Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1916-10-27

most $4,000 was for equipment and
about $1,000 to improve the road up
Y canon and over the divide leading
to the N Bar ranch.
Deducting these sums the amount
expended on the seven miles of con.
structed work was about S21 900, or
$4,000 per mile. This does not con
pare unfavorably with similar con
%struction elsewhere in the state. 1t is
the permanent type of road, the kind
the federal government will insist up
on. II is eighteen feet in width, with
a ditch on the side next to tie noun
tain and a we'll built rock retaining
wall on the side next the slope. The
bridges are extra width and strong.
The right of way had to be cleared
through a deuse forest, the work was
In hard lava rock. Quarterly state
ments were made to the county com.
missioners and were all approved by
them up to September, 1916. They are
a part Of the county records and are
open to inspection. The commission
ers stated TO me that they would vel
come an audit of accounts by an eX-
pert accountant. That the road cost
more than it ought to have cost,
have not the slightest doubt. But the
same is true of the great majority Of
the road work in the state. The con
ditiOns under which the work has been
prosecuted account for this state Of
things.
The records show an expenditure OF
about S1,1OO since the cessation of con.
struction work last December. Some
Of this was necessary for the care and
protection of the equipment. Some Is
accounted for by payment of bills that
came in after December ], 1915. II is
possible that some of the remainder
may he for salaries included in the
item of labor as shown in the records.
While l would not condone tho pay.
ment of public funds even in small
amounts without an equivalent. In any
event the amount involved here is not
so large as to justify the acute hys.
terra shown by the opposition press.
Fair minded men will suspend iudg
ment until the facts are fully known.
The Rio Grande Supply Company.
The purchases were made by Mr.. j.
s. Baca OF Socorro. who. | was told. IA
a Democrat. He was the general su.
pervisor Of the construction work. Mr..
Baca said to me:
I'm purchasing supplies for the
road samp at the N Bar ranch I
bought a large part i'm Socorro
when | could buy here at the same
price or cheaper than at Magda-
lena. At the start the freight
charges from here to the n Bar
ranch n+oro gf IN nar 1nO Mounds
and at no time was the charge
more than SIPS per 100 pounds
from SoCorro nor less than 1928
per 100 pounds from Mlgdalena.
When ] could buy cheaper or even
as cheap of the Rio Grande Supply
Company. ! did 50 because Mr..
Bursum had done so much for the
county and had got nothing for
It, when | could buy cheaper else.
where ! did not buy of the Rio
Grandc Supply Company"
Wishing to know how this arrange
ment suited the competitors Of the
Rio Grande Supply Company ! called
on the proprietor Of the other store in
SocOrro, MI. w. u. Crabtree, as ! had
already called on the two Leading
stores in MaEdalena Al three Joined
In the following statement:
referring to the purchase o.
supplies for the road camp at the
n Bar ranch, we wish 10 say that
we understand the reasons why
a considerable portion Of this sup
ply business was given to the Rio
Grandc Supply Company of SOcOr-
70. Those who had charge Of the
business folt that Mr.. Bursum's ef-
forts covering a period OF twenty
years and the large sums of mon
cy which he personally contribute
ed to the road across the Mogol-
lon forest entitled the firm to a
large share Of the business. We
know that few mel would DO what
Mr.. Bursum has done for this en-
terprisc. and we have no ohiec-
ton to the action Of those who
bought the supplies. WE HAVE
NO SYMPATHY WITH AN AT
TACK ON MIR. BURSUM ON
THIS GROUND"
The three firms making this state
ment are:
The Becker MacTavish Company
Magdalena.
GONZALES g. Baca, Magdalena.
HID. Crabtree, Socorro.
There are the three BUSINESS houses
I understand, in Soco. o and Magda
lena, which are competitors Of the RiC
Grande Supply Company.
The county commissioners Of Socor
70 county made this statement TO me.
1--WE do not consider that there
Is any ground whatever for an at
tack upon MIR. Bursum for his con.
nection with the MoCollon road
project, but on the other hand he
Is fully sustained by the great ma
jority OF the citizens and taXpay-
ers Of this county. Our records
are open for inspection 10 any who
may be interested
After travelling over about 500 mi'el
in Socorro county, including the sever
miles of the Bursum road, and TALKING
with some of the leading men of thu
county, including bankers, merchants
miners and ranchrdeG came ava.
with the conviction that their wa
nothing disquieting 10 good roads me-