Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1923-02-08
GUT NUMBER
mr. T-AhT1I 0VTn
III [NIT lUI[0
down TO 60.
Wholesale Firing and Hiring
Drives Many Men From
Idaho's Road Department.
Governor Acts as Economy
Measure and Greatly Re-
duces Turnpike Payroll.

Reorganization of the state highway
department by w. ]. Hall, commission
err of public works, on orders from
Gov. G. Moore, and consequent dis
charge of engineers who have long
been employed by the state in road
building, and who are familiar with
details of highway work in Idaho coun-
ty, may seriously hamper construction
of the North and South highway along
Salmon river, and elsewhere i'm Idaho
county, it is pointed out by well in
formed persons who have commented
on the shakeup in the highway bureau
As an economy measure, employees
of the state highway department have
been reduced to sixty, compared with
800, who were on the highway depart
ment payroll on December 81
Fired by Wholesale.
Engineers, maintenance men and
other employees of the state have been
fired in a wholesale manner. Two en-
gineers on the construction job along
the Salmon river, south Of Whitebird,
left the camp this week J. W. Nash,
who has been in the highway depart
ment for several years, and who for
most of this time has been employed
in Idaho county, was one of the en-
gineers to leave. He and Mrs. Nash
were in Grangeville Tuesday, enroute
to Albany, Ore e. w. Anderson, an
other engineer, was asked by the de-
partment to resign and was not rein
stated. Anderson was i'm Grangeville
Tuesday, and left Wednesday morn
ing for Kennewick, Wn.
McCreedy is Temporary.
]. ]. McCreedy, resident engineer,
who engineered the now famous White
bird hill highway, regarded as one Of
the most unique pieces of road in the
United States, with nine switchbacks,
was among those whose designations
were asked by the bureau. Mr. Nc
Greedy, however, was temporarily re-
instated. His appointment continues
until February 10, only. 1t is believed
he will be retained by the department,
but up to Tuesday night he had re-
ceived no notification that he would
be continued in the employ of the
state longer than Saturday night.
Mr.. McCreedy supervised construc-
tion of the Grangeville- Whitebird link
Of the state highway, and now IS SUI
pervising the work between Whitebird
and Lucille. Only part Of this work
has been completed.
Col. ID. p. Olson. for almost three
years director of the state highway
bureau, has retired, it is announced
from Boise, and the work he hitherto
performed will be done by the COM
missioner Of public works.
Other changes i'm the department in
clude reduction of the wages of men
employed in maintenance to a scale
which will not exceed the scale paid by
contractors for the same class of la
Dor, which, according to state highway
officials, is approximately from 40 to
80 cents an hour for labor, 40 to 40
cents for teams and 80 to 81 IL cents
for fOremen.
Nine Transport Men Kept.
Nine men will be retained in the
motor transport section where the ma
terials and supplies received from the
government are kept and with the
fOrty-nine employees on the highway
work and two in the general office of
the bureau brings the total number to
sixty.
Approximately $4,000 of a saving
is made in this department under the
new plan of operation by the governor
for on Jan. 1, 1923. the total payroll
including the motor transport section
amounted to $29,3S3. 81, whereas it is
estimated that the payroll for the
month of February will not exceed
$4,000.
The number of districts in the state
has been cut from seven TO four to
save all possible expense. This reduc-
ton to four districts will really be in
effect a reduction to three districts for
the reason that district No. 4, which is
the home district, will be administered
from the Boise office and the district
engineers will look after sthe
maintenance of it.
Highway employees on the payroll
of the state on February 1, according
to announcement at the governors OF
flee, are as follows:
District No. /, Pocatello, four; Dis
trict No. 2, Idaho Falls, two; Dis
trict No. 3, Shoshone, two; District
No. 4, Boise, five; District No. 8. Chal-
lis. two; District No. g. Lewiston, 10;
District No. Z, Occur d'Alene, seven;
Boise office, accounting and clerks,
six: stenographers, one; craftsmen
and computers, three; bridge depart
ment, two; chief clerk, one; blue
printer, one.