in having House bill No. St. by Day, laid on the table after arguments ar-guments over the measure that lasted nearly two hours. Representative Seegmiller's bill creating a state road commission of five members, each member to represent repre-sent a district, failed to meet with the app-oval of Governor Mabey, it is explained, ex-plained, and Mr. Seegmiller, as chairman chair-man of the house committee on highways high-ways and .bridges, brought in a report on the measure which virtually changes its entire original intent am' ti its place provides for a road con. mission of only three members. The senators passed on second reading read-ing and without the slightest discus-ion discus-ion the bill for the reorganization of lie state board of equalization, which changes the theory on which that board has been framed, and permits also the removal of any members of the iresent boayd who are not personally -atisiactory to the governor or to tlu party in power. Amendments to the anti-cigarette measure were rejected in the house on February G, and the South wick measure reached the third reading calendar. cal-endar. Eighteen bills are now ahead of thi-i measure. Unanimous consent or a suspension of the rules by a two-thirds two-thirds majority would be necessary to place it ahead of other measures. Vhirteen bills were tasen off the second reading calendar of the senate during a day's steady grind on Feb-i Feb-i rimry 1G. Then, just at the close of the session, the senate placed twenty other bills on the same calendar. |