The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1936-06-05
State Road Affairs
Get An Airing
Survey Group Charges Ser
ious And fragrant Activ-
tiles Contrary To Law

The State Roads Commission in
the period from 1880 to 1886 en-
gagged in serious and fragrant ac-
tivities," some of them absolutely
contrary to the law" the State Sur
vey Commission charges in a report
which was released for publication
Monday.
The roads commission allowed ex-
cessive rights-of-way costs and ex-
cessive attorneys fees for rights-of-
way, permitted an overexpenditure
of county funds, and allowed huge
deficit to accumulate in it's own
funds, the State Survey Commission
reported.
In addition, e. Brooke Lee, when
member of the commission, turned
in unwarranted personal expense
accounts and during the bank holt
day of 1888 had the commission de-
post State sums in county banks Of
which he was an official, it was said
in the report.
The report, which officially ends
the State Survey COMMISSIONS exist
ence, concludes the Investigations Of
State departments under the Richie
administration. The investigation
began in 1895.
The document is signed by J.
Goodman Boyd and Joseph Allison
Wilmer, two of the three commits
sioners. Isaac Lobe Straus, third
commissioner, concurs in the findings
although not present at the taking
of testimony, it was said.
Among the findings on the "exces-
sive cost" of rights-of-way, the re-
port lists altogether thirtytwo at
torneys and law firms, many of them
prominently connected with the
Democratic party, who, it is asserted,
have received more than $1,000 each
in fees for legal services since 1880.
OF this number, three received
more than $4,000 during this
period, eight others received more
than $4,000, three more than $4,000
and FIVE more than $4,000, according
to- the report. Many of them, it is
asserteI, farmed out the work to
otheEgfHen, paying ''mere pittance'
and making a large profit on the
transaction.
Criticism is directed at the old
State kRoads Commission for not OBJ
tanning rights-of-way in advance of
letting contracts and for not debiting
against land owners benefits they
would %derive from road widenings.
These policies, it is set forth, cost
the State hundreds of thousands of
dollars which could easily have
been saved"
From January Is, 1929, to Janu-
airy 81, 1886, total of $86,769,-
831.05 was expended for construc-
ton and maintenance, the report
says, asserting that deficit of more
than $5,200,O0O accumulated in the
fiscal year 1894, which "the State
Survey Commission is unable to
understand"
Counties several times overdrew
their road-fund allotments, the re-
port continues, and in number of
cases counties were paid principal or
interest on bond issues in amounts
contrary to rules laid down by the
Legislature.
The accounts concerning Mont
gomery county were declared to dis
close conditions so glazing. lit
was thought advisable to give par
ticular attention thereto"
Montgomery county, on May 4,
1881, had an overdraft of $780,
623.42, it was said, and despite at
tempts to liquidate this overdraft it
still was $316,278.O7 on September
20, 1894.
The report said in addition that
Montgomery county, in the two
years ended September 20, 1894, re-
ceived $1,0O5, 606.92 in State gas
tax funds, when it's mileage entitled
it to share of only S481,237.66.
Mr.. Lees expense accounts are
scrutinized in detail. 1t is charged
that he had expense accounts of
$39O.5O, $1,S10.81 and $4,3S4.59,
respectively, in his three years on the
State Roads Commission, and that he
paid certain salaries to certain en-
ployes out of his personal expense
account. The commission had no
record of these employees or the SER
vices they performed, the report
stated.
The PannsylVania railroad has