Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-09-24

Highway construction under the direc-
On Of James p. Goodrich through the
diana State Highway Commission has
oven one long record Of prohigacy and
alaste.
1.-THE first highway commission. whose
- C,dstenee was ended by a supreme Court
,.cision declaring the highway commits
on law invalid, spent so S5O91 during
le period from Aug. 1 to Sept 50, 1911.
IN this time the commission "desig-
ated' five highways for permanent IN
.,ovement.
tlThese five highways were the main
/. Wunk roads Of the state and were re-
lrded as the first that should be per-
thnently improved.
l0rhey were known to every person IA
liar with the roads of Indiana and
aid have been designated" by any
son from excellent maps OF them
IN existence.
ss total mileage on these roads was
" were known respectively as the
nal road, Jackson highway LIN
highway, Evansville. Seymour ana
* enceburg road. Vincennes. Wash
and Mitchell road.
Legi,ir designation" by the commits
and cost the taxpayers Of Indiana s4-4S
ditto this sum per mile for designation
do nwss spent in salaries to the "des-
prac0rE - LAB went for travelling ex-
"ss;" Al cents per mile was spent on
shov ffice''
mac 7NUED UNTIL
to LOWING SPRING.
ad his waste In the taxpayers money
artinued as is shown by the hnanclal
brort for the period from Oct. l, lslI'
s May H, 1918.
Ofhh.s report discloses that In TINS Pc
Cd there was spent:
s7Se0.93 in salaries.
y S2,777.S6 In travelling expenses.
Se173,56 in office expenses.
81, ,263.94 for engineering.
s s1I 1896 In construction.
This ia the first period in which any
ctual construction work was reported
the highway commission, and it IS
significant fact that while the over
- Yd'' expenses of the commission in this
Iod reached SIS, ,106.29, the money
IL nt for actual construction work
81. ounted to only S11 ,s13.66.
Here # was established that the cost
~ preuaring for construction work IN
or the highway commission was eX-
eedingIy heavy, a condition that exists
oday when many miles OF construction
rork has been ordered.
In return for the expenditure OF more
aan fifteen thousand dollars during this
sriod on Overhead" the taxpayers OF
hdiana got this:
lI7.6 miles OF roads surveyed
- 42.74 miles OF roads completely
planned.
3.25 miles partly planned
Eleven bridge plans, all of which
had to be revised and resubHaitted to
the Federal Government because they
Evere not such as to meet the aD-
~ ForovaI OF Federal engineers.
EPORT SHOWS
o EQUIPMENT.
The financial report for this period also
lows that 81 1929 was expended for
lnQineering equipment" but the report
81 the engineer made in May, 1872 dis
,ses that the department had no engi-
= srfng equipment, thus showing either
* n the equipment disappeared or the
tie never received any value for the
s2.S3 expended.
Ibe NEXT period for which there is q
Tort Of the finances Of the commission
kIIabls is from May 81, 1918, TO Sept.
H1919.
diseIoses that the commission ex-
=. sded for construction purposes only
q ks1s7, out Of total expenditure OF
Il s020.S7.
!, "a his sum ss1 $500 WAS charged to
4. ment'' and regarded as an asset Oh
!. mnission IN the report
g E III be seen from these figures, the
y tead" expenses of the commission
81 (oontinued on Page Four)