The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-01-09
SPEEDY Use
OF HIGHWAY
FUND PLANNED
$2,045, 900 in Federal Aid
to Be Put in Circulation
as Soon as Possible.
PUSH MOVE FOR PROBE
Strey Heads Campaign to
Inquire Into Conduct
of Commission.

Plans we're being laid today by
Director John J. Brown of the state
highway department and commits
Sioners to spend quickly the $685.
600 federal aid now available, with
out matching by state funds, under
the emergency relief measure re-
Gently passed in congress.
Plans we're being drafted at a
conference with j. T. Voshell, fed
eral highway engineer for this dis
trict, whose job was said to have
been jeopardized recently by Com
missioner Jess Murden's political
activities.
Murden is credited with running
The highway department" and is a
close personal friend of Governor
Harry G. Leslie.
Among those present at highway
headquarters today we're State Sen
ator G. Oliver Holmes CRep., Gary
and former Representative j. Glenn
Harris (Rep., Cary. They con-
ferred with Arthur P. Melton (Dem.,
Gary, highway commission men,
Der.
Probe Is Continued
Meanwhile, other senators and
present members of the house of
representatives were continuing
plans to probe the departments
financial affairs and conduct under
the present administration.
In the senate this move is being
pressed with vigor by Senator
Charles L. Strey (Rep., Wabash
His initial charge, disclosed in The
Times Wednesday, is that the COM
mission, although having more state
funds than at any other time in
history, failed to match and obtain
$3,5OO,000 in federal aid the last
summer, thereby being unable to
finance more jobs for the unem-
ployed and aid in drought relief
The federal aid funds uncollected
new total some 100000, Stey con-
tends, and in the interim the de-
partment went into debt 100000. It
is learned that the present commits
sion plans to dodge paying the 2
per cent interest on the borrowed
money, which was taken from the
cities, counties and towns share of
the state gasoline tax revenue.
Proposal Called Brazen
Before leaving for Wabash for
the weekend, Strey added new
fuel to the fire by caustic criticism
OF the commission proposal to
abolish all budget restrictions and
leave the spending of it's some
$22,000,000 in annual revenues to
Whim as to where needed.
This proposal, which Strey terms
"brazen," was made in the request
to the state budget committee. The
plan is not to divide funds into
construction, maintenance and ad-
ministrative as has been done
previously, but to give the depart
ment all the money in lump sum
and let it spend it under the
budget committee supervision"
What do they mean, budget COM
nittee Supervision?" Strey asked.
1.-THE committee meets only four
times a year after the legislature
closes.
Claims Funds "DiSsipated"
"Chief highway trouble now is the
manner in which funds have been
dissipated. What is needed there
is better and more drastic budget
ing, surely not less restrictions.
But needed most of all is an in
vestigation, and we are going to
make it, over in the senate. If they
have nothing to fear and are proud
of their record, as the Governor
contends, even friendly, senators
should support it.
81 admit that I'm not friendly
toward them and I expect to dis
close by investigation the crying
need for change in personnel and
plan Of the commission set-up.
81 will introduce a bill for full
time commission, which will elimi-
nate the present divided authority
where every one and no, one is
blamed when things go aWry."