The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-30
THE wARING DRAINAGE PLAN.


gineer.
Editor Morning News: House drainage
now being a leading topic in our midst,
as it will shortly affect the pocket very
materially Of each property owner, 1
would like to make a few remarks to
the public on the recent action of coun-
Gil in placing the entire engineering work
away from the city. Col. Waring of New
York was requested to submit proposals
for the engineering work. Percy Sugden
of Savannah had to petition council to
be allowed to submit his propositions.
Waring offered to prepare the plans for
$1,000; Sugden's offer was for $3.50, a saw
ing to the city of % per cent.
Warning of New York offered to provide
the supervising engineers from New York
for per cent. on the contract, which,
assuming the contract to be 5000, 900, is
equal to $14,00O. Sugden of Savannah Of
fered to supervise the work, along with
other local engineers, for per cent. on
the contract, equal to $1,000, a saving to
the city of 5000, or over 40 per cent.
Waring of New York offered to UNDER
take the entire work from start to finish
for approximately $4,000 Sugden of Sa-
Vannah offered TO do similar work for
$4,000, saving to the city of $1,000, or a
per cent.
Had council accepted the first two propo-
sit1ons of Warning, engaging him as con-
sulting engineer and accepting his plans,
and then accepted Sugdens proposal to
supervise the work. &c would have cost
the city $13,0O0 a saving to city of $1,000.
or 80 per cent. over the arrangement en-
tered into by council last night.
II council has commenced by voting
| away $1,000 of the taxpayers money sole
ly in order to have the work supervised
by engineers sent from New York, what
limit, if any, have they placed on the
amount they are willing to pay to have
the work done by a New York contractor?
1t has been remarked that the "adop-
ton of the Warng system, which is of
national reputation, will advertise the
city" Council could have adopted the
Warning plan and retained him as consult
ing engineer and still allowed the local
engineers to superintend the construction.
Warning does not offer to supervise the
work himself, but to provide the engineers
from his New York office whilst there
are several engineers around here fully as
competent TO take charge of the work as
any man he can or will send.
With New York engineers and a New
York contractor, who is to represent the
city of Savannah to see that the taX-pay-
ers are getting what they pay for?
Why not exhaust all the resources and
talent at home before sending off for ad-
vice. No one would think of going to New
York to consult a specialist before they
| consulted the local physicians.
The drainage committee claims that
they have had the question under consid-
GRAFTON since last February, yet 1 for one,
who have for years been paying a license
to the city for the privilege of keeping
open an office as a civil engineer, heard
nothing about it until 1 saw by the papers
that Col. Waring was here and submitting
! proposals as requested by the drainage
committee.
The national government has laws to
protect it's citizens against the employ
ment of alien labor under contract. New
York could not send to Montreal and en-
gage its engineers to superintend its drain
age work, then why should Savannah send
| to New York for men TO watch over her
| sewers being laid? 1t is a poor law that
will not work evenly all round. AS to the
! competency of local engineers, 1t is only
| necessary to state that previous councils,
| composed of men quite as intelligent, hav-
! ing more at stake and just as patriotic as
the present board, have consulted us and
! adopted our plans after mature considera-
! ton.
Would council send to New York for its
! legal advice should DR.. LeHardy put his
threatened injunction on the city against
! putting the outlet into the Savannah
river? Then why send to New York for
| an engineer to advise you to use that out
| let when there are engineers here who
| have been advocating it for years.
l am not surprised at council adopting
the Warning plan, as he is man of ma
! tional reputation, but it should have ended
there. To place in charge of the construc-
| ton of the work entire strangers from
! New York whose only interest in the city
| is what they can make out of it and ignore
| the local men whose homes are here and
whose every interest is wrapped up in the
citys welfare is a crying shame and dis
grace to any community, and offers no en-
| couragement to self-respecting and indus
| trious citizens to settle in our midst.
Percy Sugden, Civil Engineer.
| Savannah Ca, Sept %, 1897.