Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-03-17

effect that the county appropriated
$5OO000 in road bonds last year and
that, when the bonds were voted it was
expected that the state would expend
at least 100000 to assist in the build
ing of the highway across the county,
a distance of 81 miles. After the ex'
penditure of $41S,000 upon the high
way, however, the result is but l4l2
miles of hard surface road and IA
miles of graded road in the Siskiyous.
1t is claimed by the commissioners
that Engineer Bowlby's estimate of the
cost of constructing hard surface
road over the Siskiyous would be $780,
000 The contract price was Sli5,OOO;
allowance have already been made for
extras amounting to $l95,00O, and that
recently Contractor Sweeney, who was
building the road over the SiskiyOus,
through his attorney Ex-Governor West
| formerly chairman Of the state high.
way commission, had presented the
Jackson county court with an additional
claim of $4,000 with the assurance
that if a settlement was not made for
| $4,000 less than the amount of the
claim action would be begun in the
courts for recovery of the full amount.
1t is further charged by the Jackson
county commissioners that the 100000
bond issue was placed in Jackson
county bank to the credit of the state
highway commission and that allow
ances of claims against this fund were
allowed by Highway Engineer Bowlby
without consultation with or the con
sent of the county court, which the
commissioners declared was an outrage
and Governor Withycombe, as chair
man of the commission, agreed with
them, Governor Withycombe also ex
pressed surprise that former Governor
West, after having served as chairman
of the state highway commission and
passed upon all of the work outlined
and authorized by the engineer should
accept a commission as counsel for the
contractor to collect extra charges fol
the construction of he road
Under the provisions of the Vawtel
bill jackson county is to receive the
, benefit Of the expenditure Of 20 pei
cent Of the quarter.mill state road levy
which will amount to about $4,000 foi
Jackson county upon the roads Of that
county, and, the county commissioners
, claim, if the state would guarantee the
expenditure Of not less than $l5000C
, toward the completion of the jackson
county roads this year. it would moi
q more than compensate the county foi
the money that has been wasted through
extravaganza upon improvements up tC
; the present
''Am ! to understand from what yot
say, gentlemen, that the roads in Jack
son county are poorly constructed'
! asked the governor.
I " Yes" replied Commissioner Mad
den, "fully 80 per cent Of the people Of
I jackson county will tell You that they
are. If couldn t have taken tn,
. amount of money available for roat
' construction in Jackson county ant
e saved at least SljO,OOO in the expendi
1 lures, ] would jump in the river. ~
1 Highway Engineer Bowlby was ex
' pected to return to the city today from
b an inspection tour Of the roads in Clat
e sop and Columbia counties and 1t is pos
sible that he may be in attendance n
z the meeting this afternoon and piyel
4 an opportunity to defend himself
e against the complaints that are bein,
e lodged against him. At any rate tn,
8, highway commission intends to review
All OF the road matters that have beer
placed before it when Engineer BowIb,
returns.
= At the last meeting of the highwa,
, commission it was agreed that Enginee
Bowlhy would be allowed to remain /,
# office indefinitely in order to complet
,. the road work already undertaken nm
10 der his administration hut not Ia bepi,
d any new work until successor haa heel
e chosen, In the light Of recent event,
d however It is possible thar the commits
20 sion may decide to relieve him of nj
'c authority as soon as possible and Mi
10 may be decided upon at today's meet
.c my Secretary of State Olcott was mo
present at his morning hearing
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