Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1838-01-10

gestions. which consider Of great i'm.
portance, ia the prosecution of ,hi,
branch of our labors.
As a member Of the board Of publ;c
works, | have already had suficien,
experience, to convince me that ,ha
organisation of the Engineer Corps i.
very defective. When u public i'm.
provement is proposed, the State En-.
gineer is generally called upon, and
very properly, 10 examine and report
upon its practicablllty, and then, when
the work is about to be executed. ~,
agency ceases at the very time wben
his opinions and his assistance would
be most useful.
The execution is committed to hand.
over which the Engineer has no con.
troll, and in this way very little bene6,
is derived from the superior abilities 10
which it was certainly the intention of
the Legislature 20 con6de the Office.
The corps OF Engineers should ex.
ercise a general controlling influence
over all the works in which the State
is interested. This can be accomplisb.
ed only by an entire new organisation.
Many unconnected regulations have
successfully been adopted, leaving the
whole system imperfect.
/ would recommend a remodellinp Of
the system upon a plan Of which The
following are the outlines. The Board
ofPublic Works, ought, as at present,
to appoint a Principal Engineer, whose
duties should be extended and made
more efficient. He should be author.
lzed TO select his own assistants, sub.
ject to the approval Of the Board, and
the Board to have power to fix the 50.
laries of both principal and assistants.
Ii is impossible that the system can be
perfect, unless the Engineers are made
to be dependent on the Board, and
from the attention which the Board
must necessarily devote to the subject,
they may reasonably be supposed to
be a competent body TO make suitable
selections.
The Board of Public Works should
BIO authorized to organize the corps Of
Engineers, upon u plan that may be
thought advisable, to produce uniior.
nifty in the system, aud the advance.
ment Of science, SO that an efficient
and skilful corps of Engineers, may be
be trained up and kept at the disposal
of the Legislature, and whose interest,
would be identified with those Of the
State, These Engineers would be de.
tached by the Board Of Public Works,
to serve such companies as might %.
ply for their services, Or TO superintend
and direct any of their works. Tbs
arrangement would improve the corps,
and offer to privote companies, expe.
r%ience, responsibility, and economy.
The principal Engineer should be ex.
o%fircio consulting engineer in all con-
panies in which the State has an int
res,.land 10 them i should be made bis
duty to give all the advice and aid in
his power. No subscription should be
made to the capital stock Of any com
pnny by the Board Of Public Works
until The location and plan OF the work
if not made under their immediate d.
rection, shall have received their az.
probation /: and moreover, the install.
ments should be paid only when tho
work progresses according TO the orr.
ginal plan, and TO be Withheld in case Of
unauthorized departures.
The principal Engineer ought TO
keep his office in the place assigned
him by the Board, wherein all the plans
maps, and documents relative TO Inter.
nal Improvements should be duly ar.
ranged, numbered and recorded, in a
register with corresponding numbers
Such documents to be exhibited. upon
application, TO all civil and judicial oil.
hcers and the directors Of companies.
And he ought further to be required to
obtain and record detailed plans Of al
the public works within the State, and
TO make an annual report on their con.
dition and progress.
Great losses must be sustained IN
less the Board of Public Works arere'
CURED to exercise n more efficient con-
troll over the works, 10 which it IS mace
10 subscribe. The charters are gene
rally framed with sufficient precsutlen
but as soon as the subscription Of no
State is obtained, from love Of power
the interests of individuals, petty con-
siderations relating TO farms, mIssakea
views Of economy, or the improPerif
huence Of contrac,ors, are often lnou'
ced to disregard the advice and exPe
rience Of engineers ; the Locations anu
plans are changed, the work inJu,eo,
and the error discovered when TOO las
to be remedied. The difficulties eaa
only be obviated by the Board oil fuD.
lie Works being authorised 10 exercs'
u proper control over the imP'Oss
ments. individuals with circumsc'r
bed interests and views, are not ava.