The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-02-02
IsY0UR TAX MONEY BEING SQUAN-
DERED? OKLAHOMA NE TH0OS
Perncious Lobby is Maintained at the Capitol Against
the Oklahoma Highway Department. County After
County Now Adopting Plans of Highway Depart
ment and Building Better Bridges Tor Less Money

redoubled since the publication OF the
first article. but Commissioner OF
Highways. Sidney Suggs, when asked
to prefix this article with a few lines
regarding the situation said, The fight
is on at the legislature. ! have been
told time and time again that II the
Tin bridge trust did not get me, II
would get them, and they may get me
but | want it to be understood that
would rather die with the people than
live with the interests whose only de-
sire is to get as much OF the tax money
as possible for the least value. Don't
forget that these bridge companies pay
no taxes in Oklahoma and even dodge
their automobile tax when they can.
The following is from Successful
Farming:
Without hesitation. premeditation,
or malice aforethought, would an
swer. yes. with big "Y' and big
"E'' and capital "S"-especially
since spent a short time nosing
around into bridge matters down in
Kansas. And | want to say that you
readers from Nebraska, or Iowa, or
Missouri, or any other state, cant
point the finger of scorn at Kansas,
You better check your own dirty linen
in the wash before you say, shame!
The squanderng of tax money and
the crookedness in connection with
bridge building is about as universal
as weeds. When you find state rid OF
either, let us know.
Is There a Bridge Trust?
Maybe not in the legal, or even eco
nomic sense, SO far we have no eVl'
dence that there is a real bridge trust
It seems more likely to be bridge
pool. But call it what you will, there
are some things that look rather queer
to one investigating this thing
State Engineer Gearhart of Kansas
wanted to know how matters stood
wanted to see the trust if there was
one, so he sent list of questions Il
every county clerk in Kansas ant
asked a few simple questions. He
wanted to know what each county hat
spent on bridges in 1909-1G11 ant
what bridge companies did busines
in each county. And he asked wha
company did most of the business, ant
what amount of money that luck
bridge company got each of thes
years.
Nine Counties Need investigating
Nine counties refused to answer an,
questions. Twenty-Five counties re
ported little or no expenditure, ant
thirteen counties do their own bridg
work or handle the business so ther
y can be no monopoly.
There are 1O5 counties in Kansas
and the 20 reservation counties ar
given below. Just because Shawnee
Douglas, Jackson, Barton, Cowley an
y Franklin counties refused to report o
answer civil questions which are O
public interest and the public hav
right to know, suggest that tn
state engineer send men to these cour
- ties to personally inspect the books
Books? Many counties in Iowa, an
no doubt other states, have been net
ligent of this matter 1t makes
mighty convenient for the grafters
leave no records to show where tn
money goes and what for.
"Private Property-No Tresspassing
The Wichita Construction co. ha
nailed the above sign to Edward
County where the total expenditure
for bridges in 1909, 1910 and 1911 wer
81. 500, of which said company gC
$3.50. And it tagged Hamilton coul
tv where $24.1O0 was spent on bridge
of which sum the Wichita Constru
ton Co got $4,000. And Sumn'
county was private property
right, for said bridge company got e
cry cent of its total bridge eXpend
lures $4,000. When SedgwiC
= county is counted, We find it safely
the fold, having paid $51,2S2 out
| $77OOS.25 to this same company. tt
| Wichita Construction Co. Jared pre-
II ty we'll in that getting, S23 p'
L cent of all the money spent ton bridge
in those three years. What became
the rest of the bridge money? Wei
for repairs!
More private Property'-keep Gu
The Midland Bridge Co., kans;
City, Mo, brokers or jobbers-pay
taxes whatever in Kansas, but HI
nailed its Keep Out sign to Chauta
qua county. which paid it S4,S3i o
Of total of S7,293 spent in 1909 al
1911. Finney County belongs to tn
copnanv also for IL got S6.555.Sl o