The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-07-20
THE OTHER SIDE
OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS
LATE UNPLEAsANTNEss.
When the Resignation Of Engineer Groves
Was Accepted-There Was Lot Of
Letter Writing and Some Trouble in
Fixing Up the Final Resolution,

The meeting of the board of public
works on Thursday afternoon was a
specially called one, of which the
pager mad no notice. What was
done there was not known I'M.
til an hour too late to
gain access to the minutes, and full
report OF the meeting was not at
tempted. The first business of the
meeting was the reading of Mayor
McDonald's letter to the board, which
was as follows:
AUSTIN, July Is, 1893.
To the Honorable Board of Public Works:
GENTLEMEN-Feeling an all absorb
ing interest in the success of the great
enterprise in which we are engaged,
and being deeply impressed with the
responsibilities Of the office of mayor
of Austin at the present time, and be-
lieving tnat our citizens hold me, 10
connection with yourselves, to great
degree responsible for the proper
management of the work under our
charge, deem it my duty to again
call your attention to the unsatisfact-
ory, expensive and dilatory manner
in which the work at the dam is prog
ressing under the management OF Mr..
f.. w. Groves as engineer.
L am fully convinced that Mr..
Groves has neither the skill nor the
executive ability to conduct the work
properly, and / am satisfied that he
will not be guided by advice and
will not listen to reason.
therefore specttulIy request that
you relieve Mr.. Groves AT once from
his position as engineer and recon-
mend that Mr.. Joseph Kepterle be-
placed in temporary charge OF the
work until competent engineer Car
be secured.
Should my request be granted BY
your honorable body, recommend
that Mr.. j. II. Tanning, our consulting
engineer, who expects to be In Austin
between the 18th and 2lst of the pres
ent month to inspect the work, be
notified by wire of the action of the
board and requested to secure,
at the earliest possible moment, q
competent engineer whom he can en-
dorse az a proper person to take charge
of our work. Very respectfully,
JOHN MCDONALD,
Mayor of the City of Austin and Presi.
dent of the Board of Public Works.
When this was read Secretary
Oliphant announced that he had re-
ceived the resignation of Engineer
Groves. This was read as printed In
The STATESMEN yesterday.
Then ensued o discussion as to the
proper resolution of acceptance. MIR.
Hamilton offered plain one of &C.
ceptance which was voted on, all the
membe voting of the board voting
faye" except Mr.. Woodbridge. He
voted "no" and gave the following
reasons for so doing:
81 vots mo- to accepting the resig-
nation of Mr.. E. w. Groves as engineer
in charge at the dam and file in ex.
PLANTATION of my vote the following
reasons:
First do not deem it just or wise
to compel the resig natlon OF any
honest and efficient employe OF the city
without cause.
Second-I deem Mr.. Il. w. Groves an
honest, faithful and efficient engineer
as is attested by his acceptable work
upon the dam and in the employ ment
of this board for period OF perhaps
three years.
Third.-I think the unfortunate
policy OF this board in removing
its engineers or other EN-
ployes at the diciation of any officer
or M mber of the board, unwise and
unjust, calculated to disturb the pub
lie confidence in the conduct of the
work, and destructive of that indie
pendence of mind and freedom of nc
tioD, that should be the privilege
and characterize the conduct Of the
men placed in charge of so important
and difficult an enterprise. ask
these reasons for my vote 90 be res
corded in the mi utes of the board"
A. p. WooLDRIGE.
After some further discussion a
resolution as follows was offered and
adoptt d, which Mr.. Hamilton &C.
copied in lieu of his own:
ar solved, That the resignation Of
Mr.. E. w. Groves as engineer be &C.
accepted, but in accepting his resigna
ton the board deprecates the tone o
his letter and does not endorse as true
the reasons therein given Tor his &C
ton"
The board then decided to ask Mr.
Tanning to bring a experimenting
engineer with him on the 18th, as out
ined Yesterday morning, and ad