The Portland daily press., 1893-10-03
CITY GOVERNMENT.
Care Of the Streets Considered at
Last Evenings Meeting.
COUNCILMAN CHAPMAN PRESENTS
DRAFT OF REFORM.

are Building in Spite of the Hard Times
Mrs Palmer's License Restored Under
Conditions-Other Matters.
. The most important business OF the
session of the city government last eve
ming was the presentation and discussion
of the proposition to consolidate the de-
partments of the city civil engineer and
the street commissioner. At the first OF
the present fiscal year special committee
was appointed to consider this matter
Last evening joint session of the two
branches of the government was called,
and having assembled, Councilman
Wilford G.. Chapman presented report
which embodies clear and comprehen-
sive draft of the proposed reform, to-
gether with forms of orders needed to
carry it out.
Mr.. Chapman's Report.
The opinion has long prevailed among
those familiar with the administration
of city affairs that a better arrangement
Of the work of the street department and
of the other departments connected with
it would give more efficient work for the
same or less expenditure of money.
The matter was brought prominently be-
fore the present city council by the
recommendation in the Mayors address
that the duties of the engineer and COM
missioner of streets be put into one de-
partment. Agreeably to this recommen-
dation an ordinance was introduced In the
board of aldermen providing Tor Inc
JseI Of +Io nf7fnn nf
of streets and that his duties should be
performed by the city engineer. The re-
suit was the appointment of the commit
tee to whom the matter as referred.
The street department work naturally
divides itself under three heads: 1st.
The determination of what is to be done;
2nd. The preparation of plans and
specifications for the construction OF the
work determined upon. 3rd. The con-
struction IN accordance with the plans.
Under the charter and statutes relating
to the government of the city Of Port
land, the determinationssof whatsis to be
done on streets, sidewalks and bridges,
and the laying out new streets, rests ex-
clusively with the city council. Any
change under this first head, if desirable,
can be effected by legislation only.
The work of construction when deter
mined upon should be, so far as the adj
vice of an engineer would be of service,
under his direction, The, functions OF
the engineer being to prepare the plans
and specifications in accordance With
which the work ahan be done, to inspect
the construction as it proceeds and to re-
port any deviation from the specifications
to the chairman of the committee OF the
city council having the work in charge,
the practical execution OF the WORK Delng
left to the street commissioner, who
should be practical man experienced In
the employment of men and the mechan1-
cal execution of the work required. The
engineer will be held responsible for the
correctness OF his plans and speclflca-
tions, the street commissioner for the
execution of the work in accordance with
these plans. There need be no conflict OF
authority betweenkJhem any more than
between the architect who plans build
ing and the builder who executes the
plans. The functions of each are distinct
and there would be as little gained in
making the architect the builder as in
reversing the process. No more would
there be any gain in making the city
engineer the commissioner OF streets.
This is III accordance with the universal
practice in actual business. So far as
/ have been able to make out from the
reports, this is in accordance. With the
methods in use in Boston and in other
cities where advanced ideas prevails.
The ordinances relating to streets so far
as they do not conform to these princi-
pies, should be revised. 1t does not APP
pear that economy or efficiency would be
subserved by adding to the duties OF the
engineer any that do not properly be-
long to him.
IN saving that the plans and specifca-
tions for all work requiring engin eering
skill should be prepared by the engineer
it is intended to include all that comes
under modern engineering skill TOAD
making is the most Important work done
In the street departm emit When the CITY
council has determined that a piece OF
street should be built and what KIND,
the engineer should be called upon to
give not only the grade and measure
ments, but also plans and specifications
as to materials and construction in accor-
dance with the vote of the city council.
1t is fair to presume that the committee
of the city council to whom the matter
is referred will use their best ability and
knowledge in determining the best kind
of street to be laid in a particular place.
A large part, if not all, the difficulty
now existing between the engineer and
street departm ents can be remedied by g
division of the ordinance on the lines
above laid down.
There is another point of difficulty in
the administration of the street depart
nent which is not so easily remedled. 1t Is
J06 QIaCulCC OIL ClulCD il1oou az -
municipal government to put the care
and construction of streets and sewers
under one department. The chief evils,
however, which come from the division
of authority between the street depart
ment and the sewer department with US,
of which latter the engineer is practically
the head under the ordinance, is the
tearing up of newly built streets and
payements to dig sewer trench. This
could be remedied ina degree by making
. it preliminary to the building and per
manenu repairs of all streets that the
various pipes and structures. under the
street surface should be put In order and
that the engineer ahould be required te
report to the committee on streets that
the same are in proper CONDITION before
anv work is done After street has
been paved or permanently repaired II
should not be torn up by the city or any
private individual except in case OF OBJ
vious necessity, and the street shoult
never be broken or dug up except upor
the condition that the filling OF all ex
cavations should be under the supervisor
of the street commissioner, and sucf
places should be repaired and kept IL
repair at the expense of the person bene
fitted thereby. This last point is wei
enough provided for in the ordinances
they now exist. No permit to open an.
street should be granted by any person au
thaYSzed by the mayor and aldermen oX