Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-10-01

The position assumed by the state board Of control
in connection with purchases of highway equipment oy
the state highway department would appear 70 tne
average observer an unwarranted interference with tne
functions Of the highway department.
The state highway commission, upon the recon-
mendstions Of its engineers, recently ordered CONSUL
erable eouinment. The state board Of control oy a Noes
80 ,wo n one rejected the list Of equipment SUBMIT
.ed nv TIE highway department and passed upon a hSe
of its own. The cost of the equipment reeommenu
bv the state board Of control would be approNm"'eS
$4,000 more than that listed by the highway depart
ment. IT,
- sor+roi held that they should have a differ
-, trps though the tractors demanded by the board
cost several thousand dollars more than those q
lected BY the highway engineers. Inc noaru "O
the view that the graders ordered by the highway COM
mission were not the proper type. and demanded d AZ
ferent type costing considerably more. The same arol-
Itrary attitude was displayed by the board reiaIFe %
+rpcts ordered by the highway commission. The en-
pineers asked for 25 trucks Of given specifications
But the control board rejected their reeommehdA-
TORS and ordered larger trucks and q a drfferent
mike. costing S26,472 more than the trucks recommend
ed by the engineers.
The position taken hy the control board N It's con-
troversy with the highway department is untenaole'
If the highway department engineers are incompetent
the control board should so state; II they are compe-
tent. and Texas has conclusive evidence they are they
should not be hampered by such arbitrary action
The state highway commission has employed high-
way engineers who rank high in their profession. Ihey
have made a life study Of highways construction ara
maintenance. The members OF the state board Of con-
troll have no more knowledge Of highway construction
and maintenance than the average layran, yet two q
them presume 10 dictate to the highway engineers the
class and type of equipment to be purchased for high
way work. In other words, they have indicated they
hold the opinion they are better qualified 70 order
equipment for highway work than are the engineers
who are to handle that work.
The law gives the state board 81 control power %
contract for equipment and supplies for the state
highway department, and while the board doubtless Is
within its authority, the arbitrary position assumed IN
rejecting recommendation Of the highway engineers
is wholly illogical. The engineers are employed for
the specific purpose Of handling highway construction
and maintenance and making recommendations rela-
tive thereto. Obviously, they should have the privilege
of at least designating the equipment necessary to han
die their work in the most efficient manner.
The present highway commission Il the most efficient
Texas ever had. The commission has secured highway
engineers Of recognized ability, engineers who -ank
high in their profession. The people Of Texas are we'll
satisfied with the manner in which the highway de-
partment is functioning, and they will resent what APP
pears TO be unwarranted and arbitrary interference on
the part Of the control board.