Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1943-10-26
Personnel and New
Postwar Plans Are
Topics at Meeting
In the Sir Walter Hotel.
Daily Dispatch Bureau.
BY LYNN NISBET

Raleigh. Oct. 26.-MoSt of the for
NIL discussion of pending problems
b. the highway and public works
commission ut its meeting last FRI
G;.y was in executive session and ruil
report is not available. Despite the
closing of doors against reporters and
the public some information about
these executive sessions can ALWAYS
be picked up. Furthermore. "A good
deal of the discussion was informal
and took place in hotel rooms and
corridors among individual mem
BEES of the commission and other
highway officials.
Nv adding together bits of imfor-
u..tiun picked up here and there Soy
rl..l facts nI vital interest to the pet
pie ul the state may be adduccd.
First of these Is growing need fnr
:. .ull time chairman of the commits
sion. There Is increasing diSSatiSIac-
tIrn um part of the other d,$,rir,
commissioners and division heads
uy," lost time and lost motion he
cause Il responsible chairman is nu
.y..Il;iblc Ia pass upon IrDuri;ni
matters. There is nothing personal
IN the expressed opinions ur these.
officials. Apparently there is uu:ini-
NOUS agreement Thai ID. H. MCC'r;ry
would make an excellent chairman
II h" were III pnSitIun iu devote Iuii
time L. ;hr lob. the present Ir,.:.nr,-
mtri nI acting chairman while also
serving. as district commissioner. nm
der which hr spends only two or
tn!rC days II week. in the Raleigh Of
iICr. htS "CciSIuncd delay IN many
instances and j. an unsatisfactory
Way al handling public business. ac-
uidinG Ia several of his fellow mem.
DtiS.
McCrnly'S personal attitude in de-
ClIung Ia take amy compensation
other than regular per diem Tor his
duties as chairman is highly COM
m,udCd bat the question remains,
whether the small saving i'm salary
is not more than offset by costs III
other places incident To the part time
arrangement.
AnGthcr matte. which uccUDipd
much atlcntio ION by the highway COM
n:sSIonc!$ 1T the recent meeting Is
indirectly related Ia the chairman
shIp issue. That is the problem OF
personnel. For many years the per
sonnet records have been kept IN the
Office of CHIEF highway engineer w.
Vance BaSc. In regular routine op-
crail"n proposals; To hire or tire. pro
mote ~ denote. raise or lower pay
Of ,al&rled employees passed over
Tie Chalrman'S desk. Often these
matters demand prompt attention.
During The past year during which
the ch"i:nian's desk has not been &C.
CupiCd Tor So much of the time some
q. these problems have been dISpos-
ed ui IN Il way not pleasing 10 dis
i!lct commissioners.
y third angle also tied in with
both line foregoing is the need now
.". postwar planning ui Il statewide
program Ui hi2hway construction.
reconstruction and repair. Several Ui
Inc district commissioners realizing
from observation III their own areas
what demand this planning program
makes upon their time. are convinc-
ed that 10 do justice 10 it will require
undivided attention of the chief en-
%iuccr and Of tho State chairman.
They feel that the chairman should
be tree 10 look at the whole picture
without being distracted by the many
petty matters coming before the dis
iuct commissioners: and that the
engineer should not &c hampercd 10y
personnel problems while attempt
ing 10 work out IN overall program
ct road and bridge building.
imposition of the executive Sos
sion rule bars the telling OF how
In" several commissioner stand on
hcHc questions without violating
personal condolences. (Why should
Htb!Ic business have to br transact
rd Dthlnd locked doors?) II is known
AT EjPsY