The record-union., 1899-05-17
THE PUBLIC WORKS MIDDLE,
HOW TT rs DELAYING RIVER
IMPROVEMENT.
Necessary Work Awaiting Determi-
nation Of the Status Of the
Commissionership.

nation of the Status OF the
Commissionership.
Matters in the Public Works Depart
nlent are at standstill and have been
ever since the close of the last Legis-
lature, owing to what apears to be con-
fiict in the laws passed by that body.
The work on the Sacramento and San
Joaquin Rivers is of the utmost i'm
portance to the entire central portion
OF the State, and with a view to ascer-
tanning as nearly as possible the exact
fcond1tion of affairs a Record Union
reporter yesterday interviewed M. A.
Nurse and George N. Randle, engineers
to the Commissioner of Public Works.
According to statements made by
these officials, an investigation into the
condition of the Office of Commissioner
OF Public Works regarding the river
improvement contemplated for the en-
suing term discloses an awkward stu
alton of delay and doubt. And in view
OF the fact that the plans of relief so far
executed, at an expenditure of about
one-third of the fund available for such
work, have fully satisfied the promises
OF benefit made before the execution OF
the plans it is unfortunate
that further supplementary work
of river improvement deemed
equally as important to the interests
being considered by that office should
be hindered or delayed through awk-
ward legislation until the Attorney
General may determine the status Of
the office under new conditions.
Tina ic 20
pairing plans of improvement. Appro-
val of all plans, with Secretary of
Wars permission to execute the same,
must be obtained.
Even if it be held that late legisla-
ton is not adverse to continuance of
the work of improvement the delay
since the LIST of March, due to some
doubt as to the Commissioner or
Auditing Boards authority to inaugur-
ate further work than that already
contracted will be detrimental to econ
omy from the fact that time will be re-
quired to prepare plans and secure
Governmental approval and indorse-
ment of the same before commencement
to execute can be made
When the River Board of Government
Engineers indicate the places at which
| improvement in the interest of navi-
cation will be made between Sacra-
mento City and the foot of Ida Island,
| as recommended by such board and
provided for by Congressional appro-
priation, the Commissioner of Public
Works should be in a position to pre-
pare supplemental plans for channel
deepening and better flood water es-
cape. Such plans cannot be prepared
until investigation of location and con-
ditions have been made, and the neces-
sary Investigations cannot be ordered
until the Auditing Boards authority to
act shall be determined.
/ Fully six weeks will be required for a
review of locations, consultation with
the River Board of Government Engi-
neers and preparation of proper plans.
A month more must pass before permits
sion of the Secretary of War can be OBJ
tanned; a month to advertise for bid
ders and another month allowed the
SUCCESSFUL bidder to arrange for COM
mencement.
Should the Attorney Generals decis-
ion favorable to continuance be soon
made, fully three months must elaspe
before the plans already outlined can
be commenced. The work will cost
twenty per cent. more to execute if de-
layed until danger Of rain and food
shall threaten.
The Improvements already partly
planned for the upper Sacramento and
Feather Rivers should be inaugurated
at once in order to insure completion
before late fall or early winter may in
terfere with their progress.
The awkwardness of Senate Bill No.
$50, recreating the office of Commits
sioner of Public Works, is inexcusable.
Senator Doty and Captain T. B. Hall,
members of the Auditing Board, care
fully prepared measure providing for
| the appointment of a. Commissioner, de-
fning his duties and fixing his COM
| penSation, and requested its early in
| PRODUCTION, but for some untold rea-
| son, it was ignored and Senate Bill
80 passed instead. The measure is
now in the hands of the Attorney Gen
eral for Interpretation and it is to be
| hoped that construction favora BILE to
continuance of river improvement may
soon be announced.
! No private corporation dealing with
difficulties Of such magnitude as the
Department Of Public Works is aiming
to remedy would do business in such
dilatory manner. It is equally inexcus-
able that the State should be driven
to do So
Pending the solution of this tangle,
| due to Senate Bill No. 800, the COM
mission is looking after unfinished con-
tracts on the San Joaquin River en-
bracing cut offs No. 3 and 4, situated
about three miles below the city of
Stockton. This work should have been
| completed by the terms of contract
prior to the 1st of March, but owing
to stratum of hard-pan. near the bot
tom of both cuts, it is impossible with
the best of appliances for removing the
material to make any progress without
blasting every foot of it before exca-
walton can be made. This work was
contracted at 1919 cents per cubic yard,
but its average cost to the contractor
will at the lowest exceed 20 cents per
cubic yard
A Valuable Discussion.
| (F'rom the San Francisco Evening Post,
| Nav 16th)