Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1924-10-23


The /. c. H. road, from Shepard
to Gahanna, in Franklin county,
was ordered improved The adver-
tisement required a 20 foot pave
ment, much of the way, but it was
made only 1S feet wide. Bonds far
$122,000 were sold to pay for this
Improvement Assessments Were
ilevied on adjoining farm lands to
pay these bonds An injunction
suit was brought by Sd farm own
ers, charging fraud A restraining
order was allowed A few days
later, the powers that be, quietly re-
duced this assessment 49.85G@,
and knocked off, nearly 100000. as
being irregular and excessive. But
Franklin county must go on for
many years, paying the interest on
those outstanding bonds, and final-E
ly pay the principal.
Irregularities in road lettingg
and highway construction work, !,
under a l.. G. Harrick, highway di-A
rector. under Governor Davis
amounted to a state wide scandal, as
every one knows.
Farmers Made A Kick And Starred
A Muss
The farmers, of Franklin county,
were not satisfied with the use made
of the road funds, by Governor
Davis highway director. A commit
zee of 10 leading farmers was ap-
pointed five from the grange, and
FIVE from the farmers union. They
organized, and employed an attorney
to help make their Investigations.
This committee learned that over
$13 .000,000 in money and many
millions in materials, had been sent
by the federal government, to the
state highway department as federal
aid. in state road building Much
had been sent during the Davis ad-
ministration In order to get all
information in writing, so that it
could not be disputed, question
naire was sent to L. G. Harriek,
Davis state highway director. This
questionnaire sought specific infor-
nation. Some of the answers were
not satisfactory, and this farm COM
mittee wrote to Washington, d. G.,
and learned, that the federal gov
ernment had consigned to Ohio, for
use in road building, over 1000
trucks; over 100 automobiles; near
ly 100 tractors; so motorcycles, and
great stores of other valuable prop
erty.
This farm committee then wanted
to know what became OF these ma
terials. They wanted the field
agents of the veterinary department,
and of the fish and game depart
ment, to have automobiles, to be
kept at their own expenses, for
quick service in giving serum treat
ment to hogs, or trberculin tests 10
cattle, Or in preserving our "ild life.
They were disappointed. They
found that much of this stuff was be-
ing iunked, sacrificed, or scattered.
4 "bone-yard" was made at the
state fair grounds b. the highway
department Automobiles and
trucks. and other articles We're piled
high, on this "bone-yard, saturated
with oil burned and sold as junk.
Some GOOD trpcks and automobiles
were sold as junk at junk prices, to
favored Junk dealers. and bv thnm
resold, for as much as $3.50 for
one truck. The department actual
ly sold so autos for less than
freight Auto todies were bedded
together and SOLD as jun'-, to junk
dealers. and when opened were
found to be filled or accompanied
with new auto parts, new tires,
radiators. connecting rods, mag
netoes, carburetors, spark plugs,
etc, of great value Some mem
bers of this farm committee bought
some of these parts from junk
dealers, to be used as evidence. This
department sold, as junk, 1850 tons
of new steel railroad rails at the
fair grounds, but the contract call
ed for 1000 tons. They bought
new rails for the Orient farm
switch, at high market prices.
Affidavits were then obtained,
verifying this information, and
showing criminal waste of these road
materials, which were for the ben
eft of the entire state. This COM
mittee of farmers was driving hard
for the facts. and began striking
pay dirt" when mysterious fire
broke out at the fair grounds and
destroyed some of the road books, as
well as some 100000 of state fair
buildings.
Joseph T. Tracy, our honest Aud
itor of State, then ordered an inyes-
tigation, and appointed John A.
Bliss, fearless and incorruptible
state accountant, to probe and re-
port on this rotten mess. He exam
ined many witnesses, books, papers,
and went to Washington, ID. c., and
examined the railroad freight books,
and, from all sources, learned that
1853 trucks, 168 autos, 104 trac-
tors, SO motorcycles, and other ma
terials, with a governmental value
of $5,434,318, Tin fact over S6,-
600 000N had been sent to the Ohio
state highway department, for use
in road building, in addition to over
Sl3.O25 900 in money Some of
this stuff, including 124 trucks and
46 autos. has never been satisfac-
taken by Mr.. Bliss covers several
hundred pages, and would open the
eyes of any voter if he could read it,
as it shows the loose, careless meth,
ods operating in the highway de-
partment, under Governor DAVIS,
and his peculiar reorganization
economy. This record is now in the
state auditors office as a public
document.
Why Governor Did Not Seek
Reelection
While all these sensational dis
closures, heralded in Ohio papers,
were fresh in the minds of the peo-
pie it became necessary for Governor
Davis to declare whether he would
run for a second term. The hand
writing was on the wall. He declin-
ed to run; but now, that the storm
has blown over, and he thinks the
people have forgotten, he concludes
to run again. His appointees, who