The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-08-12
COUNTY ROAD
PLAN LABELED
As WASTEFUL
Leaks in New Budget viii
Cost 100000, View
of Shearer.
PAY MORE FOR GRAVEL
90 Cent Variety to Be Used
When 20-Cent Kind Is
Available.
BY SHELDON KEY

Leaks in the 1882 Marion county
free gravel road budget, as outlined
by commissioners, will cost tax
payers $4,000 to $4,000 more than
necessary, John Shearer, minority
member of the board of commits
sioners, said today.
A study today of budget proposals,
| to be submitted to the county coun-
Gil in September, reveals commits
Sioners preparing for huge road eX-
penditures in the face of high tax
rates.
Unless the county council slashes
large sums from the proposed
budget, commissioners may insti-
tute a tar-gravel road building pro-
gram within the county which may
rival the 'blacktop" scheme of the
state highway, 1t is reported.
Due to lower material costs, the
county can build more roads for less
money in 1892 than in 1881, Charles
Mann, county road superintendent,
estimated.
Ignore Cheaper Gravel
Commissioners in their budget
requests seem to have turned deaf
ear to Manns suggestion that the
county stop paying an exorbitant
price for gravel and get it so cents
yard cheaper" Shearer. who. as
minority member, had no part in
the budget making, charged today.
Mann estimated road costs for
1882 at $149,595. Commissioners are
asking the council for an appropri-
alton of $188,509 for the free gravel
road fund.
The proposed appropriation for
gravel was raised from $4,000 to
$37, 500, although Mann informed
Commissioners George Snider and
Dow Vorhies they would be able
to secure gravel for much less than
this, if they desired.
Tar Budget Increased
BY Mann's suggestion, the county
would use pit gravel, obtained from
local beds for about 20 cents yard.
instead of paying contractors. so
cents yard, as at present. Com
miSsioners let all gravel contracts.
washed" gravel now is being used.
Marion county has as many
gravel deposits as Fountain county.
In that county the road Superin-
tendent is paying as low as 1919
cents yard, it is reported.
Commissioners also expect to
spend $4,000 more for tar and
patching material than last year
They are asking $4,000 for this
purpose, while Mann estimated
$4,000 as sufficient.
Despite protests by highway ex-
perts that tar-gravel roads, the
county "blacktop" program, will not
hold under heavy traffic, commits
sioners declare they will build ap-
proximately thirty miles of these
next year.
Two weeks before they made this
decision, officials of a well-known
tar company took them on a days
tour of northern Indiana.
Levy to Be Boosted
Thomas Ellis, incoming Demo-
cratic commissioner, also sat in on
the commissioner budget sessions.
Commissioner Vorhies declared
I'VE will build tar-gravel roads to
rid the county of maintenance ex-
penditures and costs for oiling dusty
roads"
These and other expenditures,
which tax reduction proponents de-
clare would not be necessary at a
time when tax rates already are
oppressingly high, will raise the
road levy Il cent above Manns esti-
mate. Commissioners propose a l.
cent levy for roads.
Snider and Vorhies are defending
their budget by saying this Is no
time to cut road expenditures; roads
must be kept in condition, for the
public demands It,"