Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1922-11-23
RESERVATIONS
ARE IN ORDER
STATE HIGHWAY
Others Will Likely Resigng; Sen
atoria1 Fight Opens Under
Peculiar Conditions; Hall Slat
ed for Commission.
Governor-Elect Pierce Takes
Position all State Institution
Heads Should Resign; Wants
Free Hand.

1t has been announced in semi1Of
ficial form that all three members OF
the state highway commission will
tender their designations, to take ef-
feet January l, or as soon as the then
Governor Pierce can or will accept
them.
Within few days after the result
of the voting was known the members
of the board decided that under all
the circumstances it was up to them
to quit. The result is that they wrote
out their designations without delay,
and Mr.. Pierce is at liberty to appoint
new men the day he goes into office.
This means that the threatened inves-
tigation of the department, which has
been the talk eff the state since cleo
tion, will have little If any effect. Mr..
Pierce will be able to put into force
his reforms without the delay incident
to getting the old commissioners out
of office.
Interest in this matter will be keen
est in those counties that have uncom-
pleted highway programs, and there
will be a rush to get contracts let be-
fore the men now in office go out. Just
what attitude the commissioners will
take is at question, but rumor has 1t
that they are disposed to let al the
pending contracts and so far as pos
sible go out of office with clean
slate. In most cases the action to be
taken has long been agreed upon, but
there Is an important matter pending
in Polk County, there being about four
teen miles Of pavement to lay to COM
plete the west side highway. This has
been due to Polk county having a
county court that antagonized the com
mission At the recent election those
favoring acting in harm my with the
commission prevailed, winning by d
big majority. 1t is believed that it
will be possible to have the contracts
let for this paving before the present
highway commission goes out OF Of
flee.
Rumors Specify In Some Cases.
So many rumors were circulated
during and following the election con
cerning the highway commission that
it would be useless to attempt to verify
them all, and their narration would
prove tiresome, but it remains fact
that the claims Of extravaganza of this
department. udu HULL 70 w Win IhS
outcome of the election. 1t was
claimed, for instance, that all employees
of the department are overpaid, and
that in nearly all cases the contract
ors were paid more for the completion
of their work than their contract price
called for.
Stories flOated about to the effect
that contractors, finding that they
were going to lose money, appealed to
members Of the board and were allow
ed hugee extras; that roads built thru
sections requiring little grading cost
much more than the contract price and
that in fact the commission spent
money with reckless hand. Even be-
fore the voters were polled it was said
that Mr.. Pierce stood pledged to an
investigation of the charges, and that
if he found them well founded would
proceed to remove the highway COM
missioners and put in new men
These rumors of charges have gone
to the point where there are many vot-
ers WHO would like to know the truth.
The mere resignation Of the commits
sioners in office will not enlighten
those who would like to know. If Mr..
Pierce and his supporters really be-
lieve in the charges made 1t wOnld