Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1905-07-20
HIGHWAY INSPECTED
and APPROVED

h1ID III llO LII
The State Highway Department does
not find it clear sailing by any means
in its efforts to effect a settlement
with the supervisors of Mahoning
towns hip aud the County Commission
pleted between this city and Mans
dale. The State Highway Department
insists that the road is completed
that II has been inspected and approx
ed by the proper authorities. The
Mahouing township supervisors and
the County Commissioners insist that
the road has not been finished accord
ing to the specifications and refuse to
pay their share of the bill, which is
Sll0S ~ more than the contract price,
until a !uIl explanation is given to
show where the additional eleven hun
dred and odd dollars went to.
The public will be glad to learn the
true status of the State Highway The
road in the opinion of many people
does not come up to the.specifcations
They were curious to know how it
would be regarded by the inspectors
representing the State and up To the
present have been expecting the ap-
pearance of these officials. 1t will be
news indeed to these people TO learn
that the inspectors have come and
gone. When these officials performed
their duty and how their visit to Dan
vile happened to escape notice prob
ably has but little to do with this
story
In June 2Sth last K. S. zimmerman,
attorney for Mahoning township, in re-
ply to the communication fIom the
State presenting the bill wrote the
Highway Department that payment
would be made as soon as the State
highway was completed according to
plans and specifications and asked for
an explanation as to an item of S346 20
relating to inspection which appeare d
on the bill. Mr.. zimmerman stated
that the township supervisors would
be glad to 60 over the road with the
inspectors at any time.
A reply from the State Highway de-
partment on June 29th. brought the
Intelligence that the road
had already been formally inspected
by the department and that the item
relating to inspection covered the sal
airy paid the inspector whom the De-
partmCnt employed during the prog
ress of the work and who was present
every day from the time he was ap-
pointed until the work was complet-
cd. The communication stated that
there was no reason why the County
Commissioners or township Supervis-
ors should know when the inspectors
would be on hand and hence were not
notified.
To this communication on June 30,
Attorney zimmerman replied AS
Mahoning township and Montour
County have obligated themselves to
pay a proportionate share of the cost
Of the public improvement in question
the Supervisors and County Commits
sioners reserve to themselves the right
of knowing where the peoples money
Is going to and the consideration in
every detail for the money they pay
they are answerable to their respec-
tive boards of auditors whose duty it is
to confine them closely to the provis-
ious of the contract the law authorized
them TO enter into. We have no con-
fidence in the inspector whom you
suggest as being present. My clients
insist upon such an explanation OF all
the circumstances as will justify them
in M aking this expenditure of their
money. The townships contract calls
for an expenditure of $1127. 50 you ask
US to pay tl379 81 aud the only reason
you assign is that the work has been
found satisfactory to your department
This is insufficient reason to warrant
ns in the expenditure of this money at
this time. -
To this came a reply from the State
Highway Department, dated July 8th,
which Jared the Supervisors some
what, being not only exceedingly dis
in tone but showing that in
the Highway Department not a very
high estimate is placed upon the
skill and experience of township Sup
4rvisOrs as roadmakers. The com
stated "As to the char
acter of the road | think it question.
able il any one of several novices in
road building are justified in setting
their opinion against that of the rep
resentative of this department, who
made the final inspection of the road.
The amount of presumption which
such an action shows is very similar
% that which would be shown in case
iome of your township supervisors
should assume to know more about law |
han you know"
This then is the status of affairs per |
aiming to the State Highway. The |
ownship Supervisors insist that they |
ire able to determine whether or not |
lie plans and specifications have been
complied with and allege that in sew
,ral important details these have not |
,een lived up to. They also hold that |
hey are entitled TO an itemized state
nant which will fully account for the |
'xtrs eleven hundred dollars or so that |
las been tackled on. The contract price
or the road was SG7GG. l5 What the
outcome of the matter may be is un-
.ertain. 1t does not seem unlikely that
! law suit may follow brought about
~ the MARYLAND COnEtruCtion Com