Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1925-11-18
Lone Wolf on Board At
Loggerheads With Body.
Opponents Sass Back.

following publicity to the SUDDEN
mayer charges, and we publish them
because of his relation to the improve
ment of Route Al and because he rep
resents this county in the state SEN
ate The Journal says:
I'm a note filed with the commits
sion, Senator Staudenmayer makes a
number of charges, one of the more
sensational being that a member of
the commission who went to Mime
apolis to purchase livestock for per-
sonal use put in an expense item
marked road inspection
Senator Staudenmayer goes into
considerable detail in describing what
he alleges to have been extravaganza
and poor management in the con-
structiOn of state trunk highway 20
between Kilbourn and Portage. He
says that the road proved so costly
that $243,000 was actually expended
on a stretch of highway for which
contracts amounted to but $4,000.
Senator Staudenmayer charges
further that expenditure was greater
than appropriation, that the statutes
were violated, that the contract for
the center surface was made without
bids and without the approval of the
governor. He says gravel was trans
ported a long distance when other
gravel pits were nearer, and that the
cost of this gravel was increased from
$1.05 to 1926 cubic yard, besides
the carriage charges. That 81 was
paid far hauling top soil dressing
when the actual cost was 40 to 60
cents, that corrugated metal pipe on
one section of the road cost nearly
double what it did on another section
and that unreasonable prices were
paid for other materials.
"The senator also charges that GER
tain rock excavation paid for as solid
rock work should have been ciassed
as loose rock work Another charge
is that $14,106 was paid for the ex-
cavation of 30,305 cubic yards of
earth on section G while the subcon-
tractor received only $4,000 for ex-
cavating the east section, which was
the heavy portion of the job on sec
ton G. He says the entire cost of the
project was so unwarranted as to
constitute reflection on the commits
sion.
Senator Staudenmayer's commun-
ication, which was filed as the COM
mission was closing a meeting, was
referred to State Highway Engineer
Donaghey.
THE highway commission has
been busy with other hearings and
has not had the opportunity to con-
slider it, said Secretary Torkelson, of
the highway commission. Mr.. Staud-
enmayer consulted with no one rel
ative to the details of the contracts
and asked for no explanations though
he asked for the records and went
over them
"'The job on highway 20 extended
through two construction seasons.
Part of the road was built through
swampy ground and there were many
unforeseen difficulties. 1t was neces-
sary to do good many things that
were not anticipated"
The Highway Commission Answers
Staudenmayer.
On Friday the State Highway Com
mission issued reply to Senator
Staudenmayer, and it in no way
minces matters. It deals with the
work on the Portage -Kilbourn road
improvement and says the work vas
done in proper manner and consid- |
ering local conditions of sand and |
swamp, as cheaply as such a project |
could reasonably be expected to be
DONE
In summing up the matter and |
Staudenmayer's attitude towards the |
Commission, the report says: |
'"The commission is further most |
regretfully forced to the conclusion |
that the charges were, inspired, not |
by desire to criticise constructive1y,
but through malicious intent to cast |
discredit on highway work in the state
of Wisconsin, upon the other four
members of the commission and upon
its employees. The commission is |
forced to this conclusion by consid-
GRAFTON of the conduct of the member
making the charges ever since he be-
came member. He has presumed to
impose his will upon the other four
members from the first meeting on
On propositions where there could
not be any conceivable reason for diff
fering with the majority, he has, it
appears on many questions, voted
contrary to the majority, solely
through perversity He has, as the
is convinced, on every
possible occasion, gone out of his way
to stir up discomfort and to inspire a
lack of confidence and cast discredit
on the highway work of the state as
a whole. Numerous statements bear
ing his signature have appeared in
the public press. most of which have
been to this effect, many of them
have been defamatory and some have
even been unfit to print.
'Since he cannot rule the highway
work in the state, it seems that he is
endeavoring to ruin it.
Word "Graft'' Unwarranted
Until the charges of irregularity
by Commissioner Staudenmayer were
published in the Capital Times of No /
vember 4, the word graft" had never
been used in connection with highway
work in the state of Wisconsin. Its /
use on that occasion is unjustified
The unwarranted insinuation that
member of the commission transacted /
private business at public expense is
false and had it not been made as it /
was. would be too ridiculous to be
noticed The people of the state, with
practical unanimity. have the ut
most confidence in the conduct of the
II H. a. 414. -