Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-03-08
THE DEPARTMENT TROUBLE.
The Charges Made by the Street
and Sewer Directors.

|
Work is Not Behind and that the Price
dob is a Four or rive Months Under
taking instead Of -Four or Five weeks.
The Street and Sewer Directors and
the city engineering department are at
loggerheads and open charges arc now
made by the former alleging what is
equivalent to inefiiciency in public
work.
What Immediately has re.aroused this
state of friction, Which ii is all open
secret has existed some time, is, il seems,
the fact that certain real estate agents
are desirous of disposing of city property
for the purpose Of house building. This
they cannot do until certain depart
mental permission from the street direc
tors is obtained in regard to curbs and
building lines.
The trouble broke out afresh Thurs
day in regard to the Price property, in
the Ninth ward. The sellers, buyers and
contractors are ANXIOUS to move in the
work, but cannot until, as stated, their
lines are legalized by the proper city
officials.
Over and above every other consider.
alton, and outside of political feeling,
or any other matter that may be thought
to influence the question, 1t should De
stated that the street directors have
been following up closely upon GER
tain systematic policy, which is best ex-
planned in the following manner:
The system oil the street directors is
the obviously just and proper one of
insisting that all new residence terri
tory shall as regards its building lines
be influenced by uniformity of lines
and contours. That is to say, any
future extension of streets shall be
upon the general lines east and west
and north and south as they already
exist this side of the BrandyWlne. This
is an obviously just requirement, as the
uniformity, or, more exactly, its absence
would entail unlimited expense in recti-
fication of sewer lines, of street lines at
angles with others, and consequently
whole lines of houses erected at angles
to the existing street frontage line. In
any properly conducted city department
where attention is given to ulterior
results all these matters are carefully
considered beforehand. This foresight
saves the city an immense future ex-
penditure in rectifying mistakes.
The Price property, just now in ques-
tion, very aptly explains the point.
Under its present street line arrange
ment, which is not official, the curbs
and street beds run at an angle to the
streets on either adjoining side. If these
lines were allowed, for instance on Mar
ket street, where one side of the Price
property abuts, there would be sue
cession of houses for several hundred
yards, jutting out angle-wise to the
street. Such condition would not be
very creditable to the public depart
ment. But there is still greater trouble
: fhe Twenty eighth street sewer would
have to run at diyerging angle, and
zig2ag back and forth from street te
street. The expense of building would
be enormous. In fact one Of the director!
said last Friday it would be better fol
the city to pay down $4,000 forfeit a
! once than to allow the streets to remain
according to the present unofficial sur
vey. But the owners, contractors anc
3 builders are in hurry to move anc
: have been impatient with the stree
directors to do something.
. The directors in turn have asked tn
city engineers for new lines for tn
Price property. The delay Iii givinI
j these lines has been the immediate caus
i of Thursdays outbreak.
' Chief Engineer Harry Palmer ha
F. been away from the city engineer
2 office for the past 10 months. He ha
been, and is still very Ill and quite unti
: for duty.
Q First Assistant Engineer Kemmle wa
!, found at the office last Friday. II
: was asked what he had to say in regar
r to the charges of office work bein
+ behind, and if it is behind, what th
= cause is.
v "The trouble with the people W
!, stairs" Mr.. Kemmle replied, (referrin
! to the Street and Sewer Directors
d "beg&n two years ago, when Counc
y took control out of their hands. Sine
IL then there has been some feeling show
- "The Price business referred to woul
,e take four or five months to compile
,e properly. The order came to us abol
u December 29lh or the first of the yea
~ asked for continuance of the il
creased force to finish this joD for ter
of six months. This was given us
81 os July next. The object of the addition,
u help was mainly for the Price wor
n The street directors expect it done tc
b; soon.
n. strhe private work of this departmel
Of has been larger this January than las
n In January 1913 the receipts on fees fl
a.. the private work was $21. This Janual
= it was $72.50. The February just pa
Ii. and that of '93 were about the same.
NJ. "There have been complaints from /
H. direction other than from the street {
es rectors. | think it is personal matt
II altogether. The office work is not bac
a. II ia pnll nm ng far as il CAN be.
nr at should be understood that at tt
Ip- time of the year We always have
III of office work which must be done
nd the winter and not in the summer. Th
ii sec us in the office and as we are II
outside they imagine we are dol
nothing.
hv awe have finished two weeks wo
m. on the Price job"
=, - In a general way the charges frc
nd the Street and Sewer Department Q
M, that the city engineers arc ba
Il in their work. President Gawthr
hn stated last Friday that the Price
~ should have been finished u year al
n 1t seems that the directors called
90 attention of Council to the matter.
II committee was appointed. But all til
M. have accomplished is to order II,
lrn ChTpbb iOI thc SuSlucSi 1oohi'
ar committees investigation was of no ,
to the public whatever.
tod Probably the bottom Of the VIII
1T oyd trouble is that the city engineers o
viii allegiance to two bodies-Clty Coun
). and to the Street and Sewer Depa
lay ment. One body is the paymaster
the one section of the city engineers q
ON also elects them while the street direct
veil boss the others. In other words
free lThe street and Saver Departm