Arizona republican., 1920-07-16
STRUCKMEYER G|VES
 HIGHWAY COMMISSION \ VERY LARGE ORDER

Evidently the attack upon the high way contract of Twohy Bros. is to be renewed; at any rate, at this late date there seems to be an indication that an effort is to be made to find cut whether the contract is assailable, for F. C. Strucl<meyer, attorney for John O. Dunbar, in the action against the county supervisors, the highway com mission, the purchasers of the highway bonds and the escrow holders, recently dismissed In the federal court in Chi cago, on July 12, addressed the follow ing communication to the highway commission with a rather large order for information:
 State Highway Commission,
 Phoenix, Arizona.
 Gentlemen:
 Please prepare a certified copy of all record proceedings, showing the bid of Twohy Brothers company and all un- successful bidders, the call for bids, the action of your board as shown by it's minute entries, the awarding of the contract to Twohy Brothers, (mileage covered and cost per mile of different class of roads, etc.) and every step taken by the commission leading up to the awarding of the contract to Twohy Brothers company, all in reference to the recent four million dollar bond issue had in this county.
 If you desire that your board be recompensed in advance and you will make an estimate of the cost of this transcript l shall be glad to prepay charges.
 Yours very truly
 CSigned) r. C. STRUCKMEYER. The commission was perhaps ap- palled at the size of the order. Though it's record have always been open to inspection. it was not sure that among its functions was that of preparing such elaborate data as MT. Struckmeyer called for and which would be a work of compilation covering great deal of time this kind of weather. The com mission forwarded the letter to its at torneys, from whom the following re- ply was received:
 KIBBEY, BENNETT & JENCKES
 Attorneys at Law
 Phoenix, Arizona
 July IA, 1920 Maricopa County Highway Commission. Phoenix, Arizona
 Gentlemen:
 We return herewith the letter of F. C. Struckmeyer addressed to you under date of July 12, in which he requests you to prepare certified copies of cer- tain records and documents in your charge We have to advise you that the highway commission is not re- quired by law to comply with such re- ' quest.
 The Maricopa County Highway com missioners are of course public officers and their records as such officers are public records and must at all times during office hours be open to inspec- ton pursuant to Paragraph 237 Revised Statutes of Arizona, 1913, If Mr. StruclSmeyer or anyone else desires to inspect your public records they should be permitted to do so during office hours. but you are not obliged to make copies of any such records for their convenience or to certify to the cor rectness of any copies made.
 We quote, for your information, the following from paragraph 237, supra: Public records and other matters in the office of any officer are at all times during office hours open to the inspection of any person desiring to see the same"
 Yours very truly,
 (Signed) KIBBEY, BENNETT &
 JENCKES
 The correspondence closes with the following letter to MT. Struckmeyer: Maricopa County Highway Commission.
 Phoenix, Ariz July Is, 1920 Mir. F. c. Struckmeyer,
 Phoenix, Ariz.
 Dear Sir:
 Enclosed please find communication from our attorneys. Kibbey, Bennett & JenclSes. in reply to your communica- ton of the 18th inst
 For your information we will now re- peat the statement made in response to request by your office for copy of our records last month. This request was countermanded by your office soon after.
 We have no objection whatever tc any investigation of the records Of our office or the proceedings of the high way commission. If you desire yo, may send to our office your representa- tive to secure copy under our super vision. Our office hours are from a. m- to D. m.
 Yours truly
 (Signed) A. F. JONES,
 Secretary.