The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1928-12-27
GOVERNOR FORCED TO ACT
INEFFORT TOSAVE HIMSELF
Stencil Raised In Road Scandal
Becomes Greater AS New and
Developments Occur in Office
(From The Observer, Baltimore)

(From The Observer, Baltimore)
After ten months of vacillation dur
ing which millions of dollars of State
roads money was spent Governor
Richie decided to supersede the chair
man Of the State Roads Commission
ana restrict him to his secondary Job
Of Chief Engineer.
As Chief Engineer Nj Mackall will
get a salary of $4,000 year while
Oscar F. Lackey, the new chairman,
IS to get $4,000 year. For this ST.
500 a year he is to boss the Chief
Engineer with his $4,000 year sal
airy This is due to a popularity Of
the budget as made by the Governor
two years ago.
The associate members of the Roads
Commission remain, so it seems even
though the Governors "Advisoyy'
Comm; zee of three criticized them
severely for what they let pass them
According to this, Commissioner R.
Bennett DarnelI will continue to have
two Franklin air-cooled cars at State
expense with an allowance for up
keep, while the Republican member,
W. w. Brown. of Cumberland, will
continue with his one fast car, an
allowance Of $40 a month for upkeep
and $35 expense allowance for each
meeting Of the. Roads Commission he
attends.
Governors Course
Not Unexpected
The belated action Of the Governor
was not unexpected The situation
was getting too hot for him. He had
few if any defenders in his course Of
representation and attempting to
shoulder onto a committee response
bilites which were his own. He was
informed Of the roads scandal early
last February. He acts in December.
Thus his critics see in his long delay
an effort on the part Of the Governor
to find an excuse for not doing any
thing at all.
But the situation was hurting the
Governor and when he learned Of this
he was driven to act in an effort to
save himself. 1t is doubtful, say
many, that action at this late day can
save the Governor from the political
retirement and oblivion into which he
seems to be slipping.
Mackall and the Governor have been
very close ever since the beginning
of the Richie administration. The
| Governor seems to have selected Mr..
Mackall for the position of Roads
Chairman and saddled the Chief Engi-
neers salary on him to add to his
comfort largely because he liked him
personally.
There was criticism of the Severn
| River bridge celebration but that did
not deter the Roads Chairman from
providing a bigger event as an adver-
tisement for his chief, the Governor,
at the Grain Highway opening. In
deed, much of the criticism that has
| been leveled at the Roads Chairman
in the last few years has been based
on the charge that he had been run
ming the Roads Commission as a
wheel in the Richie machine. Any
way, the Governor must have liked
the way Mackall ran it, for it was well
known that in 1928 when the Cover
nor was running for a second term
he promised that he would jump the
Mackall salary from $4,000 to $10,-
600 in the event Of his success at the
polls.
Again in 1925 when the Governor
was running for his third term it
leaked out that in the event of the
Richie election the pay of the Roads
Chairman was to be jumped again
and thus it was raised to $12,500 by
combination of two salaries for
what was virtually one job. These
two Jobs the Governor is now sepa-
rating on the "advice" of his Cad
visory' Committee and so it is that
both Mr.. Mackall and Mr.. Lackey are
to hold forth in the Commission
simultaneously. Prior to the Richie
administration the Chairman was
Frank H. Zouck, and the Chief Engi-
neer was Mr.. Mackall. At the time
the appointment of Mr.. Mackall to
the Craftsmanship was made the bud
get had been passed and the salary
of the Chairman was set at the origi-
nal modest sum of $4,000 a year. The
Governor gave Mackall both jobs and
both salaries, and that's the way it
has been ever since 1920.
Auditors Office
Now a Storm Center
Coincident with the report of the
Office of State Auditor Milbourne be-
came a storm center in which the Gov
ernor has figured without adding any
thing to his own political prestige.
The State Auditor was drawn in by
statement Of Daniel H. Carroll,
Deputy Auditor, who uncovered the
stealings in the State Roads office,
that his salary was being withheld