The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-12-28

Tho following article may be con.
strued as editorial or news matter by
the public. The editor feels keen
sense OF personal responsibility for all
the opinion expressed, and the news
which is sandwiched in will have to
take care of itself. To give better
idea OF the purport, intent and
substance of the article con.
densation, preamble, syllabus and
platform are furnished, like tho
bandwagon which goes ahead of the
circus parade distributing many col ored
posters.
First. There is full hedged fight in
the near future between the board OF
public works and the city engineer.
Like the "Impending Conflict" which
Hinton Rowan Helper saw years before
the South seeded, it is inevitable. 1t
might be averted if Council would at
once carry out the instructions of the
Charter and define fully and absolutely
the duties of tho board of public works.
But Council will do nothing of the sort.
1t hugs the little pleasure Of brief au.
thority to its hairy breast like Proser-
pine in the arms of Caliban and will
not lot go Its hold. The metaphor is
original.
Second. The investigation OF the state.
ment of Contractor Patterson, brought
out by the board Of public works. that
City Engineer Dunlap had put extra
work" bills before Council in the form
of yardage, was another example of how
not to investigate. Council had an ele-
CANT breech loader and brass band to
do the hunting with, but, as has hap.
pened before, the gun covered every
point of compass save the one where
there was possibility OF finding the
one particular bird which would fill tho
bill.
.. Third. The board of public works
made no charge against City Engineer
Dunlap, and Contractor Patterson said
that the matter got out by accident, and
he thought the city engineer did just
right in allowing extra work In yardage,
own IL Az noo
Fourth. City Engineer Dunlap denied
that he allowed extra work in yardage:
in fact. he denied everything, and
might have denied that he was alive, If
the board of public works had brought
so grave an accusation against him.
Fifth. Contractor Patterson produced
sheet containing red figures interlined,
which, he stated, were in part the EEK
ira work" bills changed into yardage,
and copy of records in the engineers
office. He stated that If he wero al
lowed access to City Engineer Dunlap's
books he could produce the original
sheets and prove his case.
Hero was the meat OF the whole stu
alton, and seventeen councilman failed
to see the necessity or calling for the
engineers records to test the matter
Then and there. The ''coon" went his
way unmo !estod, and Council proceeded
to diligently bark up tho wrong tree
until midnight.
Sixsh. Council honorably acquitted
City Enginoer Dunlap of having done
anything wrong
Seventh. When anyone has cards.
spades, four aces, big and little casino,
six sweeps and is keeping score himself
ho ought to be happy this gladstone sea-
son of tho year.
When Council mot last night Council
mon Duggan, Strickland and Bond were
the only absentees. Without many pre-
liminaries it got down to work. Presi-
dent Kirk, of the board of public
WORKS, took the stand, and stated
how tho ''oxtra work" yardage state.
mont came out Contractor Patterson
had accidently let it slip before tho
board one day and it was deemed of suf-
ticicnt i'm portance to refer 10 Council
for consideration. Council had seen fit
to Investigate. Tho board had 80 referred
it instead OF investigating itself, be-
cause the city engineer had objected to
any criticism or censure coming from
the board in o letter written some weeks
ago.
Some irrelevant matters were brought
ont about tho concerted action OF the
board, the city engineer and certain
com mittees OF Council. Official rela-
tions between the city engineer and the
board had been pleasant The extra
I work referred to had been partly done
| on Franklin road.
1t was then proposed TO read com
munication from Contractor Patterson.
This was objected to by Councilman
Eckloff and the objection sustained by
Council. Then Mr.. Patterson was sum
moned to tho stand, when he proce ed cd
to read tho rejected communication in a
| style far less dramatic and fetc aing than
| City Clerk Thomas would have done it
had Council boon less Catonio in its
! striving after Justice. The communica