Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-10-16
Cox HIGHWAYS
COST 80 CENTS
TO SPEND DOLLAR
Overhead Charges
Are Out Of All
Proportion.

11In0ls uisdIli'I uus W uuA
Machine Tells Of AutomO-
bile Costs and Of Increased
Salaries.
Warren, o.-(speciaI.)-"In 1918,
the state highway commission
spent for salaries and overhead
expenses 3o.6 cents for every dol
lar II expended in the actual cost
of road construction"
ain 1918, the state highway
commission expended $1,000 per
mile for salaries and overhead ex-
penses before a single shovel Of
dirt was turned or stone put
down on a road in the state Of
Ohio"
Backed up by facts and figures to
prove q tremendous extravaganza"
in the state highway department as
at present conducted by Governor
Cox, Frank B. Willis, Republican can
didate for governor, this afternoon
electrified a large audience with a
startling expose of what he termed
'.the most gigantic cog In the Cox
machine"
Everyone Of US favors the best
possible kind Of roads," declared
Mr.. Willis, as he began his dis
~cussion. "The roads are our
arteries of trade, and everyone
recognizes that the nor good
roads we have, and the better
they are, 70 much more prosper
Gus are our people, and SO much
greater are their possibilities Of
development"
"But building good roads Is an
entirely different proposition from
building a gigantic road ma
chine such as now exists at the
state house under the present
state administration. Under M
condition Is there justification for
tUG VNgTtSao GARSIfatk6sC baot
year of 3o.6 cents for every dol
lar expended In actual construe-
ton of the roads themselves.
'It cost the state last year in this
department $159,827.31 to expend in
actual road building $52I.0O0. Eight
years ago under Governor Herrick, 1t
cost but $500 to spend $780, 00. In
other words, while eight years ago
the overhead expenses of the state
highway commission, established and
fostered by Republicans, was but 6
per cent-the average for road build
~state--today these overhead expenses
Of the state have been increased to
30 per cent"
81 want you to know some of these
figures, tiresome as figures usually
are.
"The report of Auditor of State
Donahey for 1913 shows that the Co
lumbus Office Of the state highway
commission spent $50, 1877. % FOR sala-
ries and wages; $9,132.64 for travel
ing expenses; $3,071.93 for telegraph,
telephone, expressage, postage. etc.;
$6,749.90 for Office supplies and equip
ment; $3.328.98 for automobiles and
supplies; $4,468.93 for rent of Offices;
$764.52 for equipment Of laboratories;
a total, with incidentals included, Of
Sis, 1913. Then, in addition to these
lavish expenses, there was deity
tucked away among the vouchers,
paid from the fund for state aid In
road building, additional salaries and
expenses Of 81 resident engineers In
various counties, receiving S29, 944. 20,
and So inspectors receiving $40, 309.48,
which, with ~incidentals, made the
grand total expense Of this depart.
ment for overhead expenses alone
$3.50, 1927. 81.
"h 1t cost the state Of Ohio
Bog per cent for overhead ex.
penses in 1918, or, In round fia-
ures, $4,000, to spend 1921 900,
who can comprehend the vast ex-
penditures Of the year 1914, when
the state highway commissioner
absolutely, and without check of
any kind, save as the governor
himself may dictate, 10 spending
vastly Increased resources.
"In June, 1914, the automobile de-
partment turned over to the highway
commissioner $780, 900 to be expended
as he saw fit under the Cox law,
without restriction or limitation. I'm
der the Hfte law, providing q mill
and a half levy, more than $4,000, 900
additional has been given the state
highway commissioner to spend with.
out check or limitation. II It took
$780, 900, or 30.6 per cent to properly
manipulate the Democratic machine
in 1913 "a veal when a strenuous
campaign for reelection of the Demo
cratic ticket was not being waged),
can II be contemplated what an enor-
nous overhead expenditure 10 being
made from this great three and q