The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1914-10-09
INTERESTS BEHIND
BAD ROAD PLANK
Author Insists That Il Means
What Il Says.
TO END HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT

Would Benefit Harding and the Men
Who Have Contributed to Willis
Campaign Fund for the Purpose Of
Getting Control Of Road Contracts
and the Sale Of Road Machinery.
While Congressman Willis is busily
engaged In denying the import Of the
Republican bad Roads" plank, the
author Samuel Mcclure, insists 1t
means exactly what 1t says. Light Is
issued on the matter in the following
which appeared in the newspapers
on Sunday:
Was Not An Accident.
The assault upon the state high
way department by the Republican
platform, and the declaration to re-
turn to the county supervision in road
building, was not an accident. 1t was
carefully thought out, and intended
for the exact purpose of binding the
party to the old system of road build
ing-which was no system at all, but
as many systems as there are coun-
ties in the state. The men who adopt
ed the anti-good roads plank in the
Republican convention are too closely
associated with road-building ma
chinery for them to have overlooked
this chance Of selling millions of dol.
lars worth Of road machinery.
Where the roads are all constructed
under the county unit plan 1t natur-
ally requires more road machinery
than where the state supervises the
building and where roads are COM
pleted within a reasonable time. Any
man who has travelled over the state
in the good old days-has seen road
scrapers and rollers and cement mix
ers and other road tools rotting by |
the wayside. 1t was a common sight |
to encounter stone crushers rusting |
In the fields, and that meant money
in the pockets of the men who built |
such things. One does not find so |
much discarded machinery at this |
time-and business is not 80 good |
with the road machinery builders. |
So 1t was not an accident that the |
Republican platform should pledge
the party to repeal the law that saves
waste in road tools.
Names Are Given.
To be more specific. The Ohio
Tractor Roller Sales Co., doing busi-
ness in Columbus, Is equipped to sell
all kinds of road-building supplies,
rom pick handles to pumps, concrete
mixers and other heavy machinery.
The directors Of the company are
given as w. W. Williams, H. d.
Stevens. Newton NJ Miller, w. II.
Schaffner and Charles Doe. with w.
W. Williams, president, and Newton
VI. Miller general manager.
Newton M. MilleR was very active
n securing the nomination Of the
tand-pat candidate for governor. He
s credited In the statement of cam
Daign contributors as having put up
750 for the Willis campaign. In the |
makeup Of the Republican executive {.
ommittee we find that Mr.. Miller is
member from Franklin county. The
republican campaign book gives him
till further honor by designating
i'm as chief of the organization bu-
eau, whatever that means.
W. H. Shaffner, mentioned as di.
ector in the Ohio company, Is
rother of c. d. Shaffner of Marion,
director in the Ohio Tractor Manu-
acturing company. Warren G. Hard
lg is also a director in this latter
ompany, and the connections be-
ween the two companies arc such as
, lead one to believe that the Ohio
ractor Sales company was organ