Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-01-16
III North Dakota NeWS 8
plished. He said the ,15,1os.4s sal

pllSne H0 SAID the $l5,1O3.46 sal
airy money is slightly less than ri.
sents the estimated cost Of all the
work for which detail surveys have
been made. However. the total salar-
les are not chargeable to these sur-
veys alone but assuming that they
were. he believes that the salary item
would still be very reasonable.
The total travel and living expense
which it is customary for the state t.,
pay employees away from headIuar-
cent of the total estimate cost Of the
work. said the state engineer. Care.
full scrutiny of the expense accounts
of the commission, he said, convinces
him that this item is as low as could
be expected, as the field parties have
generally paid less than 81 per man
per day for board and room, while
livery cost is substantially so.
Supplies. equipment and fixtures to-
tailed $5,202.21, according to the fig
ures that he produced of which fur
niture and fixtures amounted to ST.
42S.49, the sum of $3.773.72 being for
supplies and equipment. He said that
1t goes without saying that work cam
not be done economically without the
necessary material and equipment in
AI4lC SllO OlllCC VI AL Vic AAC4us
1--WE have only purchased those
things hat WI found necessary and
they were bought to the best possi-
BILE advantage" said the engineer.
"All Of our furniture and equipment
is plain and .serviceable. as a visit at
the commissioners office will show.
I'VE purchased four new Fords and
a secondhand n for $1,958.1o.
Postage and other incidentals, $914.94
von,,iro M oyn1onatinn tho cnrn mis-.
sion's salary and expense amounts to
1910 for salary and $311 for ex-
penses. totaling $611. The item for
construction is the states portion OF
S 6,993 contract let for seven miles of
road in Trail county.
II van you to know that I have
not gone into this matter of expenses
Of the department for the purpose
Of offering any excuses or justifica-
ton for any item of expense. Tho
commission is the one department in
the state most vitality interested is
! given to every purchase mdae and
neither. equipment o help is secur-
ed until we absolutely know that. it
is needed.
Il am always glad. however. to ex-
plain everything in connection with
to it, and am always ready to give
the closest attention to honest criti-
cism and suggestion from one actually
interested in better roads and better
methods of securing them The only
things that I resent are criticisms and
accusations made by persons who
know. absolutely nothing about our
work and who have the opportunity
of finding out about it without trou-
BILE to themselves and who won't do
so.
"Just a word in closing relative to
the motor vehicle fees. There has
; been returned directly to the counties
this year $71,534. Deducting our ex
pense, 100000 and 10 per cent con-
;;truction fund 1885, $69,217 has to
be expended in the counties in which
it originated, making a total Of $780,
ISL that will be spent in tho COUNTIES
pro rata.
This year it is estimated that there
will be returned direct to the coun.
ties $135,441, deducting from the bal
ance an estimated expense Of $4,000
and a 10 per cent construction FUND
of $4,000, there will be a balance Of
$780, 95 to be spent in the countie:
pro rata, making q total of. $316,236
In 1916 there was returned to tn
counties, $712,335.
Gentlemen. it lies with us to MAKE
remarkable road building history il
the state of North Dakota in the mex
few realr.7. Let us, go to. 1T and pu
the job across. The people Of tn
state want roads, the county board
and the commission arc the onl.
agencies through which they can b
cocureI IT iS then I'm to usn