The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-24

the department has under con struction over two and one-half miles of major bridges. You fur ther make the following state ment: They have no system of state highways, nor even the be- ginning of such a system as con templated in the recent bond is- sue" If this statement were true, we would not today be receiving one dollar of federal money. The last federal act requires every state to submit a map on which must be shown 2 per cent. of the total mileage of the state. This map had to accompany every pro- ject statement submitted to the government certifying that such road would be part of the sys- tenn. The department has had, since the issuance of bonds, road map, a copy of which you, am sure, have. This map could, of course, only be tentative until ap- proved by the government. The total road mileage on our map sub mitted is 3,957, of which, as stated, 49O.S9 miles has been constructed and 699.31 is under construction, a total of 1,19O2O. which Is more than one-quarter of the entire sys- tenn. To express it mildly your statement is absurd.
 That there are stretches of road built by this department that do not connect up is true. You, I am sure, voted for the bond issue, the law for which contains this sec tion: Tt shall be the duty of said highway commission or highway department to equitably apportiou among the several counties the ex- pendfture of both money and labor and the time or times of making such investments; said roads to be constructed or maintained without expense to the several counties, except as Is otherwise provided in this act, or other laws of this state" There were many impas- sable barriers in our highways, with passable highways at either end. The people asked for the re- moval of such barriers and the
 
 comply with requests. I might mention one of such barriers. The Louisville and Nashville Railroad gave the county of Blount several miles of abandoned right of way through Blount Springs and Ban gor. The public could not travel this road because of the lack of bridges. The state highway de- partment has, by building concrete bridges, opened this road to the public. Of course. according to your argument, the commission should not have done this.
 You. no doubt. are well versed in the art of publishing great daily paper, but when you undertake to question the art of road building, l must decline to give an atten- tive ear. Have you taken the trouble to inquire as to who se- lected the type or road now being constructed in Shelby county? When bids were received, I called into consultation six engineers connected with the state and gov ernment. Five of the six agreed on the type being used. It is evil dent to the writer that you have been handed a very severe dose by some disgruntled party who failed to sell the state his product.
 You advise the legislature to in- vestigate various phases of our work. You are a little late. I ad- dressed the following letter to the governor during the first session of the legislature. The governor compiled with my request. Why the request was not granted, am unable to answer.
 January 2s, 1923.
 Governor W. W. Brandon, State
 Capitol:
 My Dear Governor: Friends
 of the state highway depart
 ment have advised me that va
 rious and sundry charges are
 being made that this depart
 ment Is not functioning as 1t
 should. Strange as it may
 seem, none of the parties,
 who it is reported as having
 made such charges, have ever
 come to the state highway de-
 partment to verify the state
 ments they are making. This
 department has at all times
 endeavored to do It's work so
 as to be open to the public; it
 has nothing whatever to con-
 ceal. I well realize that it
 matters not that the report
 gotten out by me as to the
 work accomplished may show
 to the very great advantage of
 the department, and yet there
 are those who are skeptical
 and believe nothing unless is-
 sued by an unbiased commit
 tee. Naturally, the state high
 way department does not care
 for the support of those who
 for selfish motives would un-
 dermine the department and
 destroy its very foundation.
 In order that the public may
 be fully advised as to the
 status of work of the state
 highway department and as to
 the methods being pursued in the construction of roads,
 most respectfully request that
 you, as governor. ask the leg
 islature to appoint special
 committee to examine fully
 Into the accounts and the work
 of this department, and that
 the United States government
 be requested to have one CT
 more representatives with the
 committee. Tn this manner
 these rumors can be run down
 and the facts as they are fully