Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 September 1920 — HIGHWAY BOARD SENDERS FOODS [ARTICLE]

HIGHWAY BOARD SENDERS FOODS

Goodrich Political Appointee* Let Contract* for Sum* $6,000 In Ex- ' cess of Amount* Paid Per Mile for Better Road* in Marlon County. - TAX BOOST IS PREDICTED The Indiana state highway commission, all of whose expenditures are subject to the approval of the governor, is now spending the money of the taxpayers of Indiana at a rate which will require revenue amounting to $212,937,732 to complete the building of the 3,600 miles of road designated for improvement by the commission, according to the Democratic state handbook. Unless the taxpayers of Indiana call a halt on the politically dominated organization which is now being directed by L. H.*Wright, with the approval of Governor Goodrich, they will have to pay taxes amounting to such a staggering sum that an increase of $3.15 in the tax levy would not be sufficient produce the qsoney in one year and a consistent levy of 32 cents higher than the present levy for ten consecutive years would be necessary to raise the expenses of the highway construction work now contemplated. z Loose Methods to Blame.

The tremendous cost of state highways in Indiana is due to three things: 1. The letting of contracts for construction to political favorites at more than $6,000 a mile excess cost over the price Marlon county pays for better constructed roads. 2. The expenditure of sums at least half as large as the construction costs of roads in overhead expenses such as salaries, traveling expenses and office expenses in the support of the highway commission. 3. The maintenance by the commission of an expensive retreat for political workers in the form of a vast “maintenance” department presumed to keep up the roads under state supervision to which it attached a "motor transport” department equipped with government trucks. — Prior to August 1, 1920, the state highway commission had expended $1,743,873.06, only $974,751.8?, of which had been spent in actual construction work on highways. Prior to this date contracts had been let and the commission had obligated Itself to pay $4,738,741.36 for 133 miles of hard surfaced roads. The average cost per mile of construction work on these roads was $35,633.37. Waste Total of $823,403.

During the period that the state highway commission was contracting for roads at an excess cost of $6,191 a mile and thereby wasting $823,403 of the taxpayers’ money it was also spending in its operation for salaries and expenses the sum of $769,121.24, or an overhead of approximately $5,879 a mile and at the time the overhead costs reach this point only about, one-fourth of the contract work underway had been Completed. Of course, there will be more overhead ’expenses in the completion of these contracts now let and if it continues at the same rate as heretofore it will be four times $5,879 a mile or $23,516 a mile, a sum equal to approximately 66 per cent, of the cost of construction. Here again is a tremendous outlay of the people’s money and in a proportion that no one will attempt to say is necessary in the conduct of private business. At the same time that these excess profit contracts were being allotted to the favored few and the overhead expenses were equalling 66 per cent, of the construction costs, the department was operating a maintenance department and a “motor transport” department. The maintenance department was costing the taxpayers an average of more than $50,000 a month and very little maintenance work was being done. The expenditures of this department to August 1, 1920 from April 1, 1920, when it was organized, were $202,687.57, the cost per month having increased from $7,110.11 in April to $95,775.95 in July. The "ipotor transport” department, equipped with trucks lent to the state by'* the government, had absorbed $201,160.57 of the taxpayers’ money up to August 1, 1920, an average of $14,000 a month or $168,000 a year. In other words, the highway commission, as at present operated, is spending $35,633.37' a mile for road construction and the overhead cost of this construction is at the rate of $23,516 a mile. Reaches. Staggering Sum. There are approximately 74,000 miles of highways Indiana. The commission proposes to take over and improve approximately 3,600 miles of these roads, or about 5 per cent. -ij Basing as estimated oost of this work on the actual cost of completing 133 miles now under contract, an idea of the Ultimate costs of improving 5 per eent. of Indiana’s roads by the Goodrich commission methods may bo obtained. Unless there is a radical change in the manner in which the taxpayers’ money Is expended, the coat will be 3,600 times $85,633.37 pipa 1,600 Umot $23,516 or $212,637,783.