El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-07-24

4Srsin Pool. in an open letter to the
people of FL Paso county mas sta1Su
that If he is elected county Juuse, ne
pledges himself TO main talh tlS S t-.,.s
roads on par with Inc Des1
That sounds fine in an open letter
and might be taken at par II lhe Idcts
did not contradict such statement
Pool is the candidate or the rms Or
ganization This ring organization mas
had the control Of the expenditure %
the county road money since lL Wa
voted by the people ana a looh into
the record Of the FL Paso county au-
ditor's office shows a few facts tnat
throw light on what may be expected
If Pool is elected There IS but one
way to tell what viii happen IN the
future and that is by what has hap
pened in the past Pool IS a ring man
and will conduct the affairs OF the
county as the ring has done, II ne
should be elected The record or the
ring in the expenditure Of the county's
good money is Of vital importance in
showing what may be expected from
PooI-ring administration Of the coun-
tvs business
No Reports On Road Work.
When the road bonds were voted by
the taxpayers Of FL PasO county they
were promised a weekly report OF the
progress on the road work There has
been but one such report made public
and that was more than month ago
It was on the work done on the north
loop road and the county engineer
stated that the cost Of paFinE the
north loop road amounted TO S5,OSl.
Yet the last report in the county audi
tors office Of the work done on the
north loop up 10 July l shows that
$40. 600 had been expended Up TO that
time. This report adds that only 14-54
miles Of paving work had been fin
ished, three miles Of Stag and the re-
mainder Of the seven miles was yet
TO be done. It is estimated by this re-
port that $4,000 would be needed TO
finish the north loop.
Some efficient Management"
On July / the auditors books
showed that S1S,7919O had been ex-
pended for repairs on the old paved
road between Fabens and FL Paso. a
distance OF % miles. An estimate was
made and submitted to the commits
siOners court, stating that the road
fr0m Fl PasO TO Fabens could be re-
surfaced at a cost Of $1,000 a mile This
is an acknowledgment that the 3d.
1880 which was shown 70 have been
spent for repairs on the Fabens-El PasO
road had been wasted. as the county
commissioners court had received an
estimate for resurfacing this road at a
cost Of $1,000 a mile. An efficient
management OF the affairs Of Fl Paso
county would have saved this dead
loss OF S1S,79L90, as IL is a known
fact that the road is now in worst
condition than it has ever been
Road Money Wasted.
Pool tells what he will do to make
the county roads OF FL PasO county as
good as the best streets in Fl PasO.
The county auditors books show that
more than $4,000 has been spent on
the roads Of the upper valley, where
Pool claims his ranch" is located. With
the single and only exception Of a dirt
road from his ranch" to the main road
there Is little or no indication OF any
improvements having been made in the
upper valley although the auditors re-
ports show the figures $4,000 since
October. 1913, in plain black on white
The county engineer estimated the
cost Of resurfacing the county road ,
from Anthony to Fl Paso at $4,000.
This could have been done with the
$4,000 that the auditors reports show
has already been spent and there would
have been left S23. 900 difference, which
could have been used to build many
miles Of dirt road had the $4,000 been
used properly and economically.
What to Expect.
Had this been done. the people OF
the upper valley could have had some
good roads on which TO haul their
crops to the railroad and 10 the city.
POOL has taken credit for these eN-
penditures IN the upper valley and
points to the total OF $4,000 with con-
siderable pride II that is what the
county has done in the past with Pool /
only indirectly interested, what could ]
the taxpayers expect from a ring ad- (
minlstratlon OF the road funds with Z
Pool In charge OF the funds2
hLaN Night be Done
Pool talks about giving FL Paso
county roads on a par with the citv I
streets. Let me give him some figures !
to show him what might have been ]
done with the S35O,00O worth Of road /
bonds If the money had been expended I
as II should have been. The Texas !
Bitulithic Paving company, which /
makes the best pavement for this /
climate, puts down a paving for 81 46 /
per square yard. which is the same as
was laid on Bliss street in the cftv
and which is acknowledged TO be first
class paving. The estimated cost per
mile for nine-foot road is S770SSO.
Some Questions UnaDswerabIe.
According 70 figures in the engineers |
office Of the county il cost Ss6 a mile !
for parking II is figured that bridges /
on the first Is miles Of the north 1
loop road cost approximately $4,000 \
which is an average Of less than $3.50 1
per mile Instead Of S36 per mile for
parking, I will allow 500 per mile for
parking Instead OF $3.50 per mile for
bridges, I will allow $500 per mile |
Adding the amount OF grading. which is /
s391-2O, the total cost per mile for Texas ]
Bitulithic paving cannot be over $500 !
per mile. This paving carries a i've !
year guarantee. According to their own ]
report up to July 1, IT has cost the /
county over $500 a mile for paving and /
you cannot point to "A single mile Of I
paving that would be considered first /
class on the north loop road although I
months. Where is there any efficiency I
in the expenditure Of the peoples money I
in these figures2
Where IL the Eniciemcyf
Ny figures show that % 7-IO miles 4
Of the north loop road, paved with 4
Bitulithic paving, would have cost a I
little over S201. 900. The county has al /
ready spent $4,000 on the north loop /
road and the estimate shows that |
1900 more is needed to finish the |
road This is a total OF S167. 900. But /
three miles Of the % 7-10 miles has Z
been built with Stag and not paving I
and the remaining unfinished miles will (
be Stag. Where is there any economy, !
efficiency or good business manage I
ment in this method Of spending the /
cOunty's money!
Plenty of MOney-Where Is lit
Taking the figures Of the county /
engineers office, every mile Of the ]
road from Fabens to Ell PasO and from /
Anthony to FL Paso. a distance Of 40 /
miles. would have cost $4,000 to re- I
surface; The north loop road, paved /
with Bitulithic, would have cost /
s20Looo. There was S35O,oOo available |
from the road bonds. This would have /
left approximately 500 900 to be used I