Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-10-19
McSparrdn Attacks
Poppy but SpeciO,ls
Continued from PAGE One

! &UntiUueu tFU" oHe
declaration is apparent. The differ
ence between $50, 100000 and S14O.-
0O,000 is really expressive of nothing
at all.
Why not, say between $50, 900, 900
and 5000. .0OO. 900?
why does not Mr.. McSparran quote
exact figures?
They can be had for the asking Of
the Highway Department. Or they
can be taken from its published report
Of 1920. | have ono on my desk.
The next report will not be ont. ac.
cording to law, till the carly part OF
1929.
Mr.. McSparran declares repeatedly in
his speeches that the Highway Depart
ment is a failure, both as to the char
actcr and cost Of the roads it has built.
He produces one instance of So called
conspicuous wastcfulnesS and gross
mismanagement.
This is from one Of his farmer
talks:
Take the Iackawanna trail from
Scranton to Binghamton. he says:
! The Lackawanna Railroad relocated
its line and left perfectly good road
bel that needed no grading. with all its
ballast. -,
Did the Highway Department uttl.
izr this opportunity to save money to
the State? No
There was the roadbcd with eight
cen inches of ballast ready at hand.
What did the department do!
1T refused to use the ballast as
foundation. II employed only part
Of the old road and then struck of
on n new line rather than utilize the
railroad bed"
Correct.-EXcept for Facts
Tho facts rs to the l.ackawanna Trail
as set forth by Mr.. McSparrau are di-
rrctly the reverse
The Highway Department built the
IackaWanna Trail on the old roadhed
of the railroad. and splendid highway
il is
rho ballast that was left In small
lots here and there. not eighteen inches
deem. as Mr.. McSparran asserts. was
all used By the department. con-
tractors.
The one element of truth in the entire
sta'ement is that the Highway De-
partment did branch off and build a
shorter section that cost considerable
money because of rock blasting.
This drtour was necessary. however,
bcrnuse the old roadbcd entered a mar
row tunnel at this point and detour
was compulsory.
This fac. was not furnished by the
Highway Department of Pennsylvania.
ur any of its officials.
Thomas II. Mcdonald is chief Of the
bureau II public roads of the United
States Department of Agriculture at
Washington.
Recently the director Of Il great Brit.
ish construction firm wrote Mr.. Me.
Donald inQuirinG whcr" in the United
States ne could best observe modern
mo,hnls of constructing bituminous and
concrete highways.
In reply the chief Of public roads di-
rortcI linn ~ 60 to Pennsylvania, as
it had tho hest road construction sys-
,cm in the country.
\s ~ the charge Of its wastcfulnpss
"i public money | have personal knowl-
",,ge where the Department of High
WAYS saved the State SJ0O. 900.
rh. late highway commissioner,
LcwipS. Sudcr. who the New York
Times declared was "America's best
highway commissioner. had occasion.
some months prior to his death. 70 al.
vcrtisc the twenty five contracts for
roads.
When tho bids were opened Com
Ini>siorN- Sadlrr detected what he be.
li","d ~ be colusion among contractors
in tho preparation of their bids.
II" threw cut nineteen OF the twenty
,ir" bids for this reason.
He gave me- the facts in the case
which We're published in the EVENING
PUBLIC LEDGER OF January 20, 1922.
Eight weeks later new bids for the
same work were opened by Mr.. Sadler.
New Bids Save $500, 900
In the aggrcgat" they were $500 900
Iowcr than the first bids which he re-
jeCted.
H. this ono action alone the Highway
Department saved the taxpayers half 4