Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1914-04-10
A Protest By Road Superintendent nj
M. d. Knight
Foreman.

Board Of County Commissioners of Mont
gomery County.
The Grand Jury having charged me with
violation Of law. and as the law constitutes
your Board as the judges of such charges,
it is but proper that | make statement
setting forth the facts which were easily
Obtainable by them, but which they could
not have considered.
First; AS to the delay in my report to
County Commissioners, technically the law
was not complied with, but as before in
formed the Board the report was practically
ready when due. with the exception Of
some important expenditures which were
in process Of adjustment, II being deemed
of the law for the public information than
TO have such information omitted OF incor-
rect. Had the Board desired this report
without it, they could have had it any time
they requested. The statement that my
report was incomplete Is misleading, as in
myletter of transmittal Informed the Board
there were few tables as to road mileage
and costs desired to include as II matter
of record and would make a supplemental
statement These are simply to be a sum
mary Of all the stone roads in the county
showing costs and mileage, and have no
bearing whatever on my report.
Second ! hold that the Grand Jury has
placed a strained construction on the law
providing funds for resurfacing roads. The
Acts of 1912 provided general levy Of
six cents for the years 1912 and 1913 to
be used for resurfacing the Laytonsville
road from Muncaster's Mill Cross Roads to
Laytonsville. Connecticut Avenue Extended
from Bradley Lane to Chevy Chase Lake
and the Rockville and Georgetown pike
from the District Line TO Rockville. II could
not have been contemplated by the law
that this sum. $24. 900. would be sufficient
to reconstruct the entire fourteen miles
named. Had it been apportioned on a
mileage basis the amount available for the
Laytonsville road, 3.8 miles. would have
been in round numbers $6.4l5. or about
$l,7l4 per mile.
That ii was insufficient is evidenced by
the fact that the Board paid two-thirds Of
ii over to the Office Of Public Roads to be
used in conjunction with funds for expert
mental work The reconstruction of Con-
necticut Avenue Extended. 1.2 miles, cost
$26.045. of which $8.245 was from this
levy
The Rockville pike cost $42, 43O for plain
macadam resurfacing and $9,752 for tar
wearing surface. total Of $52,l82. Of
which $4,000 was from this levy.
At the direction Of the Commissioners
plans were made for three sections Of the
LaytOnsvlle road to be resurfaced with
plain macadam and the work advertised.
F. Irwin Ray was awarded the work at
price bid. but asked some changes and
amendment In the plans and specifications.
Before final agreement had been reached,
Mr.. Ray showing Discrimination to enter
into contract, and representations having
been made by residents and taxpayers OF
the First district that the resurfacing should
be done in the most durable way and that
they considered tar concrete only would
stand the traffic and that If this proved
successful, they thought the taxpayers Of
the district would raise funds to complete
in the same manner, the Board finally
decided to comply with their request. Such
work requiring special knowledge, skill and
being the firm whose work these GENTLE
men had inspected and recommended, was
asked to bid upon the work. They declined
to enter into contract at a specific price.
owing to the small amount Of work, the
uncertainty as TO stone and the cost Of
organization and Of moving in their plant,
but proposed to do the work at cost plus
IL IL per cent. to cover profit and for use
Of scariiier, steam drills and all tools and
implements other than crusher and mixing
plant, which were hired at an agreed price
An agreement was entered into at fixed
Prices for labor and teams as shown in
contract, the price for engineers. 35 cents
per hour, having been omitted. was written
in before signing. and so initiated by me,
and the agreements and plans and specih-
cations we're approved by the Chief En-
gineer Of the State Roads Commission,
whose inspector was instructed to act as
time-keeper and TO keep check on all
material and costs Of the work. This was
necessary to enable the county TO be repaid
for this expenditure from our allotment Of
the automobile funds. The operation and
detail costs Of this work are fully set ouI
in my report and were before the Grand
Jury. Their statement Of the costs Il
inaccurate. and they had before them 0
corrected bill which was and is held unit