Los Angeles herald., 1910-04-30
RESIGNATION DEMANDED

lcHl anu uHlfuSlWOilny puDlC OH
cials. the Good Roads advisory com
mittee yesterday presented to the
board of supervisors a case which
can only have one sequel The high
way commission must resign, and men
who appreciate and understand the
importance and the magnitude of the
work of good roads construction, and
are willing and able to push it forward
successfully and economically in the
Los Angeles way must be placed in
charge of the work.
Instead of taking advantage of the
prestige and enthusiasm accompany
ing the Good Roads bond issue, and
the inspiring display of public con-
fiuence. instead of taking this tide in
the affairs of the Good Roads cam
paign at its food. and pushing on to
fortunate completion of an enter
prise warmly approved and generously
financed by the public. the highway
commissioners dilly dallied and shilly
shallied in a most unaccountable mar
ner.
People began to talk. and the COM
missoners resorted TO evasive tactics.
which only have tendency to make
confusion worse confounded: and TO
arouse justiiable suspicious. The ad
visory committeeman Ito whom for
timely and patriotic services most eff
ficiently rendered the public stands
deeply indebted) say the present indi-
cations are it is a physical impossible
ity to construct anywhere near the
amount of roads promised by the high
way commission. and the commission
ers, in their effort to make it appear
they are really trying to do some
thing, are tearing up roads in every
direction, and making the country i'm
passable.
The highway commission cannot
economically carry on the construc-
tion of the proposed roads. 1t has
to meet the obvious demands of con-
struction and has been forced to pur-
chase from distant points at an in
creased and unnecessary cost at least
80 per cent of the rock which will be
required within the next six months.
The rock which has been purchased,
10000 tons at 20 cents a ton. will
cost the taxpayers at least $4,000 more
than if it had been supplied from the
San Dimas quarry at the contract
price of 3312 to which must be added
freight bill Of unknown amount. Much
10 h.
QUESTION of the two quarry sites now
owned by the county the Pacolma
quarry and the san Dmas quarry The
loss of time was due to the unbusi
nesslike methods and want of sys-
tenn shown by the highway commits
sion. Since the acquisition of these
quarries installation of machinery and
development of rock supply have pro-
ceeded very shortly.
The dry season, the time of the year
most favorable to road construction,
is passing, and the laying of macadam,
not grading and building bridges alone,
should be actively engaged in.
Failure of the highway commission
ers to provide rock supply has result
ed in inability of contractors to com
plete work within a reasonable time,
and has caused higher bids for maca-
dam than would have been the case if
a rock supply had been purchased as
it should have been.
Furthermore, the work completed is
of inferior quality. This may be de-
tected from even a casual inspection
of the roads.
Along with poor judgment, bad man
"A agement and dilatoriness, the highway
commissioners have shown lack of
common sense. If their methods are
not abandoned and businesslike
system substituted, there will be a
shortage in the bond fund of approx
mately 100000, and thereby necessarily
shortage in mileage. II is therefore
pertinent at this time to inquire which
part Of the country is to suffer the
loss?
The advisory committee told the su-
pervisors: THE conduct of the high
way commission in the anagement of
this great project is deserving of the
severest condemnation, and if you do
your duty by the taxpayers Of Los
Angeles county. you will bring about
a change in the management Of this
great project so We may have the much
wished for 3O7 miles of macadamized
road. Be true to yourselves and your
and meet this emergency
IN an intelligent, honest and coura-
geous manner
The highway commission should re-
sign. Instead Of representing the peo-
pie Of Los Angeles, and guarding their
interests with scrupulous fidelity and
economical care, the commissioners
merely represent what was once a
solid Three Of the supervisors. The
Of the Solid Three
must be replaced by representatives,
Of the people, and the important work
Of Good Roads construction must be
carried on with intelligence, honesty, /
foresight. business ability and patri- !
1tic purpose, to a successful and eco
lomical completion.
THE HIGHWAY COMMISSION |
SHOULD RESIGN.