The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-01
DAYToN'S OFFICE ABOLISHED.
THERE WILL BE NO MORE COUNTY
ENGINEERS IN CHATHAM.


ton Claims He Was Employed bS
the Year and His Second Year Had
Begun-The Control of the Chain
Gang TO BE ReOr&anized.
The office of county engineer Of Chat
ham county has been abolished, and that
of superintendent Of public roads has been
declared vacant.
This action was taken by the county
commissioners yesterday afternoon when
they met to consider the replies made by
County Engineer W. A. Dayton and Sup
erintendent of Roads r. ]. Wade to letters
addressed them from the board, asking for
their designations.
Both the county engineer and the super
intendent of roads refused to resign I'M
less they were given some reason as to
why their designations were demanded 1t
was believed yesterday and so stated in
the Morning News that such would b
the replies from the officials in question.
1t was also stated that the commissioners
would probably abolish one of the offices,
and take steps to make the other vacant.
and appoint a successor to Mr.. Wade.
The board spent part of it's time yester-
day in caucus and it was about o'clock
In the afternoon that it assembled in the
county commissioners rooms to pass the
orders as indicated. What the discussion
in the caucus was, nobody knows, as none
of the commissioners would say anything
about 1t. When asked yesterday what
their reasons for the action taken were
Chairman Dale simply replied:
There are the orders; they speak for
themselves"
That was all any of the commissioners
had to say on the subject County En-
gineer Daytons reply to the letter from
the clerk of the commissioners requesting
his resignation is as follows
Savannah Ca, Oct 81, 1s95.-Mr. James
w. McIntire Clerk C. c. c., City: Dear
Sir-I have the honor to acknowledge re-
ceipt of your favor of the S0th, in which
I am directed to tender my resignation as
county engineer to the board of county
commissioners on or before Il o'clock noon
Saturday. the 31st Permit me to inform
your board that I was elected to the po-
siton Oct. g. 1895, by resolution, at sal
airy Of two thousand dollars G2,0O per
annum.
am now on the first quarter of my sec
ond year by above resolution, and at the
simple request to resign l must decline.
am still county engineer until notified
officially to the contrary. Respectfully
w. A. Dayton, Superintendent Chatham
County Convict System, County Engineer.
There were no remarks made in the
board meeting with regard to Mr.. Day
TONS letter. All the talking was done in
the caucus. The board simply passed the
following resolution, abolishing the Of
fee of county engineer, and practically
creating the position of superintendent of
public works of Chatham County:
Whereas, in the judgment of this
board, the management and supervis-
ion of the county chain-gang, and the
conduct and supervision of the county
drainage, and other public works, require
reorganization and notifications, 1t is or
dered that the Office of county engineer
be and the same is hereby abolished;
and that the services Of the county engi-
neer, and his assistant engineer and the
clerk of the county engineer, be dispensed
with; and that this board do proceed to
the reorganization of the management CT
the county chain-gang, and the supervis-
Ion OF other public works of the county,
and to the consolidation of the offices. so
that the superintendency of the entire
system shall be more efficiently and sat
tsfactorily performed.
1T is further ordered that w. A. Day.
ton be and he is hereby discharged from
employment by the county Of Chatham.
and that he turn over all public property
and the records and papers Of his Office
TO William F. Brown, acting superintend-
emit OF public works, and that the clerk
do notify him of this order"
This settled the question so far as Mr.
Dayton was concerned. Clerk J. w. Nc
1ntire wrote him a letter last night noti-
lying him of the order of the board,
which is equivalent to the official dis
charge that he said he desired before he
would give up his office
Mr.. Dayton holds that he is employed by
the year at salary of 5000 a year, and
therefore denies the right of the commis-
sioners to discharge him without cause
The board however. as is well known,
acted under the advice of its county at
torney, Mr.. J. r. Saussy, as to its legal
rights In the premises, and having Great
ed the office it was the opinion that the
board had perfect right to abolish 1t
at any time, with or without cause, and
under any circumstances. Whether Mr.
Dayton will take the matter into the
courts remains to be. seen.
superintendent Wade's letter to the
commissioners, in reply to their request
for his resignation, is as follows:
Savannah, Ga, Oct. 81, 1s96-Mr. James
McIntire, Clerk Commissioners of Chat
ham County: Dear Sir--I am in recent
inst, calling for my resignation On or be-
fore noon Of 31st inst. Inasmuch as I'm
the current newspaper articles and the
public comments growing out of them, this
request for my resignation has been con-
nected with a similar request for the res
ignation of the county engineer, and the
rumors set afoat as TO the cause for that
request, / must decline to tender my res
ignation until the board of county COM
missioners give me a reason for their re-
quest do this as a matter of justice TO
myself and my friends / consider that
1t is the duty of the board IN view OF the
prevailing rumors, to publicly announce
the reasons that led it to request my res
tgnation. Asking that this be done at
its meeting of this date, l am respectfully.
Robert j. Wade, Superintendent of Public
Roads.
After reading Mr.. Wade's letter the
clerk read the following order which had
been prepared with regard to his case:
The superintendent of public roads be-
ing an officer or agent appointed by this
board 10 hold his office at the pleasure OF
the board, subject to removal at any time.
with or without cause; and Robert ].