The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-03
County Engineer Campbell Re-
signs in Sharp Letter.
Charges Extravaganza in Use
of Bridge Funds.
THIS MAN is WELL PAID
Gets $40 Daily for Work and
Use of ShOvels.
Contractors Paid for Work
Upon Guess Measurements.

Following & war between J. A. Camp
bell county engineer. and members OF
the county board. Campbell this after
noon scrt his resignation to the board
and hurled It the commissioners charS-
Cs of extravaganza IN the expenditure
OF public funds. Campbell intlmates
that some of the public jobs have been
let at alarming expense and nave re
suited only il maintaining an lronclad
political prestige.
asked by the board several days ago,
following a wOrdy war in the COM
missioners' court Campbell was de-
MED expenses for help in road and
bridge work and expressed his convlc-
lions on the boards attitude. He tot-
lowed it Up by pointing to tat Salar
les and exoribitant wages which GER
tain people drew for their services.
The board told Campbell he might re-
sign and sent him a letter to that ell
feet.
In his letter to the board Campbell
points to the expenditure of 500 Dy
the board for name plate on the en-
trance at the fair grounds. he alSn
calls attention of the loose methOdS ol
the board in the building of the abut-
mcnt for the Sardou bridge approach
Here one man is said to have drawn
$40 a day for his own work ana the
furnishing OF a half dozen scoop SNOW
els to be used on the job 1t IS also
claimed that a team furnished at ~
a day. was used to haul sand ana thal
the hauling of the sand was charged
to the county at 10 cents load. ThiS
Job cost Il per cent above the estl-
mate Campbell wishes to wash his
hands of such transactions and sends |
this letter to the board with his resig-
nation:
He Tells of Extravaganza.
Board of Commissioners. Shawnee |
County, Kansas
Gentlemen: In compliance WIN
your request dated January the twenty
.7a1- nv a.
ton as county engineer, same to be ell
fective February fifth, 1912, instead OF
the fifteenth, as requested
In connection with the ABOVE II
ment of the methods 1 have advocated
in the building of roads and bridges
in Shawnee county
First To map all county ROADS
Croads between trading points,, and
have them classified according to their
Importance and with regard to direct
ness of route, minimum grade, mini
mum cost and the number OF people
second. To establish grade lines
on all such roads
Third. To grade all such ROADS.
making them conform with the estab-
lished grade line.
Fourth. To have work done IN
der rigid inspection
Fifth. To maintain said improves
roads by systematic dragging or 9TH
Sixth. To keep an accurate cost of
the construction and maintenance.
Seventh. To replace all temporary
culverts and short span bridges. as
they deteriorate. with permanent
structures of standard design, thus do
ing away with the present endless eN-
pense of repair.
Eighth. TO gravel, 1nacadam. or oil
the more important roads. taking them
in the order of their Importance ThIs
work not TO be done until after all
county roads have been graded as
q bovs specified: this will prevent the
present slip-shod method OF construc-
ton
Useless Expense Is Shown.
Verbally Mr.. Sinner and Mr.. O'Neil
are in favor of the above methods. but
although they constitute majority of
the county board. the old Rule of
Thumb method is still in practice in
the construction of these public i'm
provements- The methods used are
appalling to any one having had the
least experience with construction
work. and although the results obtained
are sometimes good the cost has been
extreme. as in the case of the abut-
ment recently erected at the east APP
proach of the Sardou avenue bridge
across the Kansas river This concrete
abutment was not built under contract
for a stipulated sum but was construct
ed on the county's time at the follow
ing prices:
Men IS days at SAILS per day.. 1Ss 20
Team % days at $500 per day.. 5000
sand. So loads at 10 cents $50
,un1i,er. and cement .................. ia. es
Rock OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 90
Total cost ............................. s6ss As
The cost of this work was about $1,000
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