The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1918-02-23

LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
The Chief is not responsible for
views expressed by correspondents.
Defends Road Board in Gravel
Controversy.
Belle Helene, La, Feb. 18, 1918.
Editor Chief
AS a member of the old board OF
Supervisors Of Road District No. 2, /
will ask you to kindly allow me space
in the Chief to answer Mr.. Braud>s
recent criticism of the management
of the affairs of this road district.
My letter is 4 long one, as 1t IS nee
essary to give facts as contained IN
the records, since Mr.. Braud is either
wholly uninformed or he is wllfully
trying to mislead the public.
Mr.. Brands criticism is OF such
nature as to make it appear that Mr.
Newman was clothed with all of the
constituted governing authority OF
Road District No. 2, and that Mr.
Newman is solely responsible.
The board of supervisors OF the
Second Road District, as authorized
by Act No. 1919 Of the general as
semblv of the state for the year 1916,
was composed Of Leon Newman, y.
w. Armitage, DR.. W. 2. Miles, ). n.
Delaune, H. e. Webb and W.. b.
Stuart, all of whom are resident tax
PAYERS, and enthusiastic and energetic
.sgood roads, workers, and | feel sure
that each member Of that board IS
perfectly willing to accept his share
of the responsibility for what ME-
Rraud deems the mistakes of Mr..
Newman.
At a meeting Of the board Of super
visors held on The 18th of May, 1917,
a resolution offered by Mr.. Delaune,
seconded by Mr.. Armitage and adopt,
ed, authorized committee composed
of President Newman, DIR. ". T.
Miles, J. N. Delaune and W.. b.
Stuart to confer with Mr.. Buie OF the
State Highway Department to ascer.
tain and get definite conclusions or
the conditions to be met by Road Dis
trict No. 2 in order to acquire state
aid in the construction of gravel
road throughout the district.
Another resolution offered by Mr..
Armitage, seconded by Mr.. Delaune
and adopted, authorized the commit
tee. after getting satisfactory as
surance of state aid from Mr.. Bule or
the State Highway Department., TO
purchase and arrange for the delivery
of all or any part Of the gravel re-
ouired for surfacing the road through
out Road District No. 2.
The above committee, excepting
DR.. Miles, who was not present, met
Mr.. Buie in his Office in New Orleans,
and had from Mr.. Buie satisfactory
assurance of state aid to the amount
of $4,000, with the understanding
that the construction of the road
would be done under the SUPERVISION
of the State Highway Department.
The purchasing of the necessary
gravel for road surfacing was then
discussed with Mr.. Buie, and it was
agreed that the contract for the pur-
chase and delivery Of the gravel be
made with the Thompson Gravel GO.
for washed gravel 100 per cent metal
said contract to be subject to the ap-
prevail Of Mr.. Buie, and that delivery
begin immediately after the approval
of the contract by him.
These requirements were fully com
piled with and the delivery Of the
gravel was made with every expecta.
ton that road construction would be
gin in the early Summer Of 1917
This failed to materialize for the rea.
son that Mr.. R,aH Jaw the wisdom OF
seeking federsnT N acggA III the construc.
ton Of this road, and the delay inAbe.
ginning construction was caused by
the seemingly inexhaustible amount
of fred tape" gone through with il
getting the approval of the fedora
authorities to the proposed road
This was condition over which
neither the local nor state authorize!
had any control, and for which neither
should be blamed.
Nothing has yet been lost by thu
early purchase Of the gravel, bu
quite bit has been saved to the par
lish. The price Of washed gravel ha'
advanced Is per cent since the pur
chase of this gravel, saving of some
several thousand dollars.
True some extra expense has beer
| incurred in moving gravel from thu
river bank, and it should be moved
from banks that are likely to cave.
| At all of the meetings of the ole
board of which I was a member, sew
eral of the most substantial citizens
of the road district were in attendance
and freely gave the board valuable
assistance in any and every way the.
could. We hear of no criticism from
them, but it is up to Mr.. Braud, wht
Twas conspicuous only by his non-at
tendance at the board meetings, tt
come forward with his valuable (?)
criticism of the work done.
/ Mr.. Braud's criticism is of a tone
which shows that il emanates from !
spirit Of prejudice. That petty jeal
ousies and prejudices would creep GU
during road construction, the oil
board anticipated, as is shown by the
records when the board delegated tx
the State Highway Department ths
authority to start construction a
either or both ends of the road.
must say, however, that the board
never expected that the source Of
petty jealousies and prejudices
would be from q citizen of MIR
Braud's caliber. .
Recent occurrences force me to the
conclusion that the old board of SUI
pervisors will leave to the fair-ninded
public to judge as to whether any