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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1949
New Example of an Old Republican Failing
The Republican majority in the state senate
planation of certain transactions in connec-
Thursday gave a perfect demonstration of why
tion with the "road to nowhere." He wanted to
the Republican party now occupies the lowest
know why the highway department couldn't
position in public esteem that it has held in
make up its mind where to build roads and
many years.
then build them. without changing its plans
Repudiating their own state platform, Repub-
after considerable money already had been
licans voted to accept a committee report which
spent.
drenched the highway department with white-
At the start of this legislative session when
wash, recommended that the department be left
Senator Harpel made his formal proposal for an
virtually as it is and even reneged on the party's
investigation, we supported him. We supposed
pledge to remove the head of the department
he intended to do a businesslike job.
from civil service.
We were dismayed when it became apparent
The senate performance, we are sorry to say,
that he had made no preparations for the inves-
cannot be interpreted except as a partisan, ob-
tigation, although he had first announced it
structionist move to keep the Democratic admin-
istration at the statehouse from getting credit
eight months before. He had gathered no mate-
rial, did not even know whom he would call as
for putting the road department on a modern,
witnesses.
efficient and responsible basis.
Most amazing of all, he showed very plainly
It was a demonstration on a state level of the
he was practically going to ignore the study of
kind of opposition, for the sake of opposition
the highway department made by the eminent
itself, which has kept the Republican party on
experts of the National Research council who
the outside looking in on Washington since 1932.
spent months going over ground which the sen-
The public has repudiated such partisan ob-
ator expected to cover in a few hours of hearings.
structionism time and again but some Republi-
The senator's investigation consisted almost
cans never seem to catch on.
entirely of questioning highway officials, pleas-
The 1948 Republican platform took the hide
antly but not searchingly, and various county
off Democratic Governor Knous for his failure
commissioners who have received or hope to
to straighten out the highway mess. The
receive road favors from the highway depart-
present legislative session gives senate Re-
ment.
publicans the opportunity of a lifetime to
Had it not been for a minority member of
take a lead in correcting the conditions of
the committee, Senator Stephen L. R. Mc-
which their party has complained.
Nichols (Dem.) of Denver, the hearings would
At the moment, however, the senate Republi-
have been about as informative as an after-
cans have jockeyed themselves into the position
noon tea.
of approving the present organization of the
Senator McNichols bored into the messy story
highway department and deciding that nothing
of the way in which the highway department
much is wrong after all.
and the highway engineer spend hundreds of
The state senate is Republican now only by
thousands of dollars without authority from
virtue of the "lame duck," holdover members
anyone.
who were elected back in 1946. How the Repub-
He showed the department does not account
lican senate:deports itself, in a statehouse which
in its budgets for millions of dollars in public
otherwise is almost 100 per cent Democratic, will
funds, that not even the engineer himself could
have a great deal to do with determining the
explain transactions running into six figures.
attitude of Colorado voters toward the G. O. P.
in 1950.
Such disclosures regarding any other depart-
Fortunately, it is not too late for Republican
ment of state government would have "blown
senators, by their votes on highway reorganiza-
the dome" off the capitol, but Senator Harpel
was hardly interested.
tion bills, to correct the error made in approving
the whitewash.
In fact, according to Senator McNichols' mi-
nority report, "Even while some members of this
If the senate will get behind a thorough.
committee were engaged in probing into certain
going reorganization bill, Republicans will be
illegal practices concerning the budgeting of
entitled to and will receive a large share of
highway funds, the majority committee report
the credit. But if a mere desire to obstruct
had already been prepared and completed."
the Democratic program results in no reor-
The Republican majority in the senate can
ganization worthy of the name, the voters
hardly ignore the fifteen specific charges of im-
will know where to place the blame.
proper budgeting, spending and bookkeeping
The whitewash report, written by Senator
procedures made by Senator McNichols.
John J. Harpel (Rep.) of Denver, one of the hold-
Nor can it well ignore the findings of the
over senators, represents a remarkable reversal
National Research council-that the depart-
of opinion on his part.
ment lacks proper top-bracket administration,
"As presently constituted, we believe the
that it needs a transfusion of new blood, that
(highway) department to be well organized,"
the advisory board system leads to sectional.
the senator said in his report. He waxed almost
ism, that the budget system is a farce.
Cyrical in his praise of the "patriotism" of the
members of the highway advisory board. One
It cannot ignore the fact that, in the more
might almost think from the tenor of his report
than three years since the end of the war, the
that the board members had been accused of
department has never caught up with its back-
un-American activities.
log of projects, that the department in spite of
It would be "nothing short of treason" to dis-
an increase in the gasoline tax is not matching
regard the testimony of the board members, Sen-
all federal money and that the department still
ator Harpel said. He doesn't say what testimony
is following its old policy of "patchwork" con-
struction.
but, supposedly, he refers to statements that
Do the Republican senators really want to
everything is hunky-dory in the highway de-
partment.
stand on the statement in Harpel's report that,
"As presently constituted, we believe the depart-
But last May, Senator Harpel was not talk-
ment to be well organized"?
ing that way. At that time he said, "Obvi-
ously there is something wrong with our over-
In the clear daylight of another day, we hope
they will decide not to take on themselves the
all system of building roads." He said he
responsibility for standing in the way of a
would demand an investigation. Last Sep-
greater and more effective road program for
de
tember he was demanding publicly an ex-
their state.
