Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-20


office, while the responsibility is not so
great, II measured by the amount of
money involved. Further in this regard,
we believe the highway commission law
allowing a salary to highway commission
ers at s. per diem is stupid blunder
growing likewise out of a false sense Of
economy. Either the highway commits
sioners ought to regard the duty as en-
tirely honorary without pay of any kind,
or else their salary ought to be COM
mensurate with the services required in
being responsible for the operation of
this public enterprise, involving this large
expenditure of public money.
The committee finds that the chief cause
of the belated progress of the work lay III
the unfortunate failure to provide an ad-
equate supply of broken stone for the
roads by the time the other features OF
the work were ready for rapid prosecu-
ton Te engineer members of the COM
mittee found substantial evidence of vaoil-
Iation in that important matter, but not
such as is chargeable to the highway COM
mission or its chief engineer.
BIDS CONSIDERED TOO HIGH
The evidence shows that the Paccina
quarry was purchased on June Z, 1903. pur-
suant to a recommendation of the high
way commission dated May II. 1909. Au-
gust 2 the supervisors opened bids for the
crushing plant, but rejected the same on
August on the ground that they were
excessively high. Up to that date it
was clearly the intent that the supervisors
should have complete jurisdiction over the
installation and operation of the plaht
October is bids We're received again for
the plant, this time providing FOR a smaller
daily output, and in the specifications upon
which these bids were based the highway
commission was recognized for the first
time as the authority to have. jurisdiction
over the building of the plant.
1t appears that the commission recon-
mended the acceptance or the lowest bid
on the first advertisement and urged an
early settlement of the matter so that the
work might be started 1t is hard to
understand what more the commission and
its chief engineer could have DONE unless
to hand in their designations. But that
would not have hastened the work.
The plant, finally built, cost nearly
as much as the one the bids for which
were rejected on August >. In the mean
time two months ana nalf Of time were
lost. The money with which TO begin road
construction was available about February
/, 1909. More than three months elapsed
before the highway commission recon-
mended formally the purchase of the
quarry, although the matter had been dis
cussed informally by the two boards
number of times previously.
DELAY DUE 70 UNCERTAINTY
The delay here appears to have been due
to the supervisors uncertainty as to legal
points involved, but as has been already
said, the highway commission not
recognized as having anything in partic-
ular to do with the installation and oper-
alton of the plant until some months
later.
Unfortunately there are acute difficult
ties in the present situation which need
more than passing attention: The advi-
sorry committee, composed it is for
the most part of gentlemen of excellent
standing and Of keen business intellect
combined, has, however, demonstrated
by their record in this case, shown a dis
position in its later days TO be unneces-
sarily acrimonious and even insulting, as
their last letter to your honorable body
and their reply brief to Mr. Bixby's cour-
teous statement indicates. Your committee
noted with considerable this appar-
ent heat and after careful consideration
of the testimony perore 1t your committee
finds that the advisory committee has
been annoyed by the political situation
confronting it, and in its attempts to re-
leve what it regarded as an inJolerable
situation has overstepped its own function
and has entered into the field of politics
itself Two notable instances since this
committee commenced it's deliberations
are worth quoting:
POLITICS INTERSPERsED
First, the Endorsement of a candidate CT
n political party for a political position,
towit, for the office or supervisor, an at
titude which each member of the advi-
sorry committee was perfectly at liberty
to take for himself, but it must be said
with emphasis that 1t was indefenslble
coming from them as a non political body,
organized for a specific purpose, to step
outside Of the sphere and scope of their
duty and perform what was, from every
standpoint a political act.
The second instance of a political act or
the advisory committee which attracted
the attention of this investigating com
mttee was its publication of abstracts
from Mr. Bixby's brief, which was sub
mitted to the advisory committee under
the express understanding, not only re-
ouired by Mr.. Bixby himself, but also ac-
cepted by the chairman of the advisory
committee, over his own signature, that
the brief of Mr. Bixby should be handled
by the advisory committee II presented
in executive session, but after accepting
such brief, under those conditions and
after the chairman OF the advisory com
mttee had given his written obligation
to that effect, with amazing breach OF
the code of honor which distinguishes
every other walk of life except that Of
politics, the advisory committee allowed
itself to be so inhamed by its political
anxiety as to publish portions of Mr..
Bixby's brief, thereby stamping itself, in
the minds of your investigating committee,
as being so thoroughly aroused politically
that, as at present constituted and dom
mated, it ceases TO be fitted to discharge
its non-poliucal, non-partisan duties as
an advisory committee.
POLITICS TOO PATENT
AS TO the allegations Of political alliance
made on both sides, there seems to be no
doubt on that score. 1t is admitted by the
highway commission and, so far as they
are concerned, it Is not denied by the ad-
visory committee, in spite of deliberate
charge to that effect made by the high
way commission.
AS to the highway commission, the rec
ord before your investigating committee
shows that it recognizes political eNi-
eencies, and while the may not have
been caused by any act of the highway
commission and it may not be responsible
for the conditions, yet it has apparently
failed to relieve itself the political
difficulties by which the administration OF
its office is affected, and for that reason
It is handicapped in the discharge of its
duties.
The continuation in office OF the pres
ent members Of the highway commission,
in the judgment of your committee, is
not advisable, and they should as public
spirited citizens tender their resignation
for the best interest OF the good roads
movement For the same reasons the ad-
visory committee through the active mem
bers thereof for time past having
ceased to act in the capacity for which
q was organized and being now merely an