New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-11-29
"JOBSv AND ENGINEERS.

If there is any trust relation that may be de-
scribed as sacred it is that occupied by an en-
gineer in charge Of public works. The people
are his employers. His whole duty is to them
and in the very nature of the case there are
circumstances connected with his employment
which should render him even more than ordl-
rarily scrupulOuS in the performance OF ms
duties In the publics service his discretion
is almost unlimited, far more 50 than were he
retained by a private employer. When an IN
d vidual or private corporation builds great
house. or bridge, or railroad, while much defer
ence is paid to the engineers professional views
prudent scrutiny is kept upon his accounts,
his plans are studied and often revised and an
act of judgment is performed upon pretty much
all he does by the person from whose pocket
the money is to be drawn for the work IN hand.
But it is impossible that the public should eXei-
else this Jealous guardianship of its interests
TO be sure. it is generally represented by some
executive officer supposedly responsible, but
all experience teaches that this functiOnary, OBJ
viously for his own protection, rarely ventures
to alter or modify the methods and plans pro-
posed by the engineer 1t is that officers bust
ness to know what is best to be done Either
he does know or he doesn't If he doesn't
somebody should be employed who doeS and
if he does his advice should be followed
This is the view always and most naturally
taken by administrative officers, 50 that prac-
ticaly the engineer in charge Of public works
stands with his hand in the treasury, empowered
and trusted to spend as from his professional
knowledge he deems wise and best.
Ii does seem a. if this situation ought to
make highminded and honorable professional
gentleman exceedingly sensitive of the public
interest 1t seems as if his pro-
fessional abilities, his careful regard for
expenses for the procurement of the best
scheme of action, the best materials, the best
work manship and the best final result possible
TO human endeavor. and all at the least pos
sible COS. TO the public, should be exhausted In
painful, constant and profound application.
Yet the cold fact is that an engineer who
takes this view Of his duty and who lives up TO
it-at least in this metrOpolis-is the exception
rather than the rule. No argument is needed
to prove that if this rule were of invarable
operation jobbey and corruption in public
works would be unheard Of. Dishonest con
tractors would have no chance to pcrpetrate
their swindles Dishonest commissioners would
be frustrated. Without the engineers approval
bad contracts could never be made. Without
his conserving audit swndling accounts could
| never reach the discussing officer These arc
| all automatic propositions, and consequently the
fact that the public, warned by a long and hard
experience, has come to regard the words pub
lc Improvements" as practically synonymous
with jobs, deals and steals, carries with il its
| own lamentabe argument
| An abomnable condition Of things has been
reveals in this Dock Department investigations
more than half of which might have been
prevented had the Chief Engineer of the De-
partment done his full duty. But it is in evil
dence that he has done things, and allowed
| things to be done, which are not only wrong
and costly of themselves but are in their col
lateral effect demoralizing TO the whole De
partment 1t may be said that his explanations
Of these disclosures have not yet been heard,
but there are no explanations capable Of show
ing that such generally loose methods could
have prevailed had he done that and all thai