Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1914-03-27
The report in full is:
An Impartial Investigation.

An Impartial Investigation.
TO THE FARMERS OF THURS
TON COUNTY: Your special COM
mittee of fifteen, in making the hasty
examination that it has been compell-
ed to make to date, to find, if it can,
an answer to your question, where
does the money co., desires to say at
the outset that it has pursued the in
vestigation without any prejudice to-
wards anyone, or without the idea of
getting anyone, but with an idea of
finding out, if possible just the condi-
ton of the county's affairs.
Your committee feels that the in
vestigation is not completed as 1t
should be. There are some points
that your committee would like to
know more about, for instance,
whether the county engineer makes
an inspection of all of the county
bridges at least once a year, as your
committee is informed the law re-
quires, and why, if he does, it has
been necessary for the county COM
missioners to construct all but three
of the bridges built since January 4,
1911 under emergencies (and two of
these because the county attorney
would not let them).
The committee would also like to
know if the county engineer is re-
quired or supposed to draw plans
and specifications for the county
bridges, because, contrary to the gen.
eral idea, your committee under
stands that the county engineer does
not prepare such plans and specifica-
tions. but on the other hand each
bridge company submits with it's bid
plans and specifications prepared for
that bid, and consequently can draw
its plans and specifications to suit
its own particular ideas and the ma
terial it happens to have on hand.
Could Get Standard.
In this connection your committee
is informed that it would be very
easy for the county commissioners to
get from the American Bridge and
Dredging company standard set of
plans and specifications which cover
all kinds of bridges, and which your
committee is informed are recognized
as planned on standard construction.
not favoring one bidder over another.
In this connection your committee
would like to know how it happens
that the Coast Bridge Company Of
Portland, Oregon, is awarded all Of
the contracts for constructing bridges
under emergencies, and generally
those upon which bids are called for.
Your committee would also like to
know how it happened that the Nc
Bratney Brothers have been favored
with eighty-five or ninety per cent of
the blacksmithing work of this coun-
ty since January l, 1911, and wheth-
er or not the law has been violated in
uoing it.
Your committee would also like to
know further, why the county COM
missioners, in many instances pay
bills of several thousand dollars In
warrants of $500 each. that is,
whether it is done to evade some law
or for some other reason.
Duplication Of Inspection.
Your committee would also like to
know whether it is required that the
county commissioners and the county
engineer both inspect the roads built
in the county or Upon which improve
ments are requested, thus duplicat-
ing the inspection work on these
roads. This point is brought up be-
cause your committee has frequently
heard that such inspection frequently
exceeds the cost of construction in
many instances, and after such in
spection the commissioners come
back and report no money in the
funds to make the improvement de-
sired.
You may be surprised to learn that
Thurston County has bought from
Beall and Company of Portland, Ore
gon, dealers in road machinery and
supplies, approximately $17,5OO
worth Of machinery since January /,