The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1918-02-09
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
Tie Chief is not responsible Tor
siews expressed by correspondents.
Replies to Mr.. Braud.

Geismar, La, Feb. 5, 1918.
Editor Chief:
/ In your issue of the End inst. let"
ter from Henry c. Braud, headed
'.Loss Of Taxpayers Money lmpend-
ling" appears. The writer would not
| take notice Of same had not Mr..
Braud delved into personalities, by
asking "was not local influence
brought to bear on contractor
AS president of the board Of SUI
pervisors of Road District No. z,
| formerly the governing body OF the
district, and later as president OF the
police jury, the now governing BODY
| / deem it my duty to reply to the
article.
1t is true that the gravel was pur-
chased long since. 1t is equally true
that deliveries were made at the diff
ferent points on the river, all with
the approval of the State highway
Department and at price which
Melted a considerable saving to the
taxpayers, deliveries at the time be-
ing greatly facilitated by the stage OF
the river. Considerable time was
lost by failure of the highway depart
ment to perfect all details as re-
ouired by the national government.
which delay prevented contractor
from beginning work for several
months after signing contract. When
ready to begin work, the contractor
| did not ask any one as to where TO
start, but after taking q careful sur
vey on the Toad deeidedsso begin at q
point two and one-half miles from
the river in New River lane, and TO
work toward the river, thence south
to barrow and to the line Of St.
James. The writer in his official Ca
pacity at all times impressed upon
the agent of the contractor the ne
cessity of rushing the work. 50 as to
| enable him to get to the gravel IN or
der to move same before it became
endangered by high water. Un-
fortunately the writer has been con-
fined to sick bed for the last seven
weeks and could not display the &C.
tivity he might have. He succeeded
| in having the contrao6or to call on
him and after going over the gravel
situation, to stop all construction
work and to remove the gravel from
| the different points on the river BANK,
to places of safety, which work Is
now under way.
AS to the gravel that was at Gels
l's,ar.sr,.a.sding being put on tbe road,
! this was only natural, as the con-
tractor wanted to handle this gravel
before moving his camp to the next
gravel pile.
Mr.. Braud seems to infer that the
spreading Of the gravel at Geismer
was for the purpose Of connecting the
two stores. In this he is sadly mis-
takae. The fact of the twoN stores
that he lays so much stress on being
five miles apart makes it physical
impossibility to connect them with a
gravel road Of liz miles.
:, Mr.. Braud does not understand the
gravel situation from any point of
view. It was never intended to de-
! liver sufficient gravel at Geismar
landing to build five miles of road, as
this would necessitate too long a haul,
making it too expensive.
Again referring to the two stores
Oe1nS cOHHSGtGu ny ES1c4SA 4Vs4a, :
can only say that not within the last
FIVE years have the two stores" been
further apart than at the present
time, as owing to construction work,
the roads have become impossible.
MIR. Braud seems to want to inn
press on the public that no work has
been done on the road, with the ex-
lception Of the piece to connect the
"two stores" This is also mislead-
ing. Immediately after removing the
gravel from Geismar landing, the con-
tractor began grading and has COM
pleted his work as far south as Belle
Helene, and would ere now have had
the gravel laid frem Belle Helene and
placed on the road to that pq8at had
weather conditions permitted of
same.
/ have worked faithfully and un-
tiringly in my efforts to secure for the
people road that they would be
proud Of, and have never at any time
had any selfish motive to nurse. Mr..
Braud's soficitude for the people s
moneYo99Aould have met Ssssh more
favorable comment had not some
evil thought brought to his mind the
"two stores" LEON NEWMAN.