New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-20
Murtauoh Measure, Denounced
as Monstrous. Adopted by
the Tammany Senate.
SINGLE HEAD UNCHECKED
Engineer or superintendent OF
Public Works Would Have
No Voice in. the Spend
ing of s5o,o00,o 900.
fBy relssraph % Tb. Tribune

Albany. Feb. ia--By vote OF % 10 ?
the senate passed to-day the Murfausn
bill reorga MIXING the state Highway De-
part,ucnt. The measure Vas vigorously
opposed on the ground that it would in
t,oduce even greater extravaganza into
good roads work than had resulted from
fhe reorganization OF the Highway De-
partrnent by Tsmmany two years ago.
or those who voted for the bill three
were observation-disclosures whose vote
IS Tnmulany's whenever desired. and VINO
obtained a ST. 5000 road from the Demo-
cratic depa rtment for his district couple
OF years ago. Wilson and whitney
Palmer. Republican and Progressive also
favored the measure.
The Murtaugh bin Is the Democratic
answer 10 tho two years Of Incompetence
and extravaganza. il not Of graft which
followed the abandonment OF the Hughes
highway system. II creates a Superln-
tendent OF Highways, in charge OF good
roads work, and eliminates from any par
ticipation in road building the State En-
gineer ana the Superintendent OF Workt,
who now are members OF the Highway
Commission.
Senator Zion i. Brown, Republican
leader, attacked the bill bitterly, saying
IL would lead TO worse conditions than
had existed under the Murphy-D.x High
way Commission, which was notorious
FOR waste and cStravagance. And that
commission. ne said, had diverted 54VH.-
90 Of the original t"co,.co appropriation
for roads 10 favored persons and ssctioHs
4
or the Sulzcr department investigators
really investigated anything he said.
you would be overwhelmed with eyi-
dence Of how this department sqaandered
money. III my county 900 was spent
last year IN repairing road. ana this
year there Is a contract for the eypeno,-
ture OF 10000 FOR repairs for the same
road Under the Hughes commission the
department employed eight laborers and
10 foremen. The present department en-
ployed 900 foremcn and 30 laoorers. TIE
commission has let as many contracts y
possible without competitive bidding.
They have permitted unbalanced bids ard
supplemental agreements. which means
great cost TO the state.
Now the state IL to expend $0.o1o.oto
more on road building. BY this bill You
permit this enormous sum 10 be expended
IS single Official, unchecked even by
the state Engineer and the Superlntend-
ut o. Public Works The letting OF con-
tracts surely ought not TO be intrusted 20
one man. We, everything ~ this bill Is
left % ,he discretion OF the commissioner
Heretofore important contracts huve been
left FOR action By the boards. carefully
subjected 10 checks and balances. SoJ
Ar. nov bidding for another catastrophe.
10 leave so much power 90 one man IS
Inonstrous.
Senator Murtaugh who fathered tHe
Dix Murphy bill o. two Years ago ano
has 10 handle its successor. defended the
present coramis sion and the new PROPOSE
ton. he SAID tie new commissioner couin
not use FUNDS before they were appro-
pr.ted AMI all contracts for repair ana
rnsin.ensrce rnust he by competitive
bidding. lie referred 70 these points as
checks on the commissioner. lie asserted
tina, tho present Highway Commission
rad been successful.
Senator Sage interrupted TO say that il
the present commission were successful
II was difficult 20 see why the Democrats
desired 10 change IT,
Senator Palmer advised the Legislature
to forget politics In the administration or
the Highway Department
The bill was denounced b. Senator Wal
t-rs who said that Senator Murtsugh had
described no real check on the commits
s'oner.
In Inc Assembly the Evans bill. denti
cal With the one lust pa ssed by the Sen
ate will he on the calendar for second
reading on Monday night