The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1902-04-05
The New Orleans Drainage
Investigation.

that one of the pureset and best men
of our State-Major b. M. Harrod-
who has been bounded as common
thief by some of these papers, has
been honorably acquitted by an un-
biased committee named for the
purpose of examining the great work
that he was selected to superlnteo
on account of his known ability as an
engineer.
II these New Orleans dailies would
use the same energy in showing up
the open-handed robberies committed
by Henry Newman and Louis n.y.
man. as they did in trying to be-
smirch and ruin the character OF an
honorable man like Major Harrod,
or driving to the wall the poor street
carmen, who were trying to secure
honest pay for honest work from the
huge monied corporation, it would
look much better for the city papers;
but they have been as silent as an
oyster. and all the comments and
criticisms of the entire press of the
State on their failure to even notice
the open steel OF these men or the
charges that their wealth has been
used in suppressing their guilty acts
and all that can be said of their
actions, will not cause them to utter
one word.
The Vicksburg Herald says in its
editorial:
Readers of the New Orleans papers
| of month or more since noted Sc
we're and sweeping arraignment of the
methods and materials of construction
of the city-syslem Of costly drainage
works, by engineer l.. W. Brown. The
engineer manager of the work, Maj. b.
M. ilarrod, was charged with depart
ing from the contract specifications in
terms and tones that reflected in the
gravest manner upon his capacity if
not honesty. Mr.. Browns criticisms
and allegations were unhesitatingly
adopted by the Times Democrat and
other of the city papers and supple
mented by columns of superheated edi-
torial censure of the drainage board
and engineer. So excited was the SEN
timent aroused. and so deaf to reason
was the hue and cry directed upon him,
that Major Harrod resigned after tend
4 ering defense of his work and asking
for an investigation. He named En-
gineers Herring of New York and H.
b. Richardson of New Orleans. as prop
er persons to investigate. The latter
was accepted to by the assailants of the
engineer in charge. as partisan. 9th
er names were suggested. if we re-
member correctly. and objected to
also. Finally a committee was ap-
pointed consisting of Messrs. Herring,
of New York; Benzenburg. of Mil
waukee, and Carson, of Boston.
As thus constituted the investigating
committee set to work to enquire into
all of the matters alleged by Mr.. Brown
and urged in the city press They were
discredited at the outset by the refusal
of Brown to respond to a request to
testify before the committee. Aud now
it is with extreme qualification that
The Herald notes the conclusion of the
matter in report that goes far beyond
any mere vindicatlon of Maj. Harrod,
in its praise of the manner of his man.
agement of one of the great engineer
ing problems of the day. The criti-
cisms of his departure from the con-
tract specifications were taken up one
by one. and approved with reasons, in
every instance. We here quote the e.
port:
1.-The general drainage plan and
specifications W hich were prepared by
a board of advisory engineers in 1895
approved by the common council, and
the legislature by enactment. estab-
lished the drainage commission and
empowered it 'to execute and carry out
substan italy the plan for which drain
age, adopted by the council of said city
. so far as 1t may find said plan
desirable and practicable, with the
right, however, to modify the same as
in its judgment circumstances may re-
quire.'
at was. therefore. contemplated that
so far as it was practicable said plan
should he followed. 1t may not be ex-
pected that all the minute details or all
!, local conditions, in the preparation OF
any generalIplan of drainage, sewerage
or water supply system for large
city, have been studied to such an ex-
tout as to preclude the necessity for
any minor charges or departures from
said system when the various parts OF
the work are being put under contract
$50 long rs such charges or altera.
. tlons made necessary by local condi.
tions do not impair the stability. econ
omy or utility of the work. no valid or
reasonable objections can be made
J against them"
J Here follows list of the "charges OF
alterations" numbered from to 8, re-
lative to the location of pumping sta.
tions and alignment of drains. The
plain and simple reason on which they
} were based are closely examined and
thoroughly discussed by the commit.
tee. which says:
ave find them all to have been made
in the interest of increased efficiency
or economy, without in any way inn
pairing the usefulness Of the drainags
system as whole or in any of its parts
We, therefore, consider them to have
been wise and proper"
The committee is equally as emphat.
ic in approving the character of the
, work done, which was also brought in
to question
"The work as whole is of an excel.