Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-02-22
WRIGHT TRIES
TOPUT REPORT
IN NEW LIGHT
State Highway Director Re-
views Accounts Board
Statement.
ADMITS SOME CHARGES

ADMITS SOME CHARGES
Admitting the charges of the State
board of accounts in some cases
seeking to shift the blame in others
and declaring the examiners of the
board "juggled" figures in still other
instances, L. H. Wright, director OF
the State highway commission, made
a long statement concerning the af
fairs of the commission to a little
agroup of members of the House OF
Representative and outsiders in the
House of Representatives last night
Mr.. Wright in the course of his state
ment:
L Said he had recommended that
the revolving fund.- of the commits
sion, which tOtaled more than two
million dollars, be deposited with the
Aetna Trust and Savings Company
because he is a director of that COM
pany and for this reason thought he
would receive special favors from the
company.
2. Declared that the revolving fund
was handled and advance payments
of freight to contractors were made
on the advice Of the State finance
committee, of which Governor James
P. Goodrich was the head, and of
Jesse E. Eschbach, chief examiner Of
the State board Of accounts.
8. Admitted that in many cases ma
terial was purchased without adver-
Using for bids, but merely asking
concerns personally for bids.
4. Declared that if he had his work
to do over he would not change it IN
any material particular.
5. Insisted that examiners OF the
State board of accounts deliberately
'juggled" figures in their report TO
show the overhead expense of his de-
partment to be much higher than 1t
actually was.
6. Asked that the State highway
department be granted a 1O-cent levy
and more, If possible, declaring 1t
would need at least $13,O0O,oO0 this
year.
SUBMITS HIS
FINANCIAL REPORT.
In the course OF his statement Mr.
Wright submitted a financial report OF
his own in which he attempted to show
that the overhead Of his construction
department is about 6.25 per cent. He
declared that the administration and
office expense Of the department
amounted to only s17.S2 during the year
ending Sept. 80 1920, or six -tenths Of
per cent of the total Of $2,5Os, 6S5-16 spent
~ the department. He declared the
overhead in the maintenance department
amounted to SO per cent. He arrived
81 Fba
ton department by adding 5.65 per cent
of what he termed the actual overhead
of the department to g per cent of the
Office. The overhead Of the bridge de
partment he placed at per cent.
Mr. Wright contended that the report
of the board is wrong in stating that g
large surplus remains in the treasury
for road department payments this year
He said on Feb. 10 the balance IN favor
of the commission was $500. 191 and that
81 $50, $500 must be paid contractors for
work now under way, leaving deficit OF
1872. CAS-.
SAYS $4,000 COO
REQUIRED NEXT YEAR.
He said the amount available this year
from taxes would be S2,2e2 900; from
automobile licenses, S2O0O,OOO, and from
inheritance taxes $500 600, making a toal
of S4,762, 600. Next year on a basis Of a
10-cent levy he said the total would be
IS, 10000. He said that in addition the
State must take up during the next two
years 81, 10000 in Federal aid funds In
addition to another possible S2,S00,OOC
which may be appropriated. He pointed
out that on this basis the commission
must then have about 31S,0O0,0OO next
year.
n ru.s-AA -. . So&,troa ekabsroaul
fof the working Of his department in ad-
ditlon to the figures in his financial
statement He said the cost Of laying
out the roads in Indiana is much less
than in other States, stating 1t amounted
to only slightly over $1,000 for laying
out 5000 miles of roads while the State
OF Wisconsin paid s. a mile for laEing
cut its roads.
The revolving fund, the use of which
the board Of accounts criticised, he said
was made necessary because OF the fact
that the auditors office viii issue vOuch-
ers only twice a month and II was found
necessary by the highway commission to
make payments at more frequent inter
YaIs He expressed the hope that some
way could be found to place the admin
istration of these funds in the hands Of
the Auditor Of State. He said the plan
was that Of the State board of finance,
the Attorney General and the State board
OF accounts and not that of the highway
department. He said the board of &C
counts even selected the forms to be used
in connection with the fund.
FINANCE BOARD
INCREASES FUND.
The department started with a fund of
s.. 600 which the finance board increased
at intervals to $4,000, $4,000 and finally
to $4,000.
"The auditor gave me a check for the
amount necessary each month. and ii
was ordered deposited with the Aetna
Trust and Savings Company because
requested that It go there" Mr.. Wright
said. "I am q director OF the Aetna
Company and that may have been the
reason I asked that it go there. I be-
lieved l could get special fayOrs there
at times the account was overdrawn as
much as $4,000 and the company car
ried us"
Mr.. Wright contended that the more
than 100000 deposited with the Aetna
Company was in no sense deposited on
his personal account but was deposited
on the account Of az. H. Wright, d.
rector" He said checks for pay rolls
and materials go out Of his office every
lday and the cancelled checks are turned
over to the auditor.
'Tf the Legislature can devise any
better way TO take care Of that money
1 would be thankful" Mr.. Wright said.