New-York tribune., 1922-10-19

turned, ~ the smasning attacks on
alleged graft In state road building.
The attacks were begun by q. A. Van
Valkcnhurg, the famous crusading
editor Of ssThe Philsde elphsa North AM
ertcan." Details Oh TIE attacks are
now in the hands OF every Republican
worker In the state, and desperate
effort " being made 20 shift the issue
from whisky and beer to graft.
Commissioner Aids Attacks
Briefly stated, the attack on the
Edwards roads administration--w
attack is aided by one Of the Jersey
Road Commissioners, George Paddock
lis that Jersey is paying $3.50 a
square yard for patented road sur
states buy minus the patented name
at sl.5D square yard. Roads built
Of this material. it is charged, cost on
the average ss5, $3.50 mile last year,
and $S6,530 mile this year, while
concrete roads were built this year
for $4,000 mile. So that the state
OF Jersey. 1t is charged by Van valken-
bHrg, pays $4,000 q mile more for
warrenite than for concrete. and this
represents the tribute exacted by the
political cxploiters.
A further loss of $4,000 mile. it is
charged, is occasioned, because in draft
ing the specifications so that only this
patented road material can be used the
requirements of the Federal road aid
act are ignored. and $4,000 mile of
Federal aid is therefore rejected.
Added together, the additional! cost
of this favored material over concrete,
plus the money which could be OBJ
tanned from the Federal government,
makes SAB 1000 mile, precisely the cost
of White Horse Pike, the famous road
from Camden to Atlantic City, known
to every touring motorist in the East
as being as good bit of road as ex-
lists.
The charge is therefore made against
the Edwards road administration that
every mile of road laid with this
favored material deprives the citizens
concrete road, for it is contcnded that
two miles Of concrete road could be
laid--with Federal aid, which could
then be obtained--at the cost of one
mile Of this material, conceded to be
poorer than concrete.
Edwards's Change of Front
One Of the amszing points of the
charges being made against Edwards is
SHdL ES pEESOnalIy AdNVASbt uhSAl ~
Gently, a S40,o0o,0Oo bond issue for the
building Of more roads. As the meas
ure was passed by the Legislature,
however, the Governor vetoed it,
whereupon the Legislature passed It
over his veto. All of which occasioned
much surprise and curiosity until, those
attacking the Governor on the road
building issue say, the text of the S40.-
eco, 900 loan bill was examined. Then
it was discovered that the wording Of
this law would nave required the speci-
fcations for road contracts to be so
drawn that the state could not have
continued awarding contracts for this
favored material. unless, Of course, the
price of this material was cut SO as to
compete with the prices Of similar
products.
Even if the road loan is defeated, 1t
IS said. the building of a large mileage
of roads can be continued, the initiative
being with local communities, but the
state bearing the expense.
A curious feature. and one which
has given considerable punch to the
his own county of Hudson has not
had to pay extravagant prices for this
road warrenite. Mayor Frank
Hague, the Democratic boss of the
county, boasts that there is not a
mile Of warrenite paving WHICH was
put down as warrenite. There is a
stretch of paving in the county that
is warrenite in everything except
name. The Board Of Freeholders
simply asked for bids for bituminous
hitulithic paving, and got it in open
competition from independent CON
tractors, as Pennsylvania gets it, with
out paying anything extra for the
warrenite patent.
Ore of the daily attacks on the al
legged road graft in "The Philadelphia
North American" quoted John j. Nc
Hugh, of the Hudson County Free
holders Board, as follows:
There is only one reason for
specifying warrenite, and that's the
old dough. If they are not looking
for that they don't have to specify
warrenite. We don't and we won't,
--- -----s---