Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1924-03-27

A previous issue of this paper con-
tanned statements concerning the con
troversy between Senator George
Staudenmayer of Caledonia and A.
R. Hirst of the highway commission.
He asks the News to print the fol.
lowing, which was also sent to other
papers Mr. Staudenmayer says:
I'm a late editorial in your paper
you take upon yourself the task Of
giving me some fatherly advice :
mixed with a little political suggest
ton of the business end Of bee.
"You are not wrong in saying that
the honesty and ability Of Mr.. Hirst
have not been attacked by me. Why
worry about what / have not done
You next suggest that am in the A
B. c.. class and not qualified to criti-
cize. / am willing that the people of
Wisconsin and especially Of the rural
communities decide that question :
and it may be entirely unnecessary
to charge dishonesty or incapability
on either side.
eff you know that I am so child
ish and poorly prepared to criti-
cizo Mr. Hirst or the commission,
you of course must know quite lot
about why Hirst and the commission
have done certain acts in the past,
and | wish that either you or MIR.
Hirst would inform the public-in the
same manner you have criticized my
attitude as to the following PROPOSE
tions:
81. What is the need of-purpose
of and use OLA highway commission
in addition to a state highway engi-
neer?
r. Why have the commissioners
held no monthly or other stated meet
ings during 1923-at which the public
could present questions affecting the
State Highway program?
! SO. Was it upon the initiative Of The
commission or was it under the ad-
vice and powerful suggestion of the
directing head'-Mr. Hirst thai the
commission Mr. Hirst-and several
engineers, all at the expense &c Wis.
consin taxpayers, on Dec. 8. 1923,
met in the st. Charles hotel in New
Orleans-and thereafter consider
ing protests from Vernon, Dane, Ju-
neau, Door. Bayfield, and Adams
county boards-decided to grant a
hearing to only one-'Dane Co.-and
then passed a resolution that for one
year no hearings would be held rela-
tive to highway hanges-except up
on resolutions of the county board?
~. Can you explain the above to
the satisfaction of the Crawford coun-
ty taxpay paid the bill for
special meeting of the county board
to pass such a resolution? Why such
autocratic drawing away from pro-
tests of the taxpayers?
''5. Is it not a fact that Mr.. Hirst
in hearings before the public in
many county seats in 1923-repeated-
ly asserted that there was only about
$750,000 available to meet federal aid
projects in 1924
'6 Was that statement LC-repeat
ed, a true statement of fact? II not,
why was it made?
"7 Did Mr.. Hirst-some time prior
to the session of the Dane county
board on Feb. 1, 1924, inform the
Dane county highway committee that
if the road through the village of
Relleyille was placed on the federal
highway no federal aid funds would
spent north of charlottesville If the
county board refused to approve the
road as located by the state highway
commission such federal aid would be
spent on the other location?
"8. Who was the Directing Head
making this threat concerning federal
funds to the Dane county board? Ask
the people of Belleville who is the
Wisconsin Autocrat OF the Highways.
80. Will your paper kindly explain
to the voters of Dane county why it
was necessary for any one of the
members of the commission, or Mr..
Hirst, on the tour OF inspection to