River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1921-12-01

supervision, inspection and testing to-
tai $4,000, so that the overhead
items on this work were only 2.8 per
cent of the total. This is simply be-
cause this was a concrete road, in
volving a large amount of money on
a short mileage with no special diff
i ficulty as to surveys.
would also suggest that it would
be very interesting if the County
Committee of Pierce county, or the
County Highway Commissioner would
state to the people of Pierce county
the actual county overhead On the
cost of work performed in Pierce
county this wear. Without knowing,
except in a general way, what the ac-
tuai facts as to the cost of supervision
and total expenditures are, would be
surprised if the cost exceeded per
cent of the total expenditures. The
] general figure given above of per
cent is general average on all oper-
ations, but the states average cf Fed
eral Aid operations is considerably
higher than the county's average on
state and county operations. This is
due to the fact that the Federal re-
quirements are much more severe as
to surveys, plans, inspection and SUI
pervision than are the states reqeire-
ments on the counties.
Furthermore, the state projects are,
to a very considerable degree, located
at the most difficult places where the
counties could not finance job of the
magnitude involved. We, therefore,
get expensive surveys and plans and
expensive general supervision. | i'm
agine that when the figures are seq
regated for this, years operations, it
will be found that the states percent
age on work which it directly super
vised, is approximately per cent,
while the counties percentage on work
which they directly supervised, includ-
ing fair ALLEGATION of state expense
on the general program, will very lit
tie exceed per cent.
/ have answered your letter thus in
detail because l believe it well worth
while for state departments to furnish
frank, candid and accurate facts Of
their operations when asked for any
citizen. If there is any considerable
circulation of the absurd statement
which you have asked us about, l be-
lieve you would perform a service to
the citizens of Pierce county by giving
this letter publicity.
I have had sent to me by some
friend, a copy of the Pierce county
paper, containing an account of tax
payers meeting at Ellsworth, in which
notice that the operations of this
Commission were subjected to consid-
cradle unwarranted criticism. If the
statement you submitted in your let
ter is type of the statements. made
at this meeting, I do not wonder that
you people are somewhat upset. ! inn
agine that most of the statements
made at the meeting had just about as
much truth in them as the statement
you have quoted.
We have never claimed to be per-
feet. Only certain politicians can
claim that and get away with it. We
make many, many mistakes-ln
multitude of operations, involving such
an astounding fund of money as this
work involves, it would be impossible
to believe that any man, or group CT
men, could perform such task with
out here and there making mistake,
and without here and there having
some of the instrumentalities used not
measuring up 100 per cent to their
responsibilities and the possibilities Of
every situation.
AS stated above, undoubtedly GER
tain mistakes have been made, and
certain things are open to criticism al
ways in such large operations, but If
any citizen will furnish this commits
sion with statement of specific facts,
backed by dates, wherein he believes
that any tax payer or group OF tax
payers are injured or wronged, in any
of our operations, we will be glad to
investigate the matter and set it right.
We cannot, however, proceed on in-
nuendoes and slurs. If any tax payer
or citizen believes he has a SPECIFIC
case against any one of the Commits
sions employees as to inefficiency or
neglect, we will be very glad to have
him properly, under his own name,
present the facts to US.
| appreciate your interest in this
matter, and assure that it has been a
pleasure to me to give you the ac-
tual facts as closely as we can furnish
them at the present moment.
am,
Yours very sincerely,
WISCONSIN HIGHWAY COM.
By C. A. Hirst,
TH,,o