Morning journal and courier., 1883-03-20
Tuesday, March 20, 1883.
AN EXPLANATION.


 I Yesterday we said: eff the members of the Board of Public Works who are prevent I ing the election of the man who ought to be elected City Engineer could hear some of the remarks made about their course they would | not be happy. Their action is 8 discredita. ble exhibition of partisanship opposed to the best interests of the city,
 When we thus wrote we did not allow for the fact that our esteemed contemporary tho Register is guided by Democratic intellect Had we done SC we should have made our meaning plainer-so plain that not only the wayfaring man but even the Register could not have found excuse for erring concerning 1t. But we do not feel very sorry that the Register misinterpreted our meaning, for by doing so it has furnished an opportunity for an explanation which we hope will be plain and understandable even to the Register.
 At two meetings of the Board of Public Works attempts have been made to elect City Engineer to fill the place left vacant by the death of Charles E. Fowler The two men who have been voted for are Mr. Albert B. Hill and Mir. Sylvanus Butler. Messrs Sargent, Feldman and Gilbert, Republicans, have voted for MT. Hill, and Messrs Pond, Coleman and Holcomb. Democrats, have voted for MT. Butler. The question is not, as we understand it, whether Democrat or Republican should be chosen City Engineer, although this might seem to be the case, judging from the way the board is divided upon the matter, and also from the Register's comments upon our paragraph. All that the board ought to care for and all that the Reg ister ought to care for is that the best man for the place be taken.
 We had supposed, until the Register said what it did last evening, that there could be no fair comparison of the two who have been voted upon that would not reveal beyond question the superiority of Mir. Hill. In order to show the ground for this supposi- tion few facts may, without injustice, be stated. MT. Hill is graduate of the Shef- field Scientific School and stood high in his class. He has been in the City Engineers office for about eleven years, and has there fore had to do with much of the most i'm. portant engineering work that has been done in this city, including the planning and de- velopment of the sewer system. He was ap-
 
 charge of sewer construction. He was for some years before Mr. Fowler's death his chief assistant. He knows what has been done in the Engineers department, what ought to be done, and how to do it. His reputation an engineer is not confined to New Haven, but he is known in other places as unusually competent and skilled in his profession. He is recognized as an author ity in bridge work. In fact, as is often the case with men, he is more celebrated abroad than at home. He isa gentleman of strict integ- | rity and of good habits. He has not meddled l with politics but has attended faithfully to | the city's business. So much for Mir. Hills qualifications We | have not word to say against MT. Butler as | a man or citizen. The only question is, is he as well fitted to be City Engineer as MT. l Hill is? To this question we unhesitatingly | answer no. He is one of the old time sur Eeyors and is undoubtedly able to do some work well. But we do not believe that even the Register will claim that he is as yell educated, as well trained and ss well cal ,ulated to be useful to the city as is MT. Hill We cheerfully admit that he is good Democrat, but, so far as we know, pure Dem 'cracy does not 'tcount" in civil engineering.
 We call the attention of the Register and If the Democratic members of the Board of Public Works to this plain statement of facts. We also remind Messrs. Pond, Coleman and 1olcomb that they are in duty bound to do he best they can for the city in this matter, egardless of politics. Do they honestly hink that MT. Butler would be as useful to he city as MT. Hill?
 By the way, will the Register, which has our meaning and misrepre- ented us in it's columns, do us the justice to publish this explanation