RECOVERIES AND COLLECTIONS BY THE DEPARTMENT FROM Payment during examinations. Payment to municipality. July 1, 1914, 1917. July 1, 1915, July 1, 1916, to $78,719 37 7,313 76 Payment to department. June 30, 1915. to June 30, 1917. $91,562 65 15,260 50 The following statement will show total collections and disbursements by the department from the beginning to June 30, 1917, which has been verified by the balance in the State Savings and Trust Company, Indianapolis, and found correct: The expenses of the department from the beginning to June 30, 1917, have been $1,203,574.99. The amount of recoveries during the same period have been $927,540.99, and there are cases pending which have been certified to the Governor or in process of collection by the department amounting to $286,294.45. The experience of the department is that recoveries of about seventy per cent. are eventually made in these cases. Following this average the total collections to the date of the examinations when these cases are finally disposed of will amount to $200,406.12, or net collections of $1,127,947.11. During the period from the enactment of the law to June 30, 1913, the records of the department show that out of 6,522 offices and institutions coming under its supervision only 2,275 had been examined. During the year ending June 30, 1914, the first examination had been made of 3,390 of the 4,247 offices that had never been examined. Since that period the records of the board show that all offices under its supervision are now being examined annually. It will be seen that the expenses of the board during the three years show a material decrease, but the value of the law under which it is operating is not to be measured by the cost of the department or the recoveries made through its investigation, but by the repressive influences of its operations. The real saving to the taxpayers of the various municipalities is in the stoppage of the reckless and illegal expenditures of the public moneys and the savings it is compelling to be made in the purchase of supplies, construction of roads, erection of buildings and bridges. The books and records of the department are now kept so that any of its operations can be readily ascertained. We wish to commend the efficiency of the State Examiner and the two Deputy Examiners and the office force under them. We feel that they are succeeding in handling the many intricate questions that arise most satisfactorily and without unnecessary friction. We feel this efficiency and impartiality is gradually bringing home to the public the value of this board and the good work that is being done by it. That the force of field examiners is competent and efficient is shown by the results of their work as indicated by the tables of recoveries herewith submitted. (Signed) GEORGE U. BINGHAM. (Signed) J. E. REED. Indianapolis, Ind., August 24, 1917. The report shows that for the period from July 1, 1916, to the close of business, June 30, 1917, there was collected in cash by the department as the result of our examinations and investigations $111,375.84. There remains in process of adjustment, either by cases certified to the Governor or by cases pending settlement by the department from July 1, 1916, to June 30, 1917, $180,300.95, seventy per cent. of which, according to the estimate herein, will be collected, amounting to $126,210.66. Adding this to the amount already collected during last year by the department, the total sum collected and returned to the municipalities will be $237,586.50. The expense for all purposes, including per diem of field examiners, was $162,960.42 during this period, which shows the department has not cost the taxpayers one cent, but has been worth in actual dollars and cents the sum of $74,626.08 over and above the expenses, not to speak of the wholesale repressive effect upon officials throughout the State of Indiana, which, it is estimated, since the State Board of Accounts was organized, has amounted to more than a million dollars annually. Members of Commission L. H. WRIGHT, Chairman, Indianapolis. HAINES EGBERT, Goshen. D. C. JENKINS, Kokomo. LEWIS TAYLOR, Newburg. WILLIAM S. MOORE, State Highway Engineer and Secretary of the Commission. WILLIAM H. RIGHTS, Assistant Engineer. MRS. HELEN NORTON FREEMAN, Accountant. LEGISLATION The enactment of a law creating a state highway commission, providing for the construction, reconstruction, maintenance, repair and control of public highways, and providing for co-operation with the Federal Government in the construction of rural post roads was passed by the General Assembly at the Seventieth Regular Session, 1917; approved by the Governor March 7, 1917, and became effective by the Governor's proclamation June 1, 1917. ORGANIZATION The members of the Commission appointed by Governor James P. Goodrich met with the