New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-01-27
DIX AROUSES OPPOSITION
Plan to Abolish Highway Conn.,
mission Causes Protest.
SCHEME FEARED
Republican Leaders Go on Rec
ord Against Putting Con-
tracts at Tiger Mercy.

The ,~onosal Of tho state administration
IN abolish the state Highway 'ominis''o"'
oe.abrisbed bv Governor Hughes, ana iNrn
.b. department over 20 the state Eng heer
.,,1 s,,rvevor ie meeting with a hood Or
..r,+,e+s from all sections OF the state.
- is felt that the plan is only scheme
- enable Tammany Hall to get control Or
contracts aggregsting manT milohs anu
also Of a vast amount OF patronage.
"The state Engineer has all ne can 90
~ build the barge canal said hdW'h a
Merritt. jr. Republican leader IN me Az
sor,bl,. Road building under the new
conditions Of traffic is not fixed science
I'd tho methods have 10 he determined
b,. experience New York for many years
has beer spending more money ON roads
,,,ar any otter state but only within the
lost two Years has il become the acknoWl-
edqad leader Of all states in road building
.rta highway law i'm this state Is consid-
I'D model which good roads enthusi-
go, ., every other state arc trying 20
o,~,. and IL seems absurd that FOR little
political advantage We should give I'D our
premier position as road building Siat'.
The righwav law Of 1893 for the hrst
,.r-e s,stematized the important matter or
.rc buudine md supervision or an the
,rade 81 tho state. making possible NOT only
.,o dovslopme7t Of d comprehensive sys-
80, NJ state highways. but also lnsuring
80. constant Improvement Of local roads
ofore, scientific lines II has been found
tt.,-ert, that tho State Engineer depart
mi was unable 10 handle this problem
p,,,erv two years q different state EnGt.
,,.or came into Office. with nav IDEAS. new
methods and a new staff.
..t1ence the state policy or road building
was utterly inconsistent and wasteful.
Dur,ng the ten years the State Engineer
had charge eighteen hundred miles o.
state roads were built and allowed TO 60
IN pieces. The present administration pro-
noses nothing les than a return 20 this
ba-baric state o. affairs
Change Disastrous, Says Bracket.
Senator Edgar r Bracket. Republican
lender I'm the upper chamber and a mem
her NJ the commission that drafted the
present law. said
| Nothing Is nearer the people Of the
state than the building and care Of the
-cade. THIS matter vitality affects ever,
] %
farmer suffers his margin Of profit de-
ere, SOS. and his misfortune alone affect.
every person in tho state.
Road building is too important 20 DO i'm
trusted 10 a short-terrn elective officer. suci
as the state Engineer. That plan hal
proved an expensive and disastrous failure
cannot think that the majority Boo I'M,
legislature will dare 10 abolish tho ~
6cient Highway Commission ana return Z,
the old methods
According 10 Senator George n. Cobb
majority leader IN the Senate last wear
the creation OF the Highway Commlsslo,
vas the result OF an extensive invest ieatlor
and a thorough study by non-partisar
commission. and n was beIieved by bot
,olltical parties a. that time that II wa
most satisfactory way 81 carving 81
tho important state function ~ highva,
Improvement.
Governor Dix in bis criticism AZ 10 m,
,,,ourt ~ money tho commission has OK
pended for repairs, said Senator Cobb