The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-09-13

Birmingham has been making several
hundred thousand dollars worth of i'm
provements each year for several
years. l am informed that the chief
engineer drew the plans for the sewer
system and the city paid 100000 to
have the plans examined, and they
were returned approved by an eminent
consulting engineer without single
change. Yet this engineer receives a
salary of only 100000 per year in
that large and rapidly growing city
and do not see why Pensacola, which
las let her sewer work to an eminent
engineer, should pay more than Bir
mingham for competent engineer tC
take charge of her water works, gas
mains, street paving and sidewalks, es
pecially when the grades of the streets
! have already been established.
l have letter from the mayor Of
Chattanooga, another large and pros
porous city of the south which has fol
years been making vast improvements
and he informs me that the city OF
Chattanooga pays a civil engineer
$1,5O0.00 a year, that the engineer has
charge of all sewers, streets, pavins
and street cleaning. II large anC
growing city like Chattanooga can Sc
cure competent engineer fol
$1,500.00 per year I fail to see why
Pensacola should pay more.
l have letter from the mayor O.
Savannah, another large and import
ant city of the south, and one situated
upon the sea-coast like unto ourselves
and he informs me that their city en-
gineer is paid s2,500.00 per year Tina,
the engineer has charge of all sewers
ETC., and provides in his department
all plans, maps, etc., desired by coun
Gil and the several departments.
/ have letter from the mayor OF
Atlanta who informs me that the chief
engineer receives a salary of $4,000. OF
and he has charge of giving grades
and lines for all public works, has
charge of the permanent street paving
and building of sewers and the laying
of sidewalks, curbing and new
bridges
Your honorable body has before il
proposition to let the street paving
on per cent basis. We have avail
able for the street paving fund $3.50,
100000 from the bonds, this carries
with it $300,000.00 from the AUDITING
property owners and will probably
carry with it an additional 500, 900 &C
from the railroads and street car com
panies which will make $3.50, 900 OC
which, under that proposition would
make $500 to be paid for street paw
Ing inside OF the next two years, and
the city would still have to have an
engineer to establish sidewalk grades
property lines, etc.
| fail to see the wisdom in paving
this vast sum for portion of our en-
cheering work for a period of less
than two years when we can undoubt
edly get a competent engineer who
Will do all of our work for the next
eight or ten years, for the same
money.
Grades Already Fixed.
Your honorable body will bear in
mind that the city has already paid
out large sums for the establish
ment of permanent street grades and
in addition to this we have employed,
which We believe. one of the most
competent engineers in the country al
high price to lay our sewer system
with our street gardes and sewer
grades established it is not large
matter for the engineer to take care
OF the paving and other engineering
work.
Therefore 1 recommend to your hon.
orable body that it direct that a com.
mittee be appointed for the purpose OF
engaging resident engineer to take
charge of the engineering work in the
city which has not already been let by
contract