The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-24
MR. KELLER,s LETTER

this page. The misstatements alleged against the editorial fail to show up in the engineers reply. Mir. Keller says that he twill not attempt to defend or condemn any bill that is pending in the legislature. Perhaps it is proper to inquire whether MT. Keller has sought to influence the legislative at titude on any highway measure now pending, and affecting the size of the commission.
 MT. Keller says that the editorial statement that "more than nineteen million dollars of the peoples money has already been spent or appropriated to the building of state roads" is lab solutely untrue" yet few lines lower down the engineer admits that the sum of federal and state or county funds "gives a total of $19,421,- 821.28." Does the engineer mean to intimate that federal funds are not the peoples money? The editorial correctly approximated the total and
 
 fifths of the contemplated expenditure of fifty millions. The account of the mileage built or provided for does not disprove the editorial statement that the state is not likely to have complete system of highways joining county-seats and important centers as contemplated in the amendment. The Age-Herald will mot deny that some of the construction was necessary and proper. The objection is that the ad- ministration has not been efficient nor of nature to give maximum public returns. This is partly due to the fact that the commission is chosen accord ing to political districts and not ac cording to the executive or business ability of its members. Some mem bers appear to believe they have un- dertaken sectional rather than a statewide responsibility.
 The letter states that "Jefferson county secured through the good graces of the state highway depart ment $496,924.99." Does the engineer mean to say that Jefferson county, which contributes more to the highway fund than any other county or group of counties, can receive any road bene- fit only through the good graces of the state highway department?" And has not the engineer failed to state that the state failed to contribute any of this sum, but that the state high ways in Jefferson county were built half of federal and half of county funds?
 The engineer says: "When you un- dertake to question the art of road building, I must decline to give an attentive ear." Is this perhaps the at- titude the engineer takes also with the body of laymen who constitute the state commission under whose juris- diction he is supposed to operate? Is this the proper attitude for a public servant to assume? The engineer for gets that there are other authorities than himself on road-building and that their careful studies are published for all, even a non-engineer, to read. The official tests of various highway ma terials in Illinois show that the type of roadway authorized for Shelby county is very low in resistant and wearing qualities, and that the up- keep of first-class concrete road or road-bed is less than one-third that of the Shelby county type. Will the state engineer attest and certify that the Shelby county road is at this mo- ment being built in strict accordance with contract requirements? Will the district federal engineer affirm the state engineers contention that the selection of type and materials for the Shelby highway was the proper selec- tion? The highway engineer is as- sured that the facts appertaining to character of highway construction are printed for all to read in the Bates tests in Illinois and in the official statement of average costs of highway maintenance as published by the New York commission and other official sources equally open even to those whose highway opinions the engineer affects to disdain. The engineer should feel perfectly safe in discussing the 'art" of roadbuilding with a layman.
 MT. Keller asks the governor to re- quest a legislative inquiry. By all means, and let that inquiry be most thorough and searching, but let not the measure calling for a commission of three efficient and able men be delayed. Surely the engineer would not consider his work interfered with by such commission. The legisla- ture has before it an opportunity to promote the state highway program by providing for a more workable and able highway commission. To empha- size the need of such a commission. was the main object of the editorial criticised by the highway engineer,