Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-11
BLACK QUITS JOB;
SCORESBRUMBAUGH
Hig h way Commissioner
Sends in Caustic Letter
Of Resignation
CHARGES OF FAVORITISM
HARRISBURG, Aug. II.

| eUeC I'VE August IL. Commissloner blach
| appointment is credited to Myersdale. Som
erset County. his home. and he was befor
| appointement as highway commissioner
member of the State Commission Of Agricul
ture. He became highway commissioner b,
appointment Of Governor Brumbavgh Jul,
s, 1916.
Blacks letter to the Governor. which wa
| forwarded to Wayne, Maine, follows:
II wish to acknowledge receipt Of you
| letter of the I'd instant. in which you re
quest my resignation as Highway Commits
sioner Of Pennsylvania, effective August Is
"In defense Of myself and my friends
generally throughout the State, / feel Il
my duty TO make the following statement
The reasons as set forth in your letter
especially those pertaining to the manner
of oiling roads are so ridiculously small
and insignificant. that they are not worthy
of a reply.
"As for your other reasons pertaining
to the matter OF legislation, would say that
you have on file in your office complete re.
ports of all legislation affecting the high
way department and n reference to these
will show our suggestions as to what to
do with the same. You had full knowledge
of all bills affecting this department be-
fore taking any action
II also presented to you a detailed state
ment of the policy of the department in
the distribution Of all funds to which you
now take exception. I want to say that
/ intend publishing this list, as prepared,
and let the public be the judge whether
| am right or wrong. Your criticism of
this method of procedure is not well taken.
as you touch 1t in too small a way. 1t
Is proposition that affects the entire State.
and the people are certainly entitled to
know what disposition Is being made Cf
the money appropriated to this department.
"As you requested, this statement was
presented to you before being given out
for publication and. inasmuch as you dis
approved of the same and l did not allow
It TO be published, | certainly cannot see
that l have been unfair to you and any
criticism as to censorship certainly must
rest with you.
THE policy of the department as to the
distribution of its funds has been announced
from time to time as you know and is well
known to the public, that policy being that
the money would be divided euuitably and
that each county would get its just pro-
portion
81 gather from your letter that you do
not desire to treat the counties fairly and
evidently wish the money parceled out to
favorltes The fact that many counties
have offered to meet the State on a 'ffty-
fifty basis in the construction of State
highway routes Is an indication that the
State Highway Department has the conf
dence of the public, and If the money ap-
propriated is to be used for political pur,
poses it will subject the department to end
less criticism and will be a crime for which
you and your political advisers will have
to answer. Since l have been in office there
has been no mystery connected with the
Highway Department and its work has
been known to you as well as to the public
generally.
THE way I look at this proposition Is
that all the statements made by you are
made with view Of beclouding the real
issue for requesting my resignation, II
has been my aim to run the department
along business lines instead of being used
as q political asset.
Il have refused consistently, as is we'll
known both to yourself and your close
political associates to turn the department
into a political machine. At your own
personal order, contrary to the Judgment
and advice OF the department, l appointed
four superintendents whose appointments
were insisted upon by you solely for po-
litcal reasons, to take the Place Of men of
experience, and In each case these an
pointees very soon realized their inability
to handle the work and resigned yolun-
tarily, which simply illustrates what It would
mean II the work Of the department were
handled along political lines.
IohtiHuous EFFORTS nave been made dur
ing my administration to force changes
and removals for political reasons, the
practice of which ] could not countenance
Such methods tend to completely demoralize
any organization cannot help but cause
financial loss in handling work, because of
constantly changing ineffective and ineffi-
cient personnel. and in this way the de-
partment must lose the confidence of the
taxpaying public.
sT,a fo1, t,,1l
the fact that 1t is your idea that the work
of the highway department should be han
died along political lines, without regard
to the public's interests, it affords me great
pleasure to tender my resignation, effective
August 10, as / do not care to be asso-
ciated In any way. shape or form with
works handled along these lines.
Yours very truly
IF. B. BLACK,
state Highway Commissioner"
For months it has been known that
friction existed between the State High
way Department and other branches of
the Government. ]. Denny O'Neil, In
surance Commissioner, In particular. is said
TO have been after the scalp of Black and
It would be no surprise II he loomed nm
strongly as candidate for the place, II
Is SAID that Blacks methods of appoint
ments have not suited either the Vares
or the Penrose faction some Of his bureau
Gneis pehg accused or being ''dictatorial
Especially dispeasing to some of the ~
hticians was Blacks preferment ~ ~,
residing in other States. thus cutting dovn
the Jobs that might otherwise have pona
to hungry district leaders. e'"e
But while 1t was known that B,acks
retirement had been considered from tir,,
to time. his resignation today carve ''re n'',
on Capitol Hill. surprise
Black is successful business man
having accumulated fortune estimated a.
more than a million dollars In coal La I
enterprises In and about his home corn,,. ,a,u
ne never had any extensive experience ~
road building previous to his appoIntn,an.
ana In large measure contented bimso't
waw WAN Ssrry,hg Cn out politics of the late High
way commissioner Cunningham, wbor, y.
succeeded and whose organization he nat, 70
tanned almost in its entirety. ''"'''-
KILLED BY AUTOTRUCK