The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-04-16
SUPERVISION OF PUBLIC WORKS.

the above caption in which sought 10 defend the
administration Of the War Department against criticism
which seemed to require notice II was our wish 10
make the defence full and satisfactory that il would not
be necessary again to the subject We undertook
to show that the War Department has been administered
in obedience the requirements OF the laws where the
laws explicit and where they We're not explicit that
Il has been administered in accordance with their spirit
and with what were believed be the best interests of the
country 1t not purpose to open our columns to
personal controversies involving questions in which the
public have As public question, II deserves
to be thoroughly investigated and such
to it, We propose To allude 10 certain exceptions
which have been taken article without taking any
part in any individual controversy connected with the sub
lject
We stated in former article, that OF the thrtytwo
engineer officers said be employed civil duties, TWEEN
tythee in charge Of the construction of Notifications
Atlantic Gulf and Pacific II has been said
that there Is discrepancy between this statement and that
contained in the annual report of the chief engineer
muncaed Congress al the opening OF The present
sion.
| 1t win be sufficient this criticism to
that information obtained from the official records
of the engineer department and referred different pc
Rod of time and consequent different disposition Of
of the officers Of engineers than existed the time the
chief engineer submitted his annual report Our
ment made in April; the chief engineers report
referred November and examination of the records
of the engineer department shows them both to be
correct
In former article stated that the law Of 1893
increasing the corps of engineers and organizing the corps
of Typographical engineers repealed he authority which had
been granted 10 the President by the of Congress of
1924 10 employ GIRL engineers government cor the ob-
cation Of the Executive employ the government engi
superntend the works becomes
t..-.,.--.- tuut, rooo
has repealed the Of 1924 conclusions on the subject
are erroneous The to this objection i easily
made.
The OF 1924 authorized the President to cause the
necessary surveys plans and estimates be made Of the
of such roads and canals he may deem of national
Importance in a commercial military point of view or
necessary The transportation Of the public mail and
carry into effect the objects Of this act" the President
authorized employ two or more sSilfu civil en-
gnee and such officers Of the corps Of engineers OF who
may be detailed to do duty with that corps he may
think proper
The Of 1898 increasing the corps Of engineers and or
ganzng the corps Of Typographical engineers declares
that the authority 70 employ civil engineers In the act Of
the 3o Of April 1924 be and the hereby repealed
after the passage Of this act7
Now, this is far from repeating the act Of 1894 /, only
repeats ne authority q oaploy cira sngineer,'
The remainder Of The Of 1924 Is s in force and the
may he us stated The President was authorized 10
have certain duties performed and 70, this purpose was
authorized employ eiy engineers and officers Of The
corps o. engineer.
Afterwards when the corps Of engineers was Increased
and the Typographical corps organized the authority % en-
ploy civil engineers repealed The President being still
authorized to have these duties performed aud the
authority 10 employ civil engineers having been taken
away from him he has alternative bu, to employ officers
Of the corps Of engineers FOR the purposes contemplated 10
the act Of 1924 And hence statement thai the obga
ton 50 70 employ these officers mandatory
In regard to the Capitol extension and the custom
houses Il has been doubted whether officers ofengiuecrs
qualified and competent The management Of mechan
les and the elaboration Of the details 81 complex and er.
tensye architectural structure Upon this question Of
fact 1.-The competency o. these occrs-wc conceive The
whole merit Of this controversy hinge Is the law does
not direct that q these officers shall do tho duty
which they arc nov performing readily admit that IL
They arr incompetent the government has wrong and
that Mr. stanton Is right IN endeasorng apply rem.
edy What The facts Are these officers competent or
not2 let examine their history.
They en- educated The Military Academy ~ West
Point where ibey received the best scientific education that
The country afford They were taught The arts and
sciences upon which engineering i founded and also
knowledge Of engineering itself both cira and paaoty
FOR confirmation - these facts rrftr 10 the concurrent
opinion q the different boards Of ,sters who arc
nualy present - the examination OF the cadets and Who
inspect and report upon the condition q he Military
Academy.
such are The antocedenls of these officers As soon az
they join their posts, after graduation they AZ once en-
GER upon duties Of precisely similar nature 10 those re
letng 70 the proper direction 81 labor 70 the iisburse-
ment Of public money 10 the economy Of construction
and 70 the elaboration o. complex details of construction
Of much more difficult nature in many cases than those
Of The Capitol extension It would be strange indeed IL
some Of these officers considering the advantages Of their
education and their large experience constructing ong
neers should not he fully qualified superintend the con
srucon Of any building of any kind particularly Of one
like the Capitol extension where the architectural de
tails must necessarily conform TO the old building
Bnt the capacity Of these officers docs not rest on mere
presumption, however plausible the presumption may be-
The records Of the engineer department viii show that
most Of the officers Of the corps grade ~ captain