New-York tribune., 1905-02-24
ZEAL COST THEM OFFICE.
ENTHUSIASTS SAD FATE.
Good Roads Director and His As
sistant Dropped
GFRoM THE TRIBUNE suREAu.l

fFRoM THE TRIBUNE BUREAU.I
Washington. Feb. 23.-Undue zeal. alleged to
have been displayed by two officials of the De-
psrtment of Agriculture has resulted in in
senious piece of legislation whereby the offend
ing zealots may be led to seek other fields for
their enthusiasm In the estimation of certain
influential members Of Congress. Martin Dodge
director of the office of public road inquiries
and Maurice o Eldridge assistant director of
the same office. have exhibited a zeal more Of
1enslVe than discreet in their propangada for
pubic road improvement, and especially in the
direction of missionary work for the Browplow-
Latimer Public Roads bill. AS result, the
director and his assistant not without the tacit
approval of Secretary Wilson it is intimated
nave been quietly legislated out of ofice-or will
nave been when the President approves the
Agricultural Appropriation bill
1t appears that Senator Proctor and Repre-
sentative Wadsworth, chairmen Of the two
mlttees on agriculture. regard with apprehen-
sion the growing popularity of the Brownlow
measure, which provides in substance that for
each dollar a State may expend on the improve
ment Of its roads the federal government shall
expend like amount. With the intrinsic merits
of the good roads movement both legislators are
in sympathy. but both keenly aware of the
log rolling propensity of some members of Con-
gress and their prophetic vision enables them
TO picture III the not distant future annual
good roads appropriation bill which will assume
gigantic proportions and yield much rich
pork to aspirants for reelection to Congress
does the River and Harbor bill at the present
time
Representative Brownlow, who expects to
achieve everlasting fame from the enactment
of the measure which bears his name, has done
yeoman's work in its behalf, and the difficulty
with which the good roads appropriation of the
he
tated by wisdom and economy is already clear
ly forecast by the reluctance of members Of
both houses of Congress openly to declare them
selves against the measure. despite the fact that
they regard it a menace to the Treasury
surplus.
Director Martin Dodge, ex-State Senator from
Ohio, knows no method of promoting a cause
without promoting it, and he has, unfortunate
ly for himself. conceived the idea that the
eral thousand dollars which Congress has an
nually appropriated for disseminating informa-
tion on the subject of good roads was meant
to be expended for that purpose In vain have
members of the Agricultural committees Of Con-
gresS administered gentle hints-of the sledge-
hammer variety-by which they hoped to impart
to the ex-senator the fact that their annual
appropriations were made merely TO satisfy
rural constituents. Even Secretary Wilson's
mild hammered intimations have failed
to d1Ssuade the former Ohio statesman from
his headlong enthusiasm Ex-senator Director
Dodge has been possessed of single idea, that
he must earn the $4,000 a year salary which
Secretary Wilson accorded him by energetic
labor in the good roads cause
Nor has this misguided energy been confined
to the director. It has, in fact, been shared by
his equally misguided assistant director, Mr..
Eldridge- Unfortunately for Mr.. Eldridge he
comes from Tennessee, where good roads con-
structed at federal expense are regarded as he
acme of terrestrial happiness, and from which
State also comes Walter Preston Brownlow To
the malign influence of Mr.. Brownlow members
Of Congress ascribe much of Mr. EIdridge's mis-
guided zeal.
Congress has not curtailed the funds appro-
priated for the good roads office Far from it,
This years appropriation, $4,000 exceeds last
years by $4,000; but there is no place under the
new law for a director at a salary of $4,000.
Instead, il is prescribed that there shall be "one
director who shall be a scientist" at a salary Of
$500. That let's Mr.. Dodge out He is, alas.
no scientist. Moreover, the law provides for no
assistant director and that let's out Mr. Fldridge
Rumor has it that Mr.. Eldridge has resigned
but that he will be assigned to other work in the
Agricultural Department. OF course. the new
order Of things will not go into effect until July
l, so that Mr. Dodge may also be similarly pro-
Vided for in the interim, although no arrange
ment to that end has thus far been made sTnci-
w. Page, scientist from Middlesex Mass now
engaged in road experiment work in the Bureau
Of Chemistry. will succeed Mr. Dodge at tba
head OF the office of good roads.