The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-09-18
ROADS GROUP
FUND QUIZ TO
Be DEMANDED
Senator Strey, Wabash,
Also to Offer Bill Calling
to Abolish Commission.
BROWN IN CHALLENGE
DefleS Legislator to Show
Evidence of MUrden
Patronage.

tate Senator Charles L. Strey
CRep) Wabash, late this morning
renewed demands for challenging
letter written him by John J..
Brown, state highway commission
chairman, to which he already has
answered.
The letter. which Brown says will
be mailed at once to the senator,
de1es him to disclose evidence sup
porting an allegation that Commits
sioner Jess L. Murden (Rep). Peru,
Is interested in firms selling tires,
trucks or cars to the state.
Senator Strey will answer Browns
letter with demands for thorough
investigation of expenditure of state
highway funds this year, and pre-
sentation of a bill to the 1881 legis-
lature to abolish the present COM
mission.
Letter Is Answered
The senator was first apprised of
Browns letter by The Times. This
morning he sent the following tele-
gram:
Il wired Brown Of the highway
commission as follows today, which
kindly arrange to publish In your
next issue:
~ failed to receive the letter as
published in the Indianapolis Star
this morning. You evidently had
some reason for not sending me this
letter, so am asking you now to
mail it to me by registered mail to-
day. so l may receive it tomorrow
morning. If you think for one min
ute that you or any one else can
bluff me you are sadly mistaken.
The best thing for you to do
Is to cooperate in every possible
way for the good of the commits
sion
&C. L. STREY, State Senator"
He was ready this morning with
the answer to Browns letter.
Two Years Is Enough"
Il have stood two years of this
commission and the Brown admin
istraSion. and that's enough" the
senator asserted.
when the legislature conVeneS,
] will ask that a. complete investl-
CATION of the expenditure of high
way funds be made. I was one OF
the legislators who voted in good
faith to increase the gasoline tax
/ cent because the highway depart
rnent didn't have sufficient funds.
Now want to know what it did
with the money. The highway de-
partment was to have received
S22.OOO,OOO a year, but admit it is
broke and in debt. What 1 want
to know is what became Of these
tremendous sums.
Wants Full Time Group
'In addition to an accounting, I
will introduce a bill to abolish the
commission in it's present form. My
law will provide for creation OF a
fuI-time commission of at least
three members.
Everywhere throughout the state
YOU hear complaints regarding the
present organization. In our dis
trict, we have been trying to get
the Hills and Lakes highway Tor
two years and all we get is the an
swer that the highway department
doesn't have any money. Well, let's
ind out what it did with it,
Personally, I've been patient long
enough. I'm ready to go after this
commission roughshod."
The paragraph in Browns letter
which aroused the senator's ire was
as follows:
Strey's Ire Reused
personally. 1 always shall lee
that if YOU fail in the disclosure OF
these charges, you brand yourself as
wholly unworthy of holding ofhce
of public trust
Strey'S charges" was the request
In a letter to Brown for a list OF
Arms selling tires and other sup
niles to the state highway commits
sion in which Commissioner Muir
den is reported interested.
Brown and Murden both denied
there is any such connection ano
Brown challenged the senator IN the
above paragraph.
Brown this morning said ne olC-
tated the letter Wednesday ana II
will be mailed today.
Senator Strey's principal COM
plant arises from his failure during
the last two years to get the high
way commission to pave the Hills
and Lakes trail which runs past hi;