Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1920-09-15
LEXINGTON LEADER
AFTER JOE BOGGS?
Looks Like Wholly Undeserved
Partisan Attempt To Discred-
it Road Commis sioner
Lexington Herald)

oe ). Boggs from office is Claim
ed by Democratic leaders in Ken
lucky. who assert that the first
overt act" was the publication in
the Lexington Leader. a republi-
can newspaper, of news and edi-
torial matter insinuating ineffici-
ency and connection with COM
pany furnishing road building ma
terial to the state.
The attack on the administra-
tion of Mr.. Boggs was based on a
report made by County Judge F.
"A. Bullock by S. A. Barber,
maintenance engineer of the state
road department, on an inspection
of Fayette county roads. The in
Spection was ordered by Mr..
Boggs to determine if the roads
were in fit condition to be taken
over by the state for mainten-
ance.
Certain repairs to the several
roads were called for in the report
from Mr.. Barber as preliminary
step to the taking over of the
roads by the state road depart
ment. Mr.. Barber referred to
certain sections of these roads as
rock asphalt" which are CON
structed of other asphalt material.
81 am unable to determine the
difference between asphalt war
renite or topeka mix without dig
ging up plug of the surface and
examining it" was the statement
made to the Herald representa-
tive Monday by an engineer who
is considered one of the best
authorities on asphalt in Ken
tucky.
This answer was made to an
editorial in the Leader that "any
road engineer who can not, even
from the automobile seat, tell the
difference between rock asphalt
and warrenite or topeka mix, is
either careless, inefficient or in
Huenced by improper motives. y
In statement made public
Monday, State Highway Engi-
neer Boggs declared that "Mr.
Barber, an experienced engineer,
and republican, was appointed
to be chief of one of the four main
divisions of the road department
upon the recommendation of COM
petent engineers and upon the re-
cOmmendation of Governor Ed
win w. Morrow"
1t is understood that Mr.. Bar
Der is not in good standing with
the political machine of Alvin L.
Hert and that an effort is being
made to disqualify him by some
means for his present position.
Mr.. Boggs was appointed State
Highway Engineer June 28 by the
bi-artisan Highway Commission.
composed of II. Green Garrett,
republican. Winchester; Ben
Weille, democrat, Paducah.; H. II.
Asher, republican. Pineville, and
ed s. Monohan, democrat. Louis
vile, provided for in an act of the
1920 General Assembly.
Revelation of recent plan to
replace Mr.. Boggs with republi-
can engineer called an effort ''to
make the state road department a
political pawn met with protests
from good roads enthusiasts in
every section of the state, includ-
ing many prominent republicans.
Chairman Garrett announced
previous to the meeting of the
Highway Commission at which
the State Engineer was appointed
that he had $50 kilograms urging
the reappointment of Mr.. Boggs
for efficiency" and as evidence of
the nou-partisan nature of the
commission as pledged in the leg
islation which had the support of
leaders in both parties.
Indignant denial of the insinu-
alton of his being connected with
the Kentucky Rock Asphalt Com
pany was made by Mr.. Boggs
Monday, declaring that he would
retire Immediately from Office if
such were true.
The charges made by the Lex
ington republican editor were re-
ferred by Mr.. Boggs to the High
way Commission at its meeting in
Frankfort yesterday with a re-
quest that the mattre be thoroly
investigated.
Mr. Boggs is the only democra-
tic chief of a department remain
ing in office from the last admin
istration. He was appointed COM
missioner of public roads by Gov
James d. Black, and not by Sena-
tor A. o. Stanley, when the latter
was chief executive.