Semi-weekly herald., 1914-09-17
to connect with the road from Ala

space IN giving history OI Lne Wofh
the past year and half. The first
mistake was made by the old highway
commission in designating the East
fork as the proper route withou. full
investigation; the next and inexcusa-
Bile error was in keeping Riley as en-
gineer when it was shown that he
had misropresented to the state high
way commissioners in the first place
regarding the West fork route. He
should have been asked to resign at
the Alamosa meeting. He positively
went on record in Denver to the cf-
feet that he had gone over the West
fork route and knew it to be pos
sible and the only practicable one
crossing the range and in less than
two months he admitted that ne had
not gone entirely over the route when
making his first statement. What pri-
vate individual would keep a, engi-
neer "a hours that misrepresented the
facts like this, and when the gene al
conditions are known it will be Won
dercd why members of the construc-
ton commission retained him. If Mr..
Herr had the authority it is safe to
say there would have been change
and that without ceremony After
the location of the West fork Wolf
creek route in which Mr.. Catchpolfe
and other members of the commission
from the San Luis valley vouched for
and figures presented by Mr.. Riley,
Mr.. Herr was asked for permission
to go ahead with the work, which
was granted. The construction COM
mission recommended that work start
Immediately by the day under u COM
potent road man instead of by con-
tract which Mr.. Herr favored but
the latter acquiesced in the recon-
mendation of the commission and it
will probably work out better than #
done by contract. Some two weeks
time was saved in matter of advertis-
ing and then more time for the sue
cessful bidder getting his outfit ready.
The contractor and general road man
of Archuleta county was placed In
charge under the supervision of As
sistant Superintendent Louis Wyman
and work started some four weeks
ago and ten days or two weeks ago
George Logan of this county was Sc
cured To take personal charge of the
men doing the work. The people If
Archuleta county have conlid ,nce in
their road men and we have confidence
in Mr. Logan, hence there is every
reason to believe that the state and
counties will receive full value for the
money paid out--in fact, ths best
value the state has had since the or
ganization of the highway commits
sion. With good force work will
be pushed and splendid Roadway made
from this on and our people can
confidently look forward to first class
connection early the coming summer.
The writer, as well as the general
run Of people, have been put out at
the delay in getting to work, the
best part of the summer being fritted
away. But under all of the conditions
is it not best? 1t has resulted in ev-
erything thrashed out and the conten-
tions of both sides to the controversy
given consideration and The Herald
suggests that one and all drop fur
ther agitation and put their shoulders
to the wheel
Mr.. Herr Says Ehrhart Not to Blame
81 do not think The Herald was fair
in its criticisms of State Highway
Commissioner Tom Ehrhart," said
Mr.. C. e. Herr, in talking of the
matter the other day. Il know that
Mr.. Ehrhart has been an ardent friend
of this southern highway connection
and has made number Of trips to
Alamosa and the San Luis valley to
help along the work. 1t should be re-
membcred that the state highway
commission is limited in its powers
has very little to say. 1t is given
only $4,000 year for salaries and
all side expenses and cannot person
ally spend dollar of the road funds
The only power the commission has
after appropriating certain amount
Of money to a district, is to designate
s highway and say whether funds
shall be used for the roed. After
awarding the funds then the expendi.
tuse Of the same lies with the coun-
ties or, in this case, with the con.
struction commission and in appoint.
ing the commission in question the
advice of the attorney general was
followed in its makeup. Myself mol
no member Of the state highway com.
missioners have any voice in who the
engineer shall be or the expenditure
of the funds, but must rely wholly or
the honesty and ability of the county