The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-05-05
The state Engineer.

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enactment:- =" That in future the superintendent
and direction of the public works shall be entruste'
to an Engineer skilled in the theory and practice
of his profession, who shall be appointed annual.
by the Governor, by and with the advice and con
sent of the Senate; and that his compensation shall
be fixed at three thousand five hundred dollars pc
annum, payable quarterly, on his warrant, by tn
Treasurer ofsthe State" Now, if it were not 70
the last clause of this section we might charitabl!
suppose both the present incumbent and the Gov
ernor were ignorant of the injunctons of the stat
ute. We can only presume that the attention
of the present Engineer, when he was an applican
for the office, was steadily and so intently fxet
on the three thousand five hundred " clause
that he had no time for the minor and compare
| lively insignificant words which defined the quail
ficatons of one who was to be appointed Engineer
| of the State.
| Let it be observed, that this section of the
statute is perfectly reasonable one. 1t does moi
undertake to perform impossibiities. 1t does moi
say that the superintendent of the public works
| shall be entrusted to well-educated and we'll
| informed man, and then go on to decree that his
appointment shall make him skilled in the theory
and practice ofengneering. The statute expressly
orders the Governor to appoint no one but an engi-
neer. If he appoints men of any other profession,
he acts beyond his powers, and the appointment is
really as null and void as would be the appoint
ment of a district Judge who had not practised law
in the State for five years. We contend, then,
that the appointment Of the Rev. Mr.. Woodbridge is
perfect nullity. 1t has no binding force, for the
person appointed has not the first qualification
required by the statute. Not only is he not an
Oh in tbo md ocfioo af
profession but he is no engineer at all.
The history of the passage of this statute will
also tend to elucidate-if any elucidation were
necessary-the meaning of the second section At
the time the act was passed, the Civil Engineer of
the State was not professional and practical en-
gneer. The incompe.ency of such person-one
not skilled in the theory and practice of engineer
ng-had SO impressed itself on the Legislature that
they determined to remedy the evil by passing a
new and improved statute. The statute of 1882,
and subsequent statutes amending and modifying
that law, merely provided for the appointment of
Civil Engineer, without specifying his quafca-
tons. Now it is hardly possible for Mr.. Wool
bridge to be ignorant of the motives which led TO
the modification of the law in 1912. The reasons
are intimately connected with the history of st.
Tammany; and we presume he is somewhat learned
in the annals of that ustrious parish. In fact st.
Tammany was, in 1912, the head and front of the
offending. The then Engineer had nearly the
same ideas as have been recently expressed in re-
gard to the duties of his office. He conceived that
they consisted in cutting down trees and pulling
up snags. Accordingly he cut down large quanti-
ties of timber in ST. Tammany, and set himself in
dustriouslv to work to clear out the numerous OBJ
structons to the convenient wading and canoeing
of the beautiful streams that flow through the mag
niicent pine woods of our neighboring parish
across the lake. The patience of the State was
exhausted by the improvements SO lavishly be.
slowed on st. Tammany, and the act of 1912 was
the consequence.
The law presumes that every man in the State
knows what the law is If this presumption ex-
lists against the private citizen, ortiori it exists
against the Governor. The Governor, then, must
know of the existence of the act of 1872 If he is
ignorant of it. he grossly negects his duty if he
is aware of its provisions, he has set them at def
ance by his recent appointment. 1t would be hard
to decide whether it is more culpabe in Governor
to be Ignorant of the laws or to disregard them.
Gov. Johnson may choose either horn of the d.
lemma. He has appointed man to the post of
Engineer of the State of Louisiana, who is not an
engineer skilled in the theory and practice of his
profession" The only way by which the Gov
ernor can elude the statute is by constituting so as
to make his profession refer to the profession of
he person appointed. He may then say that he
has appointed an engineer; Mr.. Woodbridge may
assume the title of engineer for the nonce. And
the Governor may add that the gentleman is we'll
$ skilled in the theory and practice of his profess
sion to wit, the science Of theology and the prac-
tice of clerical duties. The Governor has been a
Judge, and he may, like the English Chancellor,
know how to drive coach and six through any
act of the Legislature
We are determined to keep this recent appoint
nent of Gov. Johnson's before the people of the
State; for there never was time in the history of
Louisiana when we had more need of an Engineer,
thoroughly and practically acquainted with all the
esources of his profession. The long continued
md destructive high water of the winter and
pring has convinced all of the necessity there is
or devising some means by which the superabun- |
liant waters of the Mississippi may reach the ocean
Without carrying away houses and swapping sugar |
lantations This subject will be the most i'm |
'orant one brought to the attention of the next }
legislature. The Committee on Internal Improve |
nents and Public Works will no doubt ask the ad-
lCe Vi Tic Stdie Engineer as 10 tne proper means
or managing the Mississippi. And in order that
he present Engineer-if he holds his place until
hat time-may be prepared for his appearance be-
ore the committee, we will say to him that he will |
e subjected to cross-questioning by every one of
IS members. He will not be allowed to take a
ext and read sermon thereon for the ediication
nd instruction of the laity. Our Legislators will
ot be put off in that way. Each one of them will
re away at him with an .innumerable multitude of
He will not be allowed to dodge
ehind any fence of superficial science, or hide
imself behind the rotten trunk of the tree of halt
nowledge. He will have to show what he does
now, OR what he does not know, fairly and openly
ODD FELLOWS ELECTIoN.-The annual cleo
on for officers of the Grand Lodge of the indie
endent Order of Odd Fellows of the State of
pennsylvania, resulted in the choice of the follow
lg named gentlemen: R. w. G. NJ, H. S. Patter-
IN; R. w. G. d. M, Geo. S. Morris; R. VIC
v, w. H. White; r. w. G. Secretary, VIM. Cur
w n Traoeurar T. Knov Morton. ID VIZ |