Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1923-12-28
ROAD FUNDS MISUSED
SAY STATEEXAMINERS
Say Law Governing Expend-
itures Not Strictly
Followed.

O.S. Bruins and j. l.. Dittemore,
state examiners. who have been at
work for two months checking the
expenditures of the county road
and bridge funds for the first ten
months of 1923, ON Friday of this
week filed their report, in which
they charge that $74 1897 has been
wrongfully disbursed.
The warrant expenditures from
the general road and bridge ana
road district funds show that a
total of $660,6S3 has been spent.
In one instance the sum of $S,093
was expended in the North dis
trict which Tom Dobson repre-.
sents, which has been virtually
lost on the county records, as it
cannot be identified with any road
district or project. The report al.
so states that the South dist
riot which Frank II. Paul repre-
sents, expended $1S,9S2 on which
am accurate check has been made
The report carried with it 80 eX-
hibits, each detailing particular
road or bridge project illegally.
Nineteen We're from Mr.. Dobson s
district, carrying an total o.
$42,23l. Eighteen were from Mr.
Paul's district and totaled $26,-
205. In addition the examiners
charge that one road was con-
structed jointly by the North and
South districts at a cost of s., 800.
bringing the total up to $74,337.
One of the charges by the eX-
aminers is that funds were FIRE,
quently shifted from the road and
bridge fund to a district fund, as
sorting that such shift to con
struct feeder road is illegal.
A few excerpts from the 43-
page report are given:
Information given on the pay
rolls covering the amount of lab.
or performed on any particular
project was generally so vague
through carelessness or otherwise,
that it was impossible to deter
mine with any edgree of accuracy
the actual cost of the various roads
that have been constructed.
Vouchers covering the purchase OF
explosives, materials, minor equip
ment, gasoline and oils, etc, did
not show, except in a few instan-
ces. or what projects they were
used. Any attempt to accurately
allocate these items at this date
would be useless.
1t is apparent, therefore that the
figures shown in this report can
NOT be said to actually show the
full cost of the roads constructed.
Distribution of expenditures madC
from the general road and bridge
fund in commissioners diStrics
No. 2, shows items in the amount
of $1S,9S2.73, representing labor
performed and materials used that
were chargeable to certain pro
jects or that were in the nature of
overhead charges, that could not
be identified with any road dis
trict or project. In commissions
er's district No. 3 there is an m.
identified account of $S,093.20,
"In numerous cases the inform.
alton on payrolls was not reliable
due to the fact that road super
visors and foremen did not always
know the name and numbr of the
road on which they were working
As an example, certain amount
of work was reported on the Gu,
sach road. A search showed that
there was no such road of record
hut it was found that the Stanley
Kuzeh road, which was establish
ed by usage, was where the work
was performed,
Cup to date road maps are not
furnished to the various supper.
visors and foremen and it is i'm.
possible for them to furnish ac,
curate information in their alb
sence. Road maps should be pre-.
pared showing the location and
number of all roads in the various
districts that have been establish,
ed in the regular manner. Roads
that have become public roads
In, rancnn of nSoup aud mix ann Inv