The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1911-04-08
A DISGUSTING EXHIBITION

sistent rumor that the State
Road Comm ssion would not proceed
with the building OF the Elkton- Chesa-
peake City road. because we were not
willing to credit The rumor until il had
something like official confirmation.
1t did not seem possible to us that any
set linen. above the grade OF I'M
beetles, could be guilty OF such an eN-
hibi.ion OF business stupidity and we
have not credited the report, until
word has come quite direct this week
from member o. the Commission it
self that the road would not be built
for the present, at least, because the
appropriation for Cecil county is ex-
hausted.' Everybody. OF course, wants
to know al once WHEN it was ex-
hausted. The contracts for this road
were given out last fall Didn't the
Road Commission know. when it gave
out those cont, cts, whether or not
the appropriation was exhausted: The
contractors furnished bond and have
been doing some work off and on al
winter on bridges. etc. Has not the
Road Commission known all this time
whether or not the appropriation was
exhausted? II they have not known it,
WHY NOT? The simplest sort OF
bookkeeping would certainly have
served 20 show them how their finan-
ces stood, and it is utterly inconceiv-
abe that any set OF business men
would be SO totally wanting in business
sense as to execute contracts lor the
building oi six miles OF road at an ex-
penSe OF so or 90 thousand dollars,
without knowing whether or not they
had the money in hand or in sight with
which 20 make good. We have never
given Austin L. CrotherS or John NJ
Tucker credit Tor any particular busi.
ness ability or experience. We have
contenied fro mthe beginning that to
put the expenditure OF five millions of
entrust the execution Of great pub
lie enterprise like this to mere hab-
les in ne word OF big business. was a
most dangerous experiment Tor the
State o, Maryland The successful
handling OF large business affairs is
quite different matter from the handl
ing al sm-,l local politics-and the
raj! ing OF CrothIrs and Tucker has
been nthe latter rea M quite exciu-
Sively. But when all this is said. when
one has conceded the utter unhtness
o these gentlemen for The job the,
are on. il still seems wholly unreason
able to think they would give out these
great contracts Tor The E'kton-Chesa-
peake road without any funds TO back
them up. VIII they dare face the pub
lie with the statement that when they
made these contracts last iall they d,o
not know the appropriation ior Cecil
county was exhaustsd2 Il so, they
would nvic' themselves OF such
gross ignorance. such utter business
pueriity as would merit the contempt
OF every schoo, boy in the land. Ii
then the appropriation was not ex-
hauS'cd, wnen these contracts wer,
executed last ial, WHEN AND HOW
HAS 1T BECOME EXHAUSTED;
There has been no road building GO
ing on this winter WHAT HAS EN-
HACSTED THE APPROPRIA-
TlON: Here is case OF amazing
stupidity: unless some better exp,ana-
ton can be offered than the mere state
ment that the appropriation is ex-
lauSted'
kxasperatiue: Certainly. How can
ii pc anything else than exasperating
to think what awful toll is taken o.
the peoples ,oi' by men who come
INFO places OF responsibility for which
they are wholly untitled, simply by
reason OF their shrewd political acti-
tliies. The leople have to pay ar aw-
iul price for their bind allegiance to
men whose sole business is the busi-
:ess OF politics.