Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-11
DEAL WITH SOLID
TRIO IS ADMITTED
Reply of Advisory Committee in
Highway Commission Case
Indicates Confession
THE INVESTIGATION is SECRET
lnquiSitoTs Hold Report of Their
Work Should Come from
Board of Supervisors
THE INVESTIGATION is SECRET

The investigation committee ap-
pointed by the board of supervisors to
probe the charges of incompetency and
mismanagement, preferred by the Good
Roads advisory committee against the
highway commission and its engineer,
apparently determined that the bries,
submitted by the advisory committee
in reply to the secret brief of the high
way commission should not be made
public, but the advisory committee
yesterday gave out the full text of its
reply. 1t had previously urged the in
vestigation committee, of which Joseph
Scott is chairman, to give the facts
the fullest possible publicity, but Mr..
Scott stated he believed the inquiry
should be conducted secretly.
The reply of the advisory committee
to the highway commission cites sew
eral surprising statements made by
the chairman of the highway commits
sion, George II. Bixby, and the facts
brought to light in this reply of the
advisory committee betrays the exis-
tence of a combination between the
"solid three" of the board of supervis-
ors. "Tus" Eldridge, II. D. McCabe
and c. j. Nellis, and the highway COM
mission, which is admitted by Chair
man Bixby, and severely criticised In
the reply of the advisory committee.
The advisory committees reply, call
ing attention to Mr.. Bixby's confess
sion, which MISREPRESENTATION commit
tee sought Ito "7keep secret on the
ground that If publicity were given to
the correspondence In the case 1t
should come from the board of super
visors. is now made public for the
first time and is as follows:
THE REPLY
"Hon. Joseph Scott, Chairman, and
Members of Investigating Commit
tee, appointed by the Board of
Supervisors.
Gentlemen: The advisory commit
tee has carefully considered q copy of
a paper fled with your honorable
body by George H. Bixby, chairman of
the Los Angeles county highway
commission, which you referred to
this committee.
1--WE are unable, after careful study
of this remarkable paper to under
stand what place 1t has in the files
of this case, unless 1t shall stand as
a confession upon the part of the
highway commission that they deliber-
ately formed a combination with the
three supervisors, in direct violation
of the spirit of the law under and by
virtue of which the said commission
is acting.
1--WE designate it a paper, for the
reason that upon the cover 1t is
marked Report to Investigating Com
mittee by George II. Bixby,' and on
page 4, Mr.. Bixby, for the first time
discloses what he Is writing, in the
following language:
Gentlemens I am here for the
purpose of definitely and unequi-
vocally defending this commission
against the charge of incompetency
which has been preferred against
it, and especially to espouse with
any strength there is in me the
cause of our chief engineer, Mr..
Loder.
"And after the most minute search
through this report defense and
'espousal.' we fail to find the least
possible trace of a statement of facts.
which you are entitled to, that you
NAV be able to render an impartial
and intelligent judgment, therefore,
finding nothing in this report de
fense' and 'espousal,' except an abor
tive attempt to justify an unholy COM
bination, and to retain in office mani
festly incompetent organization to dis
tribute in a wasteful manner the fund
FURNISHED by a patriotic people, that
they might enjoy a permanent sys-
tenn of hiP1ways, we will contlne our
selves To the issues raised by the filing
of the advisory committee report and
subsequent specific statement with the
board of supervisors and comments
upon this remarkable confession of in
competency and unfitness, named
by Mr.. Bixby report defense and
'espousal.'
"First. The attempt at flattery must
indeed be nauseating to gentlemen OF
your deserved standing in this COM
munity.
second With the eloquence of
stephen NJ, White and John S. Chap
man we have no concern, except to say
that their execution of public trusts
stands in marked contrast to the COM
bination of, the three supervisors and
the highway commission.
Third We do not wish to discuss
lothian Bixby, his past, present or
future or his wealth, or the wealth.
education. responsibility or training of
George H. BiXby, nor as to his engi-
neer acquaintances, nor how Mr. Loder
came or by what combination Mr..
Bixby succeeded in having him en-
ployed as chief engineer.
Fourth. We are concerned, how
ever, with the following statement of
Mr.. Bixby.
BIXBY's STATEMENT
I ACCEPTED REAPPOINT-,
MENT ON THE COMMISSION
AND WAS CHOSEN CHAIRMAN.
FREELY ADMIT THAT THIS
ACTION INVOLVED ME AT
ONCE IN PARTISAN ALIGN
MENT WITH THAT FACTION
OF MY PARTY REPRESENTED
BY THE MAJORITY MEMBERS
OF THE BOARD AND OPPOSED
BY THE SO-CALLED LINCOLN
ROOSEVELT OR REFORM FAC
TION.
"And following in the same para
graph he states:
so 1 SAW NOTHING PARTICU-