Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 56, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 October 1920 — PERPETUATING GOODRICHISM [ARTICLE]

PERPETUATING GOODRICHISM

In a recent speech at Shelbyville, Warren T. McCray, the "board of trade" candidate for governor, said: "I congratulate the people of Indiana on the fact that we have made a splendid jaUrt on the Improvement of our highways and I pledge myself without reservation, that if elected, I will use every practical means to carry out the road Improvement program as fast as the exigencies and the conditions will admit." If this means anything, and we rather think it does, it means that Warren T. McCray has pledged himself to carry out the road program evolved by Jim Goodrich under which the state highway commission has constructed a few miles of cement highways on the skip-stop plan. This is the only “road improvement program" to which Mr. McCray refers and it is interesting to note that he congratulates the people of Indiana on the “splendid start” that has been made.

Recently, this newspaper printed the facts about this “splendid start” The facts and figures therein set out have never been challenged by any one. ' They reveal that when Mr. McCray pledges himself to the carrying out of the Goodrich highway improvement program he pledges himself: X To continue to expend the taxpayers’ money at a rate that will make the. ultimate cost of improving 5 per cent of the highways of Indiana 1212,937,732. „2. To continue the operation of a commission whose overhead expraises have reached 72 per cent of the construction costs and whose average expenses are 66 per cent of construction costs. 3. To continue the letting of construction contracts at a cost to the taxpayers of $6,191 a mile more than Marion county pays for better roads. 4. To continue the operation of a motor transport fleet and maintenance department at a cost which, ’lf it increases as heretofore, will bring the ultlpiate annual outlay for 'maintenance of 5 per cent of the 'roads to 1160,000,000 a year. 5. To continue the policy of trading government trucks for pleasure ‘cans for state employes. & To continue the maintenance of a political machine under the -guise of a highway commission at an annual cost to the taxpayers of more than $30,000,000. . Whatever may be said of Mr. McCray’s pledge, it can not be declared that he has not given fair warning vol fits intentions. . The question that here confronts the voter is solely whether he de-

sires to pay thrills for a continuation of the Goodrich program.—lndiana Daily Times.