The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-03
The Richmond Residents Want
Him Made the City
Engineer.
SENATOR PERKINS OPINION
The Technical Society and the Geo.
graphical Society VIII Take
Action Soon.

Professor Davidson be made the City En-
gineer. This would give San Francisco a
valuable and accomplished official who
would in all probability be able to save the
City much larger amount each year than
the proposed salary of $4,000. The sugges-
ton comes in the form of petition from
the club and reads as follows:
To the Honorable Board of Supervisors OF the
City and County Of San Observation-Disclosures:
Your petitioners, the Point Lobos Improve
ment Club, on behalf of the beautiful suburb
I OF Richmond, and also on behalf of the whole
| OF the residents and taxpayers of the City of
San Francisco, respectfully address you on q
subject which we conceive is more vital to the
interests OF our City government thar any
question which has yet been brought to your
notice
Circumstances have arisen during the past
week which are well known to each member OF
| this board-affecting very materially, we be-
lieye, the interests of the Pacific Coast-and we
consider that the loss to the Government of
the United States may prove TO be present gain
to the City OF San Francisco. To this end we
make the proposition to your honorable board
| that the office of City Engineer be declared to
| be vacant and that you proceed to reorganize
| that office on such a basis as is now impera-
! lively demanded by this City.
| Questions OF Importance have arisen which
| have shown that your honorable board has
| had no engineering talent on It's staff to meet
! the corporations and governing bodies which
have been called into existence within this
| City.
The Spring Valley Water Company has
| trained engineer whose opinions delivered be-
| fore your honorable board cannot be met and
| properly weighed in the balances, because such
! professional knowledge is not available to YOU
When the question OF hydrants is brought be-
! fore the board you should know before paying
out the funds of the citizens if each bydrant
will give proper and tficient supply OF water
at all times OF the day ornght. You are aware
that one hydrant is not as good as another, and
as they all cost alike there are many chances
TO one that scores OF thousands of dollars win
be wasted.
The railroad companies operating in this
City have skilled engineers whose arguments
for the performance of certain work which is
injurious TO the interests of the citizens can
| not be controverted on your part by professional
authority. The Harbor Commissioners employ
a trained engineer whose works are of vital
importance to the City-the character of these
works, in many respects, has been called i'll
/ question, and the City authorities, who should
have been the chief arbiters, have had to look
on and let our interests go by default.
The question has arisen, What are we to do
with our streets? and engineers have been re-
| spectfully requested to help the City govern
ment to a better knowledge. But it may be
taken for granted that the streets OF this CITY
will not be improved until the government is
able to command engineering talent.
You will be asked in few days TO place hun
dreds OF thousands OF dollars in the
hands OF inexperienced men to make
these. streets, roads and boulevards. We
/ respectfully ask you to pause before you
/
/ money you would go to work very differently
/ to established usage. The sewers of this City
Will call Tor large appropriation. Every dol
! lar you can set aside for that purpose is
urgently needed, but it is also matter OF the
last Importance that proper safeguards be
/ thrown around this expenditure. We have
/ painful emembrances of the Fell-street sewer
commission, and the discoveries made by q
/ late board OF sewer commissioners, all tending
/ to show how the property-owners can be legally
cinched and how the money in the treasury
| can be successfully diverted from the proper
object for which it was appropriated.
| Your engineer should be a member ex-oficio
OF the Board OF Health and of the Board of Fire
Commissioners. The knowledge which he
would have relating TO sewers and water sup
ply would be of great importance to them. He
should have authority to enter upon the prem
Uses OF all corporations using the streets of the
City and obtain all necessary information rela-
tive to the methods OF carrying on the business
pertaining thereto.
We respectfully petition your honorable
board TO adopt and pass such resolutions, or
ders, etc, to establish this Office to be governed
by the rules of the civil service, to be COM
posed OF an engineer in charge, one or more
! dTaughtsmen and O secretary, all the appoint
ments to be made by said engineer, his salary
/ to be $4,000 per anDum, draughtsmen $1,000
| per annum, secretary $4,000 per annum, incl
! dentals $1,000 per annum, including free offices
in the new City Hall. The executive branches
! of this department TO be the Superintendent OF
+ Streets and the City Surveyor.
The engineer shall pass upon the uualifce-
| tion of inspectors of public work., and the Su-
perintendent of Streets shall be unswerable for
the faithful performance of the duties assigned
to the inspectors.
Your honorable board is respectfully re-
quested to make suitable provision in YOUR es-
Inmates for the establishment of this Office.
At a meeting of the Point Lobos Improve
ment Club held in FaFrepS Hall, Richmond on
| July l this petition was submitted, approved
and ordered 10 be signed by the president and
secretary and presented TO the Board of Super
visors.
Tho continual avDracciops of d;sro+;r
isfaction over the dismissal of Professor
Davidson from the Coast and Geodetic
Survey are OF that character which leaves
no doubt of the estimate placed upon the
man both personally and professionally.
But the feeling which obtains is not one
sentiment alone.
Senator Perkins said yester day that he
had been spoken to upon the subject by a
large number of persons, and that he had
yet the first one to meet who failed to give
positive expression to his indignation.
He continued:
These words of praise for Professor David
sons services under the Government for this
/ coast and indignation at his removal do not
come from mere personal friends, though he
has wonderfully large personal following,
but they are from men who recognize the great
! usefulness OF the coast survey work and APP
preciate the fact that the present standard of
the office is so largely due to Professor David
sons indefatigable labor and his wonderful
fund OF knowledge upon the subject. 1t is
really question II he can be dispensed with
without great detriment TO the service.
There is one fact that may be overlooked in
this matter. But it should not be overlooked
by General Duffield, nor by the people whose
interest il affects 1t is that, should Professor
Davidson be permanently removed from Office
he would carry with him his library of several
thousand volumes. These books are his per-
sonal property, purchased with money he has
received in salary, and to replace them would
incur large expense.
If Professor Davidson were a decrepit old
man, unfit for his duties, there would be some
excuse for his retirement, but he is vigorous,
active man physically and at his fullness men
tally. Ii he cannot be reinstated, his retire.
ment might be obtained on part pay, but he
does not want that. He does not ask gift
from the Government. He is able TO continue
his duties, and strong effort will be made to
put him back at his desk.
Otto Won Geldern, secretary of the Tech
nical Society, was very outspoken in regard
to the dismissal and said:
have been personally acquainted with Pro-
fessoT Davidson Tor many years, and while l
express my own feeling l know that / voice
the sentiment OF 80 per cent of the member
ship of the Technical Society in saying that h is
dismissal is an outrage Professor Davidson
has been on the coast since the early fifties,
and began this great work that has been of
such vast benefit to this country at salary not
half so large as was paid the cook who served
the meals TO the surveyors. And although his