Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1911-12-15
Governor crothers Says No.



approaching session of the Legislature, by
which the control of the State Roads Com
mission was to be taken out of the hands
of Mr.. GOldsborough, the incoming Govern
or, was because it was proposed to put
Governor Crothers at the head of the COM
mission to succeed Chairman Tucker as
soon as his term of office as Governor shall
expire.
Governor Crothers was asked if there was
any likelihood of his becoming chairman
of the commission to succeed Mr.. Tucker.
Under no consideration" he said,
would accept the place. have said so
a number of times. As far back as last
summer. when some of my friends sue-
| gested that it was work that might be
pleasing to me after my term as Governor
should have expired, | told them that moth
ing would induce me to take the place.
The suggestions to that effect have been
made in many cases in all kindness by
friends who have thought that it was the
work that was dearest to my heart and
who felt that my interest in it was such
that ! would be glad to serve as chairman
of the commission in order to see the work
carried on along the lines originally laid
out. To everybody who spoke of the mat
ter with this idea in view have frankly
stated my position.
Il repeat that there is no consideration
that would induce me to serve in that posi-
ton. There are number of very good
reasons for this, but one will be sufficient,
and that is that do not want to. would
not tie myself down to the work, and the
kind of work that it is necessary for the
chairman of the commission to do is not to
my liking. There are many other reasons
why the place would not appeal to me, but
that one is enough.
when my term of Office expires my con-
nection with the commission will end and
| will have no further interest in it other
than any citizen ought to have in great
enterprise of his State. | do not see how
| can make that more definite"
Some comment has been occasoned by
the fact that the Roads Commission has
spent more money in the present calendar
year than is available, and that it now
owes contractors some 100000. When
the Governor was asked about this he said:
Eyes, it is absolutely true that we have
gone ahead with work inc excess of the
amount of money available. We owe con-
tractors approximately 100000, there's
no doubt about that. But I'll take the
responsibility for it. Put it all on me if
you want to. The people want the roads
finished as soon as possible and we don't
propose to stand on a technicality of the
law in the face Of such good bodybuilding
weather as we have had.
"Of course, no one wants to wilfully
ignore the law, but when these contracts
were given out no one expected they could
be rushed as they have been. We did not
think they could be finished up so rapidly.
In no year since the work has been begun
have we had such weather as we have had
this winter. The good Lord gave it to us
and we are taking advantage of it, The
people want the roads built as soon as
possible and they do not care for the finan-
cial details so long as the money will be
available in a short time.
Suppose we had arbitrarily stopped the
contractors on November because the
money was not available, had lost all this
time and had compelled the people to drive
hub-deep through the mud all winter and
spring over stretches of road that could
have been completed. Then the same peo-
pie who are bowling now would have
howled about our lack of fOrethought.
81 know the people are with me in this
matter, and the howlers may howl as they
please. We are going right ahead with
the bodybuilding, and if this weather keeps
up all winter, we will build roads all win
ter, or as long as have anything to do
with it. We will not worry about the
money. If anybody wants to kick let them
kick don't care"
But what about the interest on these
deferred payments, Governor.
well what about it? We are saving
interest on the bonds that have not been
issued, are we not? The difference will be
very small and the use of the roads DOT
ten before they were expected will more
than compensate the people for the little
additional interest The contractors are
not losing any sleep about the matter
They seem to be satisfied"
The plan followed since the supply Of
money became exhausted has been to give
the contractors statements showing the
amount of money due them by the State
and they have no treble in discountine
these at the banks. They pay per cent.
for which the State will reimburse them
The State has been selling the road bonds
on basis of about 4 per cent, and as this
interest is saved the difference amounts &c
about 2 per cent.
The matter was brought up at a meet.
ing of the commission on Monday, and Mr.
Carville d. Benson, counsel to the commits
sion, stated that although the amount ex.
pended had been in excess of the amount
available, il was not in excess of the
amount authorized by law, because the
fiscal year of the commission does not end
until July next. After his explanation a
committee, consisting of Chairman Tucker
DIR. W. Bullock Clark and Mr.. Benson, was
appointed to consider the financial situa-
ton and arrange TO continue the work. The
committee unanimously decided to keeI
the work going, and to arrange with the
banks for funds for work necessary to be-
done before bad weather sets in, and fol
| caloriac nf