Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1925-11-12
REPLY MADE
TO CHARGE
OF SENATOR
No Words Minced In
Answer to Commits
siOner George Stau-
denmayer
(Ry r. A. cANNoN)

Madison The state highway
commission on Friday issued a
sharp rejoinder to Commissioner
George Staudenmayer, who at the
meeting Of the commission held on
November 3rd made numerous
charges, OF irregularity and ineffi-
cheney in carrying on the building
operations on the road between
Portage and Kilbourn City.
In addition to a general state
ment covering the charges, state
highway engineer, j. t. Donaghey
has made an analysis of the
charges and has given specific re-
plies to each OF them, which have
been filed with the commission.
The state highway commission
does not mince words in discuss
ing Senator Staudenmayer and
his charges. In their statement
they aver that Charges were in
spired not by desire to criti
CHE constructively, but through q
malicious desire to cast discredit
on highway work in the state of
Wisconsin, upon the other four
members of the Commission and
upon its employees"
The reply of the commission in
part is as follows:
"The State Highway commission
has carefully considered the
charges of irregularity brought by
Commissioner George Stauden-
mayer at meeting of the COM
mission. The said charges were
referred to the state highway en-
replies to each part Of the charge,
which have convinced the commits
sion that the charges are totally
without justification.
Project Discussed
The project on which the irreg-
ularities are alleged to have oc-
Cured is more than fourteen miles
in length. Portions of it traverse
country which previous to the
construction Of this project con-
tanned no roads running in the di-
rection of the state trunk highway.
On the eastern part of the pro-
ject, the country was extremely
sandy and the roads impossible
for heavy hauling. On the central
part of the project there were two
large swamps, extending over a
distance Of three miles.
This situation made it difficult
to deliver shipped in surfacing
material, and the commissions
engineers, therefore, made extra
ordinary Investigations in an at
tempt to develop surfacing mater
ial from local sources by which
the haul from railroad stations
would be cut to a minimum. At
tempts were made to develop loo
al sources of supply, but these
proved entirely inadequate, and
the commission was forced, after
these local supplies were exhaust
cd, to complete the job with ship
ped in material.
This and other unforeseen diff
culties, principally in connection
with the swamp sections, made the
cost higher than originally anti
cipated. But he expenditures nee
essary were specifically authoriz-
which Commissioner Staudenmay-
ed in advance at a meeting at
er was present, and raised no OBJ
lection. A careful consideration
of the charges and the answers
made have convinced ina commits
sion that the work was conducted
at least as well as work is ordin-
ariIy conducted, and that the costs
of engineering and supervision
are not unreasonable for thet class
of work. The commission is fur
ter convinced that there is no
basis of justification for any be-
lief that there was any dishon-
esty on the part Of its employees
or any collision with any of the
contractors on the work, as was
insinuated, if not directly charg-
ed. The commission is further
most regretfully forced to the
conclusion that the charges were
inspired, not by desire to criti-
sic construct,vely but through
malicious intent to cast discredit
on highway work in the state of
Wisconsin, upon the other four
members of the commission and
puon its employees.