Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-01-13

Too much money has been spent on
roads Of the State for the amount OF
Improvement that has been done. accord
ing to the farmers. They are of the
opinion that the increase In aprOpria-
tions that has been asked Of the State
is too much, and that more of the de-
partment's money is used in paying eI-
penseS Of the office in the Statehouse
than is used in Improvement Of State
highways.
People in my county are indignant
ut the methods employed by the depart
ment. They declare that about 90 per
cent Of the highway funds are used in
paying inside office Help and the other
20 per cent is spent on roads, This was
the statement of ore OF the farmers who
attended the meeting
The farmers have formed an OrganiZa-
ton to look after the interests Of the
entire State. rather than class legisla-
;ion of any sort, according to this mem
her He declared the farmers are deter
mined to keep Il watchful eye on the
treasury and that they will oppose as
body any needless expenditure Of money.
FORM ORGANIZATION;
ELECT OFFICERS.
The meeting was called by Represen-
tativc W r anderson OF Knox and Pike
Counties. Officers were elected "a fol-
lows:
Representatives David p. Johnson.
Morgan County, chairman; George w.
Hansell, Pulaski and White Counties,
first vice president: Oliver 2. LaFuIc.
Union and Wayne Counties, second wire
president: Charles f. Dean. Jefferson
and Scott Counties. third vice president;
Albert r. Clapp, Clark County. secretary.
The action OF the rural lawmakers in
deciding to call 4 halt TO the highway
commission extravaganza comes as a Sc
Quel to the charges published IN the
Times last fall that the records Of the
commission showed that $4,000 had
been wasted on 133 miles taken over
1t was shown at that time that Marion
County had built one-cOurse cement
highways twenty feet wide with steel
reinforcements at IN average cost for
paving alone of S24.611. During tie
same period the State highway coI1nis-
sion contracted for eighteen foot con-
crete roads without reinforcements ct
cost OF raving Of $50 201 4 mile. Com
pared with Marion COunty's permanent
paving costs, the state roads cost S6.1D1
a mile more and the State received an
inferior type Of paving.
The farmers criticism Of the huge costs
Of operating the department also were
Times. At that time It was shown that
the commission had spent S1.743, ,ST306,
OF which 1914, Isl 50 was charged TO
construction" and sT69. .121.24 to salary
and expense" In other words, for every
500 expended by the commission $3.50
went into actual road building and S44.10
went for overhead
LEVY SCALED DOWN
BY STATE TAX BOARD.
L. H. Wright, director Of the commits
sion, obtained a 10-cent levy from the
1910 General Assembly, but under the
new valuations this was scaled down 20
80 cents by the State board OF tax com
missiOners. Later the highway commits
sion suggested a 20cent levy IN order
that its contemplated construction could
be carried out.
Mr.. Wright said he that he had not
formulated a definite program to present
to the present Legislature He refused
to say what levy the commission would
ask.
Considerable discussion ensued at the
meeting regarding the proposed approprI-
alton Of cents on each S1OO of taxable
property for support Of the States high
er educational institutions Many OF the
farmers were inclined to leave the matter
entirely to the judgment Of the LegisIa-
tive Visiting Committee without further
discussion, while others were of the
opinion that such a levy was too high
Much emphasis was laid on the fact
that the farmers held an informal dis
cussion, and that they were not prompted
by any organization or any desire to
push through the Legislature any sort
OF class legislation. They organized.
according to one member Of the or
ganlzation, merely to keep a watchful
eye on the appropriations in order that
any unnecessary expenditures might not
slip through during the session.
NO MENTION MADE
OF STOCKYARDs BILL.
Contrary to expectations. no mention
was made Of the bill proposed TO place
under the control of the public service
commission all the stockyards of tbe
state. This is one of the measures rec
commended by the Indiana Federation OF
Farmers Associations at the convention
held In Indiass-.--.ts recently.
Most of the members of the organiza-
ton expressed themselves rs not in favor
OF the 'Junketing" expeditions planned
by the Legislature
While they viii abide to a great de-
gree on the decisions of the Legislative
Visiting Committee relating to approprfa-
tions for the various departments of the
State, they will not relinquish their opin-
ions regarding the extravaganza Of the
nEE goT- . r. L.