The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-12-18
COMMISSION WILL DECIDE
Engineer Appears to be Peeved at Cues
tions put by Members of Special Com
mittee of County Board and Declines
to go Into Details Of Tile Work.
(From Wednesday Daily

Y
FL. D. Blake, one of the minor en-
gineers of the Wisconsin State High
way Commission, who had lot to do
with the building of roads in Kenosha
county this year, had a second inning
before the special highway committee
of the county board examining into the
tile on the Sheridan road this morning,
but the statements failed to go far in
filing the aching void in regard to
facts in regard to the fixing of the
blame for tile troubles.
Mr.. Blake seemed to be impressed
with the Importance Of the commission
today and at the same time he showed
a feeling akin to pity for the members
Of the county board. He finally de-
clined to go into engineering details
in regard to the tile problem indicating
that he would not be able to make
some of the members of the commit
tee understand the facts on account OF
the fact that they were untutored in
the ways of the engineer and in the
mysteries of the profile. One of the
members of the committee was bold
enough to suggest that most any old
county supervisor could see how to
make water run down hill, but that it
was difficult to fathom the snake path
in which the tile had been laid in
some of the work done during the
season.
Mr.. Blake began his remarks by de-
claring that it was a case of finding
out, Who's a Liar" He carefully
eliminated the consideration Of the
state or any person connected with the
state commission from this argument
and declared that this was matter
for the county board. He went over a
lot Of ground which had been gone over
by the committee at previous sessions,
but WREN it was sifted down he held
that it was a matter between the high
way commissioner and the county.
Incidentally Mr.. Blake declined to
make any statement as to who should
foot bill of $207.60 which had been
contracted in the relaying and laying
of tile and which was presented to the
county clerk on Tuesday. He declar-
ed however that this bill would have
to be paid by either Highway Commits
sioner Mcclellan or the county He de-
clared that it would be up to the state
highway commission to decide just
where the money should come from.
When pressed for details in regard to
profiles and alleged changes in grades
Mr.. Blake insisted that he did not de-
sire to compromise the state commits
sion in any settlement that might be
made in the matter and then he care
fully but quietly slipped the buck along
to A. R. Hirst, the chief engineer of
the department. He intimated that
Mr.. Hirst, when he returns to Madison
after rather extended vacation, would
be able to dispose of the whole trouble
with few scratches of his pen and
that he did not believe that Mr.. Hirst
would find it even necessary to come
to Kenosha to confer with the commit
tee. Mr.. Blake admitted that the
work done was not done according to
the plan and that it had been passed,
accepted and paid for. After he had
completed his enlightening tale to the
committee he went out to pass a few
more pieces of road work.
The appearance of Mr.. Blake was
about the only thing Of interest be-
fore the committee this morning. The
elusive Mr. Frandsen, who had been
the contractor on the job did not ap-
pear before the committee, but it was
admitted that Mr. Frandsen had been
seen by the members of that body and
had given pretty thorough statement
Of his case in connection with the lay
ing Of the tile.
Highway Commissioner Mcclellan
was present but like Mr.. Blake he
showed an unwillingness to nix things
and he asserted that he believed that
Mr.. Hirst was the best man to go to
in the matter. Mr.. Mcclellan gave Mr..
Blake pretty compliment and he re-
ceiVed the retort courteous when Mr..
Blake insisted that considering the
work that had been done in the county
the matter in question was small one
to quarrel over and that the best thing
that the county board could do would
be to uphold the hands of the commits
sioner and seek to have the road work
continued in peace. The staid old bust
ness men of the committee seemed to