Governor in his office in the Capitol building at 2:00 p. m., Monday, June 4, 1917. The members present were Messrs. Lewis Taylor, D. C. Jenkins, and L. H. Wright. Mr. Haines Egbert was unavoidably absent. The Governor presented the members with their commissions of appointment, which were as follows, to wit: Mr. Lewis Taylor of Newburg, Indiana, a resident of the first road district of the State, consisting of the First, Second and Third Congressional Districts; the term of his commission extending from June 4, 1917, for one year, until June 4, 1918. Mr. D. C. Jenkins of Kokomo, Indiana, a resident of the third road district of the State, consisting of the Eighth, Ninth and Eleventh Congressional Districts, the term of his commission extending from June 4, 1917, two years, until June 4, 1919. Mr. L. II. Wright a resident of Indianapolis, Indiana, and of the second road district of the State, consisting of the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Congressional districts of the State, the term of his commission extending from June 4, 1917, for three years, until June 4, 1920. Mr. Haines Egbert of Goshen, Indiana, a resident of the fourth road district of the State, consisting of the Tenth, Twelfth and Thirteenth Congressional districts of the State, the term of his commission extending from June 4, 1917, for four years, until June 4, 1921. The Commission then proceeded to organize by electing L. H. Wright, Chairman. Mr. Wm. S. Moore, City Engineer of Grand Rapids, Michigan, a former resident and native of Indiana, and a graduate civil engineer of Purdue University, was appointed State Highway Engineer by the Commission, June 26, 1917, and qualified for the position August 1, 1917. Mr. Moore by virtue of his office is secretary of the Commission. WORK OF COMMISSION One of the first duties prescribed by the statute is that “The Commission shall determine what roads shall be designated as MAIN MARKET HIGHWAYS", and, "For the purpose of determining the Main Market Highway roads, the Commission shall take into consideration lines of travel connecting main market centers and the kind and volume of traffic." It was therefore necessary for the Commission to make a personal investigation and inspection of the main roads of the State before any designation could be made. A number of inspection trips were made and approximately 4,000 miles of roads were examined during the months of August and September. Up to September 30, the close of the fiscal year, the Commission had designated five roads as "MAIN MARKET HIGHWAYS" which are as follows: MAIN MARKET HIGH WAYS No. 1. The road beginning at the Indiana and Michigan state line in St. Joseph County, Indiana, extending thence southernly through South Bend, Lakeville, Lapaz, Plymouth, Argos, Rochester, Greenoak, Mexico, Peru, Kokomo, Westfield, Carmel, Indianapolis, Greenwood, Whiteland, Franklin, Columbus, Seymour, Crothersville, Scottsburg, Henryville, Sellersburg, New Albany and Jeffersonville. No. 2. The road beginning at the Indiana and Illinois state line, extending thence easterly through Dyer, Schererville, Merrellville, Deepriver, Valparaiso, Westville, LaPorte, New Carlisle, South Bend, Mishawaka, Osceola, Elkhart, Dunlap, Goshen, Ligonier, Kimmel, Wolf Lake, Churubusco and Fort Wayne to the Indiana and Ohio state line. No. 3. The road beginning at the Indiana and Illinois state line, extending thence easterly through Terre Haute, Brazil, Knightsville, Putnamville, Stilesville, Plainfield, Indianapolis, Greenfield, Knightstown, Lewisville, Straughn, Cambridge City, Centerville and Richmond to the Indiana and Ohio state line. No. 4. The road beginning at Evansville, extending thence easterly through Chandler, Boonville, Gentryville, Dale, Huntingburg, Jasper, Haysville, Kellersville, Crystal, Hillham, French Lick, West Baden, Paoli, Orleans, Mitchell, Bedford, Leesville, Medora, Vallonia, Brownstown, Seymour, Hayden, North Vernon, Nebraska, Holton, Versailles, Elrod, Dillsboro, Aurora and Lawrenceburg to the Indiana and Ohio state line. No. 5. The road beginning at the Indiana and Illinois state line, extending thence easterly through Vincennes, Wheatland, Washington, Loogootee, Shoals, Huron to Mitchell. 31-11741 The above five roads form as near as practical a continuous and connected system of highways, eight hundred ninety-eight and six-tenths miles in length, seven hundred seventy-seven and nine-tenths miles of which are outside, and one hundred twenty and seven-tenths miles inside the limits of the incorporated cities and towns. The following tabulation shows the number of miles in each of the five designated roads, together with the number of miles in each of the forty counties: ROADS Miles Road No. 1. Road No. 2. Road No. 3. Road No. 4. South Bend, Indianapolis and New Albany Route....265.60 178.10 148.70 .233.70 72.50 |