Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-01-28
CONTROLBODY
ALSO UNDER
HOUSE FIRE
Demurrer To Be Filed
Thursday in Behalf
Of Governor In Inn
peachment Action

AUSTIN. Jan. 2s.-tPl-The house
voted los to "a today to investigate
% charges or alleged misconduct
against the highway commission and
four against the board OF control.
preferred in a resolution offered by
Representative Elwood Gerron OF
Waxahachie.
Rules were suspended on motion
by Representative Purl Of Dallas to
permit the immediate disposal "of
this important matter once and for
all"
A letter was read BY Roy ]. Ten
nant, member of the board Of con-
troll. inviting the investigation, and
during consideration Of the rCsOlu-
tion, Glib Gilchrist, state engineer,
telcphoned 10 Representative John
n. Wallace OF league, that the de-
partment would welcome inquiry.
Gerron told the house that III Civ
en- a chance he would mot only
prove the charges set out In the res
olution, but many more"
Fourth Probe
Stating that he meant no reflec-
ton on the governor. who appointed
the highway commission, he added:
Il am not one of those who come
down here to vote for everything
the governor stands for"
This makes the fourth investiga-
tion authorized by the present leg
islature. Committees have been ap-
pointed TO investigate the general
land offiee and awarding of textbook
contracts and the house committee
on privileges, suffrage and elections
is investigating alleged irregulari-
ties in Hidalgo county affecting the
election Of Representative WI. R.
Montgomery OF Edinburg.
The house was placed under call
until the matter was disposed of.
the doors locked and sergeant-at-
arms instructed to bring in all abb
sentee members.
-Four ~ the prObers would be ap-
pointed By the speaker Of the house
and three by the president OF the
senate. Under Gerron's resolution
they would be authorized also to
check transactions Of the general
land office, a duty with which a
joint committee OF five already has
been vested.
Specific Charges
Charges which Representative
Gerron asserts have been directed
against the highway department
during the past two years in a pur-
ported controversy with the board
Of control relative to the purchase
Of road equipment machinery are:
Usurpation OF authority By highway
and maintenance engineers in rec
ommending buying of machinery. in
exeusable extravaganza i'm the pur-
chase OF Sl50000 of road machinery
in 1927, illegal waste Of siO.3s9
worth OF wheels without compete
tive bids By Maintenance Engineer
Leo Ehlinger i'm September, 1927.
improper leasing or road machinery,
extravaganza in buying two rock
crushers IN 1928, when the state IA
alleged 10 have had three crushers
leased tO private concerns. insist
enee Of the department that a con-
tract be made with nn Oil company
for purchase OF gasoline and oil
much In excess OF that 0f n ccmpct-
ing organization, and rank favorit-
Ism ~ allottinR more than $4,000, =
600 20 Harris county and 10 adjacent
counties covering an rs months pe-
riod in ly2T-2s when 242 others re-
ceived in contract aiiotments little
more than sl5.0O0.O0O.
Charge Conspiracy
Gerron also charges an @apparent
conspiracy" between R. IA. Thomp-
son, former highway engineer. and
member of Dallas engineering firm
at the time Of his appointment. and
another engineering interest. where
by Thompson served as highway en-
gineer pending securing OF contracts
Continued on Page Fourteen.)