St. Paul daily globe., 1895-12-24

made IN this bureau, Within the past
five. or six years; but more should be
made. A large amount Of highly
4 trained engineering talent is now un-
employed; and rates of pay expected
for this class of service, even in work
of the highest class-work of far high
er class than any done by cities-are
very moderate. For such rates of pay,
men in. the various branches of the
engineering professions - engineers,
|. transitmen, draughtsmen and the like
are willing to work diligently during
good hours. Not much of the engin-
| eeripg work to be done for the city,
during the next few years, will require
a specially high order of talent
| or experience. Diligence, watchful-
ness and honesty are about
all that can be actually
be oused. These are excellent qualifi-
cations, but not uncommon and do not
demand high rates of pay. In fact,
practically all now needed of the en-
g!neering department is honesty in
letting contracts, close inspection and
correct estimates Of work done.
Your committee sees no good reason
for employing any more men, or any
higher class of men, In the engineers
bureau, than are required for other
things. --
:, Furthermore, there is no existing
need for retaining men throughout the
year merely because their services are
required during the comparatively short
season of work. The abundant stock
of good engineering talent now and
at all times available in all parts of
the country can confidently be relied
on to supply any demand for increased
assistance during working months.
To make work in the winter for the
purpose of having at hand man
cd cIif1 ic nr1 "
another form of waste. We recon-
mend that the permanent engineering
corps of the city be so reorganized as
to comprise the following employees at
gineer, $500; first assistant engineer,
clerks, for both, s2,4OO; total, .sS9OO
With authority of the council ad
ditional assistance for the actual prose-
cution of special items Of Of work and
year should be available.
The foregoing is not meant to cover
cost of inspection of work in progress
on bridges, but care should be taken
not to make this feature unnecessarily
expensive.
The saving from the suggested reor-
ganization of the engineering depart
ment would amount to at least $4,000
| per year.
The appointment of the city engineer
| should be vested in the mayor.
3. AS far as practicable all work
| done in cleaning and repairing the
and bridges that can be done by con-
tract should be done in that way, and
| let by competitive bidding. Your COM
! mittee feels sure that at least one.
| half of all the work paid for out of
the street, bridge and sewer cleaning
| and repair fund is, or could readily be
made the subject of intelligent bid
ding. The work could be divided into
| classes and contracts let for the work
in that class done during the year.
| There is every reason for believing
that very great saving of expense could
be made in this way. Private contrac-
| tors would take care to use only the
number of hands and the quantity of
job, and could be expected to bid on
| that basis. The adoption of this plan
for the majority of the work would
| permit the reduction of the number of
| which of itself will save the city $27C0
per year. All labor in this, as in other
| departments, should be employed at
| current market rates.
The system now in force of cleaning
! and repairing the streets, bridges and
sewers by days work at prices often
| greatly above the market has, at a
small estimate, caused loss of $40,-
600 per year-a clear waste, inf1icting
!. an inexcusable eXact:on upon tax pay
i
public works put the waste at $4,000
4 per year, but the committee has been
4 content with the lower estimate ex-
\ pressed.
4. The police force is the only con-
/ venient and efficient inspector of pub
4 lie lights furnished by contract. If a
1 Digit is out, on any night, the patrol
4 man on that beat knows it; and can
/ give the information properly and cor
4 rectly.
4 0t5. 3 The police force should also be
! inspectors of the condition of all
4 streets, sidewalks and bridges. In
\ practice they are so now; but their
4 inspection should be so systematized
/ ment immediat tely, constantly and fully
| Informed of the existence and precise
! location of all breaks needing repairs
1 Such a system, carefully executed, will
l save many thousand dollars yearly in
claims for personal injuries.
4 Jtrnder the law governing such claims,
/ the city is liable only for injuries re-
sulting from neglect to repair after
| notice or reasonab BILE time for learning
of the existence of the break. Hence
| prompt notice of the existence of
| break. followed by prompt action of
| the public works department in making
needed repairs, will relieve the city
| from liability for accidents.
REHABILITATION.
| The annual saving from reorganiza-
| ton of the public works department,
! as suggested, would be as follows:
Board of public works .$11 ,OOo
city engineer ................. S,UUo
! Three street commissioners. 2,700