New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-02-10
HOOKER REPLIES TO DIX
Says Charge of Extravaganza Is
Absolutely Without Foundation.
FIGURES DO NOT AGREE
Commissioner says Engineering
Expense is 90 Per Cent, In
stead of 90, as Charged.

nv Telegraph 10 The Trihune
Albany. Feb 9-Nicorous denial Of Gov
ernor Dix's charges Of extravaganza in his
sreech i'm New York last night was entered
to-day by the state Highway Commission
in formal statement which gave figures
70 bear out the declaration that the Gov
ernor's extravaganza assertion was "abso-
iutely without foundation" Instead Of the
engineering expense Of the commissions
work for 1910 being % per cent, as the Gov
ernor maintained, the commissions figures
showed that n was only % per cent When
Governor DIS attention was called 10 the
commissions retort 10 his speech he said
that he got the figures on which he based
n from the commissions Office. The figures
which he quoted 80 show extravaganza, he
said. he took from the commissions report.
III there's any mistake he said, ITS
up 10 the commission
Governor Dix reiterated his charge that
the commission had begun road work in
some instances where the state had not ac-
oured title 10 the right OF way. Chairman
Hooker Of the commission has pointed out
ri various times i'm communications 10 the
Governor and State Engineer Bensel that it
f. not the duty Of the commission but of
the county authorities TO acquire these
titles. The Governor has specified one in
stauce-that of the so-called Altamont
road. I'm this county-where the contract
was signed on May 9S. 1910. but the title for
the right Of way has not he acquired.
Mr. Hooker said to-day that the commits
eion never permitted work to begin until the
county authorities had acquired the title for
- f1,of he he
said why work had not Vet been begun on
this contract IT was held up because the
supervisors had not obtained the title
Ordinarily the commission does not even
award the contract until the title has been
obtained, much less permit the beginning
Of work. but the contract in this case hap
pened 10 he signed.
The Governor said he would look into the
question Of the matter Of rights Of way and
might have something 10 say later.
Chairman Rockers Statement,
Chairman Hooker made public the fol-
lowing statement for the commission IN an
sver 10 the Governors speech:
IN view Of the repeated attacks which
have been made upon the Highway COM
mission ov Governor DIX in recent speeches
and newspaper interviews. the RUNWAY
Y
taken from the records Of the department
and which show concluslvely that the
charge Of extravaganza Is absolutely Win
out foundation. and that instead OF me
engineering expenses Of the department
amounting 70 % per cent, "a charged they
are, a. matter of fact. less than one-hat
that amount
paid for construction and maintenance was
s704a.6S5 The total expense for all pur-
poses m the SIX divisions for both ONCE
and field forces and IN the three bureaus.
plans and surveys. research and mainten-
ance was SS7o7 ai. Of which Ni6,olS was eX-
pended in making surveys preparing plans
for work IN 1911 and 1912. leaving s524716 eX-
pended in the conduct Of 1910 work. To this
there should also be added the cost Of adver-
Using for proposals. $3.50 and the amount
charged to this department. $3.50, or total
of S55a545. plus the proporticnate amount
Of the expense Of the administrative. offices.
which aggregates S1,s,1n. and Of rents,
Sie.6ae The sum Of these two items is
sl6s 800
The work Of the department comes under
three distinct heads-namely, construction OF
state and county roads the maintenance of
improved roa Is and the supervision OF town
roads. Two-thirds Of the $l6S,S2o. or $ll2,5i6.
should therefore be charged against con
struction and maintenance, making the
total amount $3.50 09l. or % per cent of the
total amount OF work, which. as stated
above. was 81 0t96 35.
The statement that the cost Of road con
structiOn has been enormously increased ny
the freight paid for importation of stone
from other states. is also entirely without
foundation: the total amount expended for
freight on stone imported from other states
being about $40 COZ. in connection with work
aggregating several millions of dollars, and
this imported stone was only used in cases
where suitable local material could not
possibly he obtained,
Heretofore the commission has RETAINED
from making any general public state
ment. believing that the proper time for
this would be a the hearing by the legls-
lative committee. when detailed figures
showing all expenditures by the department
will ne produced. but justice demands that
this explanation should now he given.
chairman Hooker tonight declared that
the figures which the Governor said he had
obtained from the commission on the cost
Of engineering must be on individual roads
and not an average. as the figures given in
his statement were absolutely correct.