ga
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"ocrText": "FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1949\nNew Example of an Old Republican Failing\nThe Republican majority in the state senate\nplanation of certain transactions in connec-\nThursday gave a perfect demonstration of why\ntion with the \"road to nowhere.\" He wanted to\nthe Republican party now occupies the lowest\nknow why the highway department couldn't\nposition in public esteem that it has held in\nmake up its mind where to build roads and\nmany years.\nthen build them. without changing its plans\nRepudiating their own state platform, Repub-\nafter considerable money already had been\nlicans voted to accept a committee report which\nspent.\ndrenched the highway department with white-\nAt the start of this legislative session when\nwash, recommended that the department be left\nSenator Harpel made his formal proposal for an\nvirtually as it is and even reneged on the party's\ninvestigation, we supported him. We supposed\npledge to remove the head of the department\nhe intended to do a businesslike job.\nfrom civil service.\nWe were dismayed when it became apparent\nThe senate performance, we are sorry to say,\nthat he had made no preparations for the inves-\ncannot be interpreted except as a partisan, ob-\ntigation, although he had first announced it\nstructionist move to keep the Democratic admin-\nistration at the statehouse from getting credit\neight months before. He had gathered no mate-\nrial, did not even know whom he would call as\nfor putting the road department on a modern,\nwitnesses.\nefficient and responsible basis.\nMost amazing of all, he showed very plainly\nIt was a demonstration on a state level of the\nhe was practically going to ignore the study of\nkind of opposition, for the sake of opposition\nthe highway department made by the eminent\nitself, which has kept the Republican party on\nexperts of the National Research council who\nthe outside looking in on Washington since 1932.\nspent months going over ground which the sen-\nThe public has repudiated such partisan ob-\nator expected to cover in a few hours of hearings.\nstructionism time and again but some Republi-\nThe senator's investigation consisted almost\ncans never seem to catch on.\nentirely of questioning highway officials, pleas-\nThe 1948 Republican platform took the hide\nantly but not searchingly, and various county\noff Democratic Governor Knous for his failure\ncommissioners who have received or hope to\nto straighten out the highway mess. The\nreceive road favors from the highway depart-\npresent legislative session gives senate Re-\nment.\npublicans the opportunity of a lifetime to\nHad it not been for a minority member of\ntake a lead in correcting the conditions of\nthe committee, Senator Stephen L. R. Mc-\nwhich their party has complained.\nNichols (Dem.) of Denver, the hearings would\nAt the moment, however, the senate Republi-\nhave been about as informative as an after-\ncans have jockeyed themselves into the position\nnoon tea.\nof approving the present organization of the\nSenator McNichols bored into the messy story\nhighway department and deciding that nothing\nof the way in which the highway department\nmuch is wrong after all.\nand the highway engineer spend hundreds of\nThe state senate is Republican now only by\nthousands of dollars without authority from\nvirtue of the \"lame duck,\" holdover members\nanyone.\nwho were elected back in 1946. How the Repub-\nHe showed the department does not account\nlican senate:deports itself, in a statehouse which\nin its budgets for millions of dollars in public\notherwise is almost 100 per cent Democratic, will\nfunds, that not even the engineer himself could\nhave a great deal to do with determining the\nexplain transactions running into six figures.\nattitude of Colorado voters toward the G. O. P.\nin 1950.\nSuch disclosures regarding any other depart-\nFortunately, it is not too late for Republican\nment of state government would have \"blown\nsenators, by their votes on highway reorganiza-\nthe dome\" off the capitol, but Senator Harpel\nwas hardly interested.\ntion bills, to correct the error made in approving\nthe whitewash.\nIn fact, according to Senator McNichols' mi-\nnority report, \"Even while some members of this\nIf the senate will get behind a thorough.\ncommittee were engaged in probing into certain\ngoing reorganization bill, Republicans will be\nillegal practices concerning the budgeting of\nentitled to and will receive a large share of\nhighway funds, the majority committee report\nthe credit. But if a mere desire to obstruct\nhad already been prepared and completed.\"\nthe Democratic program results in no reor-\nThe Republican majority in the senate can\nganization worthy of the name, the voters\nhardly ignore the fifteen specific charges of im-\nwill know where to place the blame.\nproper budgeting, spending and bookkeeping\nThe whitewash report, written by Senator\nprocedures made by Senator McNichols.\nJohn J. Harpel (Rep.) of Denver, one of the hold-\nNor can it well ignore the findings of the\nover senators, represents a remarkable reversal\nNational Research council-that the depart-\nof opinion on his part.\nment lacks proper top-bracket administration,\n\"As presently constituted, we believe the\nthat it needs a transfusion of new blood, that\n(highway) department to be well organized,\"\nthe advisory board system leads to sectional.\nthe senator said in his report. He waxed almost\nism, that the budget system is a farce.\nCyrical in his praise of the \"patriotism\" of the\nmembers of the highway advisory board. One\nIt cannot ignore the fact that, in the more\nmight almost think from the tenor of his report\nthan three years since the end of the war, the\nthat the board members had been accused of\ndepartment has never caught up with its back-\nun-American activities.\nlog of projects, that the department in spite of\nIt would be \"nothing short of treason\" to dis-\nan increase in the gasoline tax is not matching\nregard the testimony of the board members, Sen-\nall federal money and that the department still\nator Harpel said. He doesn't say what testimony\nis following its old policy of \"patchwork\" con-\nstruction.\nbut, supposedly, he refers to statements that\nDo the Republican senators really want to\neverything is hunky-dory in the highway de-\npartment.\nstand on the statement in Harpel's report that,\n\"As presently constituted, we believe the depart-\nBut last May, Senator Harpel was not talk-\nment to be well organized\"?\ning that way. At that time he said, \"Obvi-\nously there is something wrong with our over-\nIn the clear daylight of another day, we hope\nthey will decide not to take on themselves the\nall system of building roads.\" He said he\nresponsibility for standing in the way of a\nwould demand an investigation. Last Sep-\ngreater and more effective road program for\nde\ntember he was demanding publicly an ex-\ntheir state.\nga"
}