The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1920-03-24
EXPENDITURE OR
HIGHWAY COM.
REFUTES CHARGES OF IR-
REGULARITY IN
HANDLING
FUNDS.
GIVES REASONS.
For Collecting Fees For Govern
ment Trucks - Supports
Statement With Facts
And Figures.

Meridian, Miss, March 22.--J. NJ
McBeath of Meridian, chairman of the
state highway commission, makes
public the following statement with
reference to charges contained IN &
resolution introduced in the Legisla-
ture by Representative Homer Lee of
Choctaw County:
II was in the capitol at the time the
resolution was introduced by Homer
Lee Of Choctaw, and gave hurried
statement to the Jackson News, but
since reading the resolution more
closely | think that the public should
be more fully informed concerning the
charges in it.
81 notice the gentleman introducing
the resolution voted against the Rob-
erts bill appropriating $25, 100000 for
the highways Of Mississippi, and am
informed that he has persistently
voted against all measures looking to
the improvement of the highways of
the state. These facts make me won
der whether or not the resolution was
introduced to give him something to
hang his hat on so he can explain to
the good people of Choctaw why he
has fought good roads legislation.
Judging from the letters received, his
constituents were in favor Of both the
Pate and Roberts bills, which he voted
against.
"This gentleman charges that ii
was rumored that the highway engi-
neer collected considerable money for
trucks donatedhy the federal govern
ment in violation Of section 116l, code
of 1906. This was not a rumor, but
a fact, and if the gentleman had read
our biennial report he would have
found some Of the questions answered
without the necessity of having a leg
islative investigation as to those
points, but the collection of this over
head charge was no more violation
of section 1l06 than ii was Of the Ten
Commandments.
Report Furnished Legislators.
"In our second biennial report, page
10, which was furnished every mem
Der of the Legislature, we state why
we collected this overhead charge IL
these words:
"'Had it not been for the fact that
the state received certain surplus war
material from the federal government
and were enabled to make small
overhead charge for the handling Of
same this department would not only
have had to refuse to accept the sur
plus war materials, which include
many valuable road trucks, but we
would have had to close the office to
federal aid projects
"On page Is Of the same report we
set out the total amount received
which was $25,095.31, and we show
itemized disbursements Of all these
funds, leaving cash on hand of
$249.52. | herewith append few Of
the large items of the disbursements
as follows:
Freight on army trucks $13, 1927
Expense of putting trucks
in condition ........ 1,750.2l
Insurance on trucks ..... 2,O25.OC
Cost of unloading ...... 1,OSO0(
Engineering and clerical help 906.0a
Engineering service prepar-
ing bridge plans ........ 1854
every dollar is accounted for up t.
the time Of making our report, Dee
II, 1919.
"0ur department has handled with
in the last few months more than !
million dollars worth of trucks ant
other property donated by the govern
ment, the engineer and commissioners
personally paying more than S25,O0l
freight and handling charges, fo
which we have had to make our per
sonal notes and for which VIC are nov
due the banks Of Jackson, Tupelo an,
Meridian more than $4,000.
GAS stated before, it was necessar!
to do this so as we could get the roa'
machinery and material, as we onl.
had an annual appropriation of $40,
600, most of which had been exhaust
ed before the government propert
began to move, and if we had not don
so the State of Mississippi would hav
lost more than a million dollars wort
Of trucks, tractors, etc.
Another Car Held For Charges.