The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-18

Bernardsvilie, y. ]. He said he had very
little 10 add TO the statement Of facts
set forth yesterday In THE EVENING sun.
II was true. he said. that the Dix good
roads commission met on October -.
1912. and approved about 100000 OF
expenditures on contracts and that the
meeting was very brief. He went on to
say that the action OF tho commission
was purely formal and that the respons-
billty for the merit Of the work on the
roads lay with the State Superintendent
of Highways. c. Gordon Reel
Under the law the supervision OF
highway contracts 10 "A subject for the
sole consideration OF the State Superin-
tendent Of Highways on the day men
toned many expenditures on contracts
were brought up for formal approval
by the highway commission. You are
TO understand that such contracts often
came up simply as matter or form, ana
usually after payments had been made
by the state Comptroller. The Comp
troller wanted the approval OF the com
mission in addition to that OF the actual
workers in the Highways Department.
I'VE would approve them only when
they had received the approval or the
men in active control OF the work in the
field. They came to us with the approval
OF the Deputy Superintendent OF High
ways. The board was in no position to
know ANYTHING of the actual work. for II
had nothing to do with the actual work OF
administration.
1.-THE law puts the power Of supervision
specifically In the hands OF the state Su-
perintendent OF Highways. He was tn.
only member OF the good roads commits
sion who had the time TO find OUT def-
nitely what the character of work actu-
ally was.
1.-THE other members OF the board acted
solely in an advisory capacity. They had
no power Of appointment or discharge as
regards the men actually In charge or
road work That was the function Of the
state Superintendent OF Highways. We
knew nothing about the contracts or tho
expenditures on them beyond the reports
OF the Superintendents subordlnates"
Mr. Bensel said he had received no
word from the District Attorney OF Al
bany county. but that II he is wanted ne
will not wait to be served with sub
p9na.
"Ill sec him II he wants me-" ne said
I'm not going TO be the goat for any
BODY" said Supt. Reel when he was
asked about the matter. He added:
we proceeded with these maintenance
contracts precisely in accordance with
the custom OF the department for years.
have no more personal knowledge OF
these matters nor any greater response
billty than either OF the other two COM
"For years the First Deputy Superin-
tendent OF Highways has had the power
to proceed to repair highways without
being formally instructed TO do so by the
commission. That was the rule when
was First Deputy, and had been long be-
fore Sometimes there was as much as
six weeks delay before II meeting of the
commission, and II was impracticable to
hold up the repair work FOR such n meet
Ing. The custom was for the commission
to get together and approve the mainte-
nance contracts which had been entered
into by the deputy. In this case Mr.. Foley,
who had authority as to details.
"I can see no Improperly In thts
There was a difference of opinion on
at least one occasion ! remember between
the other two commissioners and myself
They wanted me to take the RESPONSE
bnity OF the approval of these contracts
made by the deputy, but insisted that
the responsibility therefor rested upon
them quite as much as upon me-
II have no recollection OF particular
meetings and am not clear MS to Just
what contracts were involved In this In
starce--there were thousands OF these
maintenance contracts--it long had been
tho general custom for the deputy to
send contracts 10 the secretary OF tho
commission for submission at the next
meeting, and have no doubt that these
followed the usual courses.
There was absolutely no wrongdoing
on my part, and ! don't propose to be
made the goat for anybody"