Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-02-18
ASSEMBLY TEARS
LID OFF WASTE
OF ROADS BODY
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person whose name does not appear
In the list Of contractors submitting
bids
6. That L. H. Wright director Of the
commission, was instructed to make
specifications for the garage after bids
were submitted
:. That it has been the practice Of the
commission TO purchase supplies and
materials without competitive bidding.
s. That the State lost S44397 in inter
est on public funds because Of the action
Of Mr.. Wright in Withdrawing money
from the public depository and deposit
ing it to a personal account with the
Aetna Trust and Savings Company Of
indianapolis.
The overhead expense on the con
struction Of highways amounted to
about SO per cent of the amount actually
spent on construction work. the report
shows. The overhead is about 2S per
cent Of the total amount allotted TO con-
\ structiOn work. These figures are for
the fiscal year ending Sept. 80, 1920.
S1s,193 FOR HOTEL
BILLS AND MEALS.
The details Of all disbursements Of
the commission. rs shown in the report.
reveal some startling figures. For in
stance, the commission spent S1S.193. %
for hotel bills and meals during the year
The details Of all disbursements, which
show total of 1882. 1899, including
maintenance and construction costs, fol-
low:
Salaries, $40. 692.51; hotel and meals.
S1S.193.2 %; auto hire and license. SO, $50
telephone and telegraph. S1.445.07; rail-
road Pullman, etc, S597615; auto stOr-
age and repairs, s43,s1993; gasoline and
oil, $54,3 IS; freight and express,
s1.373.55; postage S1,S649O; membership
fee association. SO; typewriter rent.
S25; supplies, S9.4T195; furniture and
equipment. S10126.97; engineering sup
plies and expenses. S4,S72T2; engineering
equipment, SS,242.19; legal advertising,
S1,1S759; testing materials, $500 IS :
photographs, $3.50; right of way, S246;
dirt, $74.94; automobile license, 50, 119 80 ;
Nash quad materials, s2,O1316; auto
truck bodies, $132.93413; new garage in
Indianapolis, 81, 41451; medical aid,
SEQ; bridge and road materials, SAL
b25.75; tools and equipment, S43.416.41 ;
repair of equipment, S1S1SS9; mainte-
nance by contract, S1537TO6; payments
on contracts, 81, 423, 800 30; L. H. Wright
for rotary fund. S75.22TS0; miscellaneous,
$311.S9.
These figures show that a total OF
81, GS3.740 was paid out besides 81, 43S. 74O
actually expended on contracts for main
tenance and construction. In other
words nearly 80 per cent OF the dis
bursements Of the commission were made
for costs other than contracts.
COSTS s95,6II.6I To
BUILD EACH MILE.
The actual Overhead" for the mainte-
nance Of roads amounts to S42.2 a mile,
according to tabulatiOns Of the board.
This shows a percentage OF 1854, the
report states. The report shows further
that the average cost per mile Of main
tenance is S26j96 and that the average
cost for construction is S35,61164 a mile.
with contracts let for 135 miles.
In the maintenance OF roads a large
divergence of costs in the various coun-
ties is shown. The maintenance cost per
mile, including overhead, ranges from
S73.43 in Franklin County to S76o4S in
Morgan County. In three counties
Switzerland. Perry and Jenerson-the
overhead of S42.25 is charged, although
no work was done.
The commission questions very seri-
ously the legality Of the action Of former
Auditor Otto J. Klauss in turning over
enormous amounts of money to Mr..
Wright personally for disbursements. Il
points out that the law provides for such
a procedure in emergencies, but questions
whether emergencies would necessitate
the expenditure Of the sums drawn. 1t
also points out that Mr.. Wright's bond
does not provide surety for these sums.
WRIGHT DREW
S4Ss. 1913 IN MONTH.
The detailed account Of the amounts
drawn by Mr.. Wright are set out and
some idea Of the practice may be OBJ
tanned from the fact that during one
month he drew a total Of S4sS,4OI %.
The comment Of the report on this
subject follows:
After a thorough examination Of the
rpcords anc methods employed In the
MANAGEMENT Of the State highway com
mission. we are Of tie opinion that tOr
the betterment Of this department. there
should be radical changes IN the law
|. uuder which IL operates, especially as 10
1.-The present system Of disburSlng a por-
tion of the funds. purchasing supplies,
making payment on contracts, etc
/ Disbursing Funds-Ihe Auditor OF
state should be the paymaster direct 70
all persons to whom money is due, OF al
funds Maid ont on account Of this, or
suv other department OF the states. An!
radical departure from THIS RUE rs ~. no,
only DANGEROUS but, We believe, unlawful
True the statute Of 1919, section -, pro
vfdes for emergency payments 20 De
made bv the Auditor of State to the d.
rector and by him dIsbursed.
WHAT CONSTITUTES
EME FG EN- L.
What is an emergency? How large an
amount may be made to apply TO al
emergency2 Is ii q few dollars! Or a
few hundred dOllarsf Or few thou
sand dJlIarsf There have been number
of payments of warrants made TO l. II.
Wright within the past Few months
wherein the amount Of money thus turned
over to the director has Appropriated
100000. We believe that this method
does not place the burden Of accounting
and auditing where it justly belongs. II
handled altogether by the Auditor of
State II would necessitate a larger cleri-
cal force In his office to take care of the
work. The help should be provided him.
His commission. as we understand the
nature Of the law, IS that of laying out,
constructing and maintaining public
thOrOughfares.
Our recommendation would always
keep the funds in the public depository
until it is received by the person TO
whom 1t is due and payable, instead
of taking IL out Of the depository. turn
ing it over to the director to be by him
disbursed.
The director, under section . Of the
highway commission act, is required to
give a bond in the sum Of $4,000, con-
ditfoned on the faithful performance of
his duties. 1t would seem from the
language of the act requiring bond
from the director for the faithful per
Torrance of his duties, and no mention
made OF a bond for securing the funds
that might come into his hands, that the
LEGISLATURE did not intend tnat moneys
should be turned over TO the director TO
dfsburse by personal check such sums as
shown below
WARRANTS FOR
LARGE SUNS.
On Oct. 81. 1920, a warrant, No. 1922.