Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-11-25

from the Sanitary Engineer.

TnE CITY CIVIL E,GINEER.
From the Sanitary Engineer.
One of the most important Offices in !
municipal government is that Of the Civi
Engineer TO the Corporation. His du
ties are more varied in their character
more responsible. and affect more nearly
the comfort, convenience and health OF
the inhabitants, and they require mora
horoggh theoretical and practical ae-
quaintance with variety Of branches
of information than do those OF any
other siGgle municipal officer. We know
that this II no; the general impression
regarding this Office, and that in many
towns and cities il Is not looked rpolI "a
requiring any high grade Of ability from
its incumbent, and Is consequently filed
by al inferior class 4 little reflection,
however, cannot fail to make any intel
ligenf person perceive that II is to the
interest of community to secure for
the office man of thsrongh training in
the principles and practice of not only
one. sut variety of branches of the
profession of civil engineering, and to
pay him salary sufficient to make it an
object for him TO remain.
In built-up city. where systems of
water supply, sewerage, street paving
and parks have been established, the
/ supervision and extension OF these works
" frequently in the hands of the city
engineer, and even where each special
department Is controlled bv separate
commission with its own engineer. the
engineer OF the street department ought
to be man Of sufficient experience and
judgment, and have sufficient authority
over the others to prevent the everyday
business and comfort and convenience
of the street traffic from being obstruct-
ed by the operations OF the other
branches of the government. 10 be a
good street engineer alone Is no slieh.
accomplishment for on the streets being
put in good condition and kept 90 de-
peuds large part of the comfort of the
citizens and the satisfaction of the tax
payers. A good street surface, smooth
enough for comfort and rough enough
to prevent the slipping Of horses, neither
muddy in wet weather nor dusty in dry
weather. Is something the construction
and maintenance of which requires a
thorough acquaintance with what has
been done in that direction, and very
great firmness in dealing with commit
teemeri, contractors and citizens.
The maintenance and extension Of
water works, of sewers, of bridges and
of docks. aud the preservation of wa
terways, all come legitimately within
the functions of the city engineer.
In the present and growing division
of labor among civil engineers. and the
immense scope of the profession, i is
too much to expect in one man thor
oneh competency to design in the most
efficient manner every class of public
improvements, and in most instances,
the1efore, it is better for q municipality
to call on some specialist for a general
scheme of improvements of particular
class; but the city engineer ought to be
a person Of sufficient experience and
Information to aid in the perfectinR of
any scheme, and thoroughly competent
to superintend the construction of the
works required to carry it out. Fitness
TO superintend the construction of en-
cheering works implies q gre,t deal
more than the average Citizen ilnaRines.
It is acquired only by q long course of
service IN subordinate positions. The
"tricks of the trade" practised by me-
chanics and laborers must be understood
by practical observation. The specious
arguments and appeals Of contractors
for permission to deviate little here
and little there from the letter Of the
specifications must be intelliRently met,
a. they only can be by full compre-
heusion of the result of such deviations
and their bearing ON the completeness
of the work demanded. No man is
competent to superintend work until he
has seen both good and bad work done.
Civil engineers themselves understand
this, and the English. Institution of
Civil Engineers requires that every can.
didato Tor admission as memler "shall
have had Ut least five years. employment
in responsible situations as resident en-
RineeF or otherwise" and the American
Society Of Civil Engineers requires "a a
condition of membership that the oan.
didate shall have been in active practise
for seven years, and "had responsible
charge of work as chief, resident or So
perintending engineer for As least one
year; not as skillful workman merely,
but as one qualified to design as well as
to direct public work."
The city engineer ought to be a man,
too, of sufficient standing in the COM
munity to command the respect of his
immediate employers. the commission
ers or councilmen, or whatever they
may be, and he should have sufficient
tact in managing men to enable him to
overcome attempts at crooked dealing
without exhibiting an appearance of
suspicion Of any ones motives. This ia
perhaps the hardest work he will be
called on to perform; for, as has been
veil remarked, his purely professional
work is easy compared with the diplo-
macy which is requisite to enable him
TO 90 through council and committee
meetings. Contractors are often exas-
perating, hnt for taking che life out Of
man they are not equal to the guardians
of the public interests that are to be
foQnd on every local board"
II is therefore not only silly but abso-
lutely criminal to intrnst the responsible
duties OF the city civil engineer TO lad
just out Of school, without any OF the
knowledge gained by experiences, or to
merU surveyor unframed In the theory
and practise of construction. II Is an
outrage on common sense, moreover, to
apply TO this office the principle of ro-
tation. Every year that an honest and
competent civil engineer spends IN the
service OF the city adds to the value of
his services. The fund of local inform
alton that he acquires has value to his
employers which cannot be estimated in
dollars and cents. Il is peculiarly his
own, and no new incumbent can By any
possibility posseas il.
This Office, almost the only ono In q
municipal government which demands
professional skill of . high order, should
be placed above and ont Of reach OF
change by political intrigue. No man
who is fit to hold it for day will ever
permit himself to be made a party to
any intrigue for obtaining the position
by ousting an honest and capable
holder Of 1t.
BEECmE9 On SUNDAY.
Hezry Ward Beecher says: You sleep
late on Sunday morning after the tolls
Of the week, and that il perhaps right.
You rise to day of leisure and en-.
ioyment. You 60 to the house Of
God; Il ia very charming to hear the
music. You are intellectually fed;
and there Is great pleasure in that. II
the discourse 10 highly adorned, ON tax
n. - r.