New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-03-06
THE STATE ENGINEER AND SURVEfORS
OFFICE

1
A Constitutional amendment is pending in
the LEGISLATURE which provides for the aboli-
ton of the Office of State Engineer and Sur
veyor. This is one of the CONSTITUTIONS
Offices" so called and is only to be reached by
an amendment to the Constitution. Can the
State afford TO abolish it
Ever since the amendment was introduced
reasons for the retention and abolition OF the
Office have been furnished in great abundance.
Those who are in favor of retaining 1t hold
that the duties which now deyOlve upon the
State Engineer and Surveyor plus the duties
that ought to devolve upon him are so many
and so important that the public service would
be crippled by its abandonment. The present
occupant of the Office has published reports
and statements from persons who are now or
who have been connected with the engineer
ing department and public works of the State
showing the many duties pertaining to the
Office and the part which, under the present
Constitution and existing law 1t was
intended to FIJI in the governmental
policy of New-YOrk. This publication
also contains list of the new duties which
in the opinion of State Engineer and Surveyor
Seymour properly belong to the office. He
surveys made at the States expense the pre-
paration of plans, specifications and estimates
for all work done for the State, except the
plan of buildings the examination and survey
of any disputed county, town or patent lines,
whenever directed by the Commissioners OF
the Land Office the appointment or recon-
mendatiOn of all experts in engineering or
surveys employed mt tie expense OF the state
the care OF the weights and measures OF the
State. and Of all maps, surveys and field notes
now On file elsewhere and the preparation OF
copies of such maps, surveys and notes for
the use Of the State officers Mr. Sey-
mour concludes what he has to sub
NIT on this subject with the remark
that elf the Legislature will place all the sur
veys of the State in charge of the State En-
gineer and Surveyor and require him to mako
"plans for and supervise all State work and
"gather his scattered duties together, there
twill be all the work he and the Superintend-
cent of Public Works can attend to, and the
Estate will be better in the end"
Those who believe that the State can afford
10 abolish the Office argue that the exist. nee
of the Department of Public Works aud oi
the Board of Railroad Commissioners leave
it without sufficient excuse for being. 10 one
questions the propucty Of transferring The
duty of receiving and tabulating the reports
of the railroads Of the State from the State
Engineers department 10 the Railroad Com
mission. In regard 10 the engineering de-
nartment directed by the State Engineer.
the contention of those who favor the pro-
posed Constitutional amendment is that it
fairly outlived its usefulness as soon as the
| e Dul W. Ia
lishcd. Assemblyman and cx-Judge Smith, of
IIerkimer. who introduced the amendment,
calls the attention of those who are opposed to
too much of a good thing to the fact that at
present wo have eleven able engineers waiting
"upon and watching over our. completed ca
"nals." And he adds his belief that the Depart
ment of Public Works is well equipped for
doing all that is required to be done.
We are inclined to think that the majority
| of the people Of the State are with the advo-
Gates of the amendment. There Is never any
danger that there will be too few public offices
of any sort. There is a decided dan
ger that there will be too many. Sew
eral of the duties of the State Engineer
and Surveyor, as set forth in the
publication referred 70, are comparatively I'M
important. There is not one on the list that
could not readily be lodged in another Office,
while the fact that new duties are suggested
is to be regarded as qualified admission that
as it stands the Office does not quite justify
itself. In any event. 10 great harm could fol-
low the adoption of the pending bill by the
Legislature. 1t calls for Constitutional
amendment which, in order to succeed, must
pass two successive Legislatures and be APP
49, I,o AZ a oil
the office is indispensable that fact can be made
to appear in time to prevent its abolition. 1t
has not yet been made to appear
NOT ASHAMED or THE RECORD
Tho XIVIIfh Convreas waR not remark ohle