Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1939-06-22

AN ANSWER
On page one will be found reply
to the editorial in the Herald of two
weeks ago on "The New Deal Boule-
ward in Bristol-Meigsville'. The re-
ply is by Mr. Gibson of Zanesvllle,
Director of WPA for District NO. 8.
A somewhat similar defense OF the
construction of this road appeared IN
last weeks Morgan County Demo-
crat. In answering, let us admit
that we were in error in guessing the
total cost of this road and that the
figures of $10,868 advanced by Mr.
Gibson are the correct ones. Ii Mf.
Gibson were publishing paper in
stead of directing the WPA, he would
find it necessary to resort TO 'cufD-
stone" estimates if he printed any
figures of costs connected with re-
lief or WPA 1t has been next to
impossible to ascertain the total eX-
penditures on any local government
WPA projects. The completed result
is usually pointed to pridefully as
"what the government has given us 3.
We should be glad, indeed, to re-
ceive and to publish the exact figures
of costs on all WPA projects. We al
so would be glad to publish the
number and the salaries of all ad-
ministrative officials, including di-
rectors. straw bosses, ETC., required
to administer the WPA in the county
after six years Of "the more abun-
dant life". After all, this is public
property as the people in the end
must pay for the vast indebtedness
being created through the various
activities having to do with relief.
And it would also be interesting for
the boys on the WPA to compare
their wages for doing the hard work
with the salaries Of their Wh1te-col-
Jared bosses at the top.
But supposing we were in error IN
over-estimating the cost of the road
in question Is there any excuse for
burying $10,8OO in a mudbank in
Bristol township? This road serves
but one family in Bristol township.
It does not traverse a mail route or
a school bus route. 1t is not an i'm
portant connecting link between two
routes. Instead of there being near
ly $1,000 expended upon it's i'm
provement. the opinion of the level
headed farmers of that vicinity is
that most of the route should have
been abandoned. We erred IN say
ing that it's cost was the equivalent
Of pitching three sections OF Bristol
township land into Meigs creek. we
should have said one instead OF
three.
But, say the WPA authorities, we
are not responsible for where this
money was expended. This road was
petitioned for and approved by the
township trustees and the county
commissioners. If there was an error
in Judgment, it was the error OF
local officials. This is nice way to
pass the buck but it proves exactly
what we have heretofore contended.
The spending-lending program OF the
federal government has completely
DESTROYED all local responsibility IN
the expenditure of public monies. IL
has encouraged debt, waste and ex-
travagance beyond anything ever De-
fore witnessed in the conduct OF the
affairs of any responsible govern
ment. In the present instance, II the
trustees of either Meigsville or Bris-
tol township had expended a tlthe OF
the present sum of local FUNDS on
improving this obscure and little
travelled road in question, they would
have been laughed out Of the town
ship. There has grown up in the pub
lie mind the idea that government
money is gift and that whoever re-
ceives it is getting something 1or
nothing. Others say we are foOllsn
if we don't take the money. They
reason and perhaps correctly that
we must help pay for public improve
ments elsewhere in the United States
and we must take everything we car
get to keep even with the deal. In
short. the Public Works program OF
the present administration offers
bounty to every community in the
land if it will agree to be wasteful
and extravagant. 1t says. in SUP.
stance, if you will squander $1.Ot
for something you do not need OF
which you can do without, the gov.
ernment will squander two additional
dollars.
Nor can the responsibility for this
road be laid at the door of county
officials. The government tenders
them an outright grant of funds un.
der certain conditions and they woulc
be criticized if they did not accept
the proffer. They are strait-tacketec
in being compelled to conform to fed
eral specifications in construction.
In the case in point, the Boulevarc
pavement was % feet and the rlgh'