Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1924-01-04
T. II. PAUL ANSWERS
EXAMINERS CHARGES
Shows Saving Of $4,000
on Ten Jobs Handled
on Force Account.

Frank H. Paul has issued a
statement concerning the report
filed at Olympia by the two mem
bers of the state board of examin-
ers concerning the methods used
in handling the funds of the North
and South commissioners dis
tricts. He says:
| admit that, technically speak
ing, that both Mr.. Dobson and my
self have not followed the strict
letter Of the new law, Section l.
chapter 1873 Of the session laws of
1923, which went into effect June
20, 1928, without our knowledge
or consent. Ignorance of the law
is no excuse, hence we are wrong
| find in gong over our records
that since January s, 1928, there
have been seven contracts let in
the South district. under plans
specifications and estimates of the
county engineer, at total cost of
500, 1900; that in four cases the
bids exceeded the engineers es
Inmates and the other three were
a trifie under. or that the old time
contractors followed the old time
custom of adhering closely to the
engineer estimates.
According to the members OF
the state board of accOuntancy,
there were Is roads or project,
constructed in the South district
at cost Of $26 205.29 by force ac-
count. | have taken 10 roads
from their own reports and find
the following results:
Engineers estimated cost on 10
roads selected, $55, S05.00.
Cost of construction according
to report of examiners, $4,000
Saving in cost over engineers
estimates, $40,257.00 on 10 roads
by force account work, in place OF
advertising for bids, provided the
contractors followed their usual
custom IN bidding.
In regard to road men in both
the North and the South districts.
they deserve great credit in being
able to charge expenditures TO the
number of roads they have. whan
it is considered how deplorable the
condition of our road records is in
the county engineers Office. -.
The state examiners will bean
witness to the incomplete condi
ton of the records, yet they blame
the road men for not securing in
formation that they themselves
failed to secure.
The state board erred in its
report, probably through no fault
of its own, when it reported the
Fred Taggert road as not having
been established.
1t is true that all papers per
tanning to the establishment Of
the Taggert road are missing from
the engineers office, having been
either lost or destroyed, yet the
county commissioners records
show, Vol. 90, page 173. that the
road was established by the
board July 25, 1921
Also the Vitarelli road, No
1899. was established July %.
1921, Vol. %, page ia, commits
sioperS' records.
There are hundreds of roads
with three and four different
numbers and hundreds more that
have neither name nor number
and any number of roads that
have not been mapped. Several
months ago the commissioners ord
cred the enCineer to prepare maps
for the road men, showing roads
and numbers. The order sleeps
peacefully in the engineers office
because he has not the necessary
data from which TO make the
mans.
Over a month ago ] introduced
at the request of the state board
a resolution requiring the engi-
neer to number 81 roads and give
arbitrary numbers where none ex'
lists. Receiving no second to my
motion for passage, il was finally
referred to the engineer for con
sidcration and that also sleeps in
the engineers department.