St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-21
DAY LABOR COSTLY.
CIVIL ENGINEERS SOCIETY FA-
VORS CONTRACT PLAN FOR
MUCH CITY WORK.
AS ENGINEER OF BUILDINGS
THEY BELIEVE THAT MIR. RUND-
LETT WOULD BE IN HIS ELE-
MENT.
HIS EXPENSE NOT TOO HIGH.

HIS EXPENSE NOT TOO HIGH.
The Society Scores the Retrench-
ment Committee for It's Sugges-
tions in Re Engineering.
The Civil Engineers Society of St.
Paul sat down firmly last night on SO
much of the report of the Parker re-
trenchment committee as pertains to
the city engineers department. AT a
previous meeting of the society COM
mittee was appointed to consider this
portion of the retrenchment commit
tees report, with view to ascertain
ing whether its recommended atoms for
material reductions in the city en-
gineer's force and the salaries thereof
were warranted. It was to hear the re-
port of its committee that the civil
engineers held a special meeting last
night at the Windsor hotel. A banquet
preceded the business session.
The committee making the report
consisted of C. T. Loweth, chairman; A.
o. Powell and John d. Estabrook en-
gineers of the highest standing in their
profession. These gentlemen spent sew
eral days collecting the necessary infor-
nation, and the result was a concise,
condensed report, containing q COM
plete comparison Of the cost of the
administration Of the city engineers
department of st. Paul with that of the
corresponding departments Of other
cities and railroad corporations. After
setting forth all the facts, the COM
mittee reached the conclusion that the
city engineers department of st. Paul
was economically conducted, and that
to reduce the present force at all would
be to impair the efficiency of the de-
partment.
lengthy discussion followed the
reading of the report by Mr. Loweth
The society was well represented, there
being over twenty-five members pres
ent, as well as five visitors, including
City Engineer Cappelen, of Minneapolis.
Ihe report was carefully considered
paragraph by paragraph, and finally
adopted by unanimous vote.
In the course of the discussion the
S4A5iiASNio IicCly eADISSSeu Cnelr us
approval of some Of the sentiments
contained in the report of the retrench-
ment committee. Mr. Estabrook en-
phatlcally condemned the statement
OF The report TO the effect that all the
city engineers department required
was "a few honest and intelligent men
or average attainments This affirma-
ton was declared to be a slur upon the
engineering profession, and the other
recommendations Of tho
committee relative to a reduction of
the city engineers force were consid-
cred ridiculous and absurd. One of the
engineers present, w. w. Curtis, said
that the report in this respect was a
dlsgrace to the retrenchment commit
tee.
After adopting the report Of it's COM
mlttee, the society rendered the three
members vote of thanks for their
work.
Just before adjournment, President
II. e. Stevens told the society of a visit
that he and Secretary Amman had paid
the manual training school. Mr.. Ste
vens said BE was surprised at the work
performed by the pupils in such a short
time, and ne thought that the society
ought to lndorse the manual training
school as valuable adjunct to the
school system. MessrS. Estabrook.
LoWeth, Woodman and Crosby urged
the Importance of maintaining the
manual training school, and the latter
offered resolution protesting against
Gripping this institution, which result,
he said, would follow in case the
recommendation of the retrenchment
committee were followed in dealing
with this department. The resolution
was unanimously adopted. The society
then adjourned.
The main provisions Of the report of
the civil engineers committee are as
follows: 1t first sets forth the duties
of the city engineers department,
showing them to be very numerous and
comprehensive.
1t then states the scope of the inquiry
to be made, which includes three cues
tons: First, Is the engineer bureau or
ganized for the efficient and economical
execution of the duties devolving upon
it? Second, Is the work of the bureau
efficiently performed and it's records
properly kept. Third, Can the cost of
the bureau be reduced?
After explaining the organizati ton of
the city engineers department, it's
total cost shows in a table in which the
various kinds of work are properly dis
tinguished. The cost Of the work is
$500 213.54
The report in this connection refers
to the quality of the work done by the
city engineering bureau and declares it
to be creditable alike to the city and
the engineers. The committee then
proceeded to compare the cost with
that Of the engineering bureaus of other
cities as we'll as railroad corporations,
on the theory that if the st. Paul en-
gineering department has cost no more
than a fair percentage of the cost of
the work done, then objection cannot
stand. The report States:
"And so far as could be learned the en-
gineer bureau of this city is well at the top
of the list as respects both economy and eff
iciency. Generally the cost of engineering is
shown to be from to per cent of the total
cost Of work done: the lower percentage, so
of inspection. COMPARING tn cost with rail-
road work: The chief engineer of one OF our
large roads advises US that his records show
that the field engineering, only, on new lines
cost. This 81 per cent did not include any
portion of the salary of the chief engineer,
nor such expenses as permanent Office force,
draughtsman, clerks, etc. Another chief en-
country gave it as his experience, derived
from many years of special observation on
this very point that the total cost of all en-
gineering on railroad work, varies between
d and per cent, an average Of 5 per cent of
the total cost of the work.
Touching upon the question of salaries the
committee expressed the opinion that the city
engineer had not been paid a higher salary
than similar responsibilities and qualifications
would command in a majority of other cities
and in private and corporate interests The
salaries of the four assistants were found to
be not as great as paid in most other
cities or on private work for similar qualf-
1t could retain the force on the schedule of
1898. -
In answer to the question can the cost of