The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-04-03
HINT HIGHWAY
CAR TO OUT
At HEARING
Williams Moves A Effects
From Capitol Office
Before Dawn.
SET TO FILE REPLY
uSter Charges Slated to Be
Heard This AftT-
noon. q i!

q Ff-z1 Il
Having moved his effectsfrom his
1ce in the statehouse ann.x before
avn today, John D. Williams, state
lghway department director. was
eported ready to resign vhen the
commission assembled to har custer
charges against him this Eternoon.
Williams and his attOruy. James
Bingham. refused to C.nhrm or
deny the resignation reprt. The
highway chief admitted claring his
desk.
Bingham merely pointd to the
thlrty-page answer to the commits
sion charges, ready for fling with
commissioners and the 3ttorney-
general. as evidence that ne hear
ing would be carried on
Attorney-General James 4. Ogden
and Chairman Albert j. Vedeking
OF the commission declared they
were ready to go ahead and an
nounced the list Of witnesses. They
expected to support the Twenty-Five
charges, made definite m0n Will
liams' motion, by minutes OF COM
mission meetings and cooperate
witnesses, Wedeking declard.
Wedeking and Com Missioner
Jess l.. Murden. Peru. arr the butt
OF attack in counter charges con-
tanned in the answer prepared by
Williams for filing
1t is contended that Williams Op-
posed cement pavement On state |
Road 66, because of huge eraVation
necessary, and that the commission
chairman had a friend interested in |
the contract; that WedekiuE sought
an $4,000 cubic-yard extension with |
Z out bids; that the contractor |
charged Williams with beating him
out of $4,000 and the Governor or
s dered Wedeking to rescind c0mmis-
1 son action on the extension
Saved Loss to stale
Williams contends that II the ac-
ton had not been reScinded it would
mean a loss of $1,000 to the state
and a precedent Of favoritsm.
Action requiring alternate bids to
be submitted was rescinded and
struck from commission minutes
when it was charged that Lawrence
Miller of the Portland Cement As
sociation said the alternate bid idea
was to embarraSS them and line
them up for the director, the VIII
hamS' answer alleges.
Murden's one time connection
with the indianapolis agency of the
General Tire and Rubber Company
is cited and the charge made that
this company was given a tire con-
tract although their bid was I.73 per
cent greater than the low bidder.
Charges Secret Contract
Murden put this over because of
a secret contract for preSS-on solid
tires. it is alleged. Williams OBJ
lection on the ground of improper
advantage, was said to have been
overruled
Alleged attempt of Commissioner
Robert Borden, Fountain City, to
secure cement orders for the Miami
Cement Company. despite contracts
with other concerns, also Is cited
The commission had a long line
Of Witnesses ready to testify against
William. including Joseph BOnwell,
Jesse HaddOn and Roy Thompson,
all of Dana. who will ell OF Will
liamS alleged failure to pave part
of Road 38 between Montezuma and
the Illinois state line
Circuit Judge James Emmert OF
Shelbvville will support the charge
that the highway chief caused ex-
pensive delays IN a bankruptcy suit
by failure to provide the record
Brown to BE Witness
John G. Brown. MonOn, head of
the Indiana Good Roads ASSOci-
alton. and citizens OF BuruettSville.
will support the charge Of the route
change on Road a.
Phillip Zoercher of the state tax
board will tell Of his efforts TO Sc
cure a hearing for a discharged
employe. but was told TO forget it"
by Williams.
Charles Kettleborough O.. the
legislative reference bureau. who
will tell of Williams alleged failure
to file annual reports for the Blue
Book. or delay in bringing them in.
After explaining away S5o000O Of
the charge that he failed to collect
$1,000 900 due from municipalities.
counties and contractors in a state
ment Tuesday. Williams launched
counter charges in answering other
points today.
His explanation Of the failure to
collect debts was that effort was
being made to collect but bond
issues and contoveTSarieS we're
holding back payment
Explains His Deeds
Answering the charge OF failure
to install guard rails at six differ
ent locations. Williams counter
charges that the rails were pur-
chased by the commission without
competitive bids" and that he knew
the maintenance department mad
installed some of them.
Asserting that all commissioners
but Wedeking were friendly 70 him,
until Governor Harry G. Leslie. got
them to ask him TO resign 5n1 give
the post to his secretary, pohn j.
Brown, ne attributes the chal mans
4 attitude to his CWilliamsl raosi-
ton to paving Road 6S Eith akut.
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