Evening journal., 1910-01-31
ENGINEERING
FORCE MERGER
Council Decides to Combine
City Surveying and 5.
6 5. Corps
DRAWING ORDINANCE
PROVIDING FOR CHANGE

TheAiayor and the Democratic members
of Council will hold meeting tonight to
examine the proposed ordinance which
city solicitor John w Brady and Assist
ant City Solicitor Armon ID. Chaytor pre-
pared to-day, providing for the merger
of the engineering department Of the
Street and Sewer Department and the
city Surveying Department. The measure
will be discussed and any necessary
changes made. so that it will be ready to
be introduced at the meeting Of Council
On Thursday night.
1t was decided at a conference between
the Mayor and the Democrats in Council
held in the Mayors office on Saturday
night. to consolidate the two engineering
branches. The meeting lasted several
hours and at its conclusion II was an
nounced that those present had unani-
mously agreed upon the merger As re-
suit Messrs. Brady and Chaytor were
notified to draw an ordinance merging the
departments.
Under the plan adopted the two depart
ments will be under the jurisdiction Of the
Street and Sewer Commission. There will
nE a NUltA NNhliANNAt NV AAAHN N~~-N@--
and two second assistants, the same num-
Der of engineers now employed In the
two departments Council, cannot, under
the statutes. name the engineers in the
Street and Sewer Department already pro-
Vidcd for. and Councils jurisdiction, so
faJ as naming engineers in the new de-
psrtment is concerned. win be confined
20 the number it now has jurisdiction over,
namely the present engineers of the Sur
VeyIng Department. As a result, Council
under the proposed ordinance will in the
future have the naming Of only the three
engineers who make up the Surveying De-
partment, and the Street and Sewer De-
partment will name the other two, one OF
whom VIII be tho chief engineer.
The question of combining all the city
engincering departments under one head
has been spoken Of. but was not taken up
al any OF the conferences held by the
Mayor and the members Of Council. This
proposition cannot be acted upon at this
time because il win take an act Of the
Legislature 70 create such a department.
MAYOR j. Harvey Spruance to-day that
. merger Of the two departments about TO
lie consolidated with the engineering de-
partmenfs Of the Park Board and tho
Water Commission had not been consid-
cred in any OF The conferences held on tho
merger proposition. lie said that il the
present proposed consolidation worked
satisfactorily he would favor asking the
legislature at it's next session to take up
The question of a merger OF all the en-
pineering departments under one head.
ann separate from any other body.
Taylor May be Chief.
Who will be named as engineers and the
salaries they will receive under the now
merger is not yet known, insofar as the
three men Council viii select to succeed
the present Republican engineers Of the
Surveying Department, is concerned. II
is understood that Alexander Taylor. the
present Street and Sewer engineer will be
retained as chief of the combined depart
ments at an increase OF salary. He now
receives 81 900 yearly and it was under dis
cussion TO give him 5000 additional a year.
Another engineer to be retained will be
Harry T. Taylor, tho preent assistant TO
Mr. Taylor. lie is booked for ono Of the
first assistant places and it is said will
probably receive $500 year, being an
increase of $500 his present salary being
about $500. The second first assistant may
have charge Of the present surveying de-
psrtment at salary Of $500, while the
two second assistants will probably re-
ceive $500 each year.
This distribution OF salaries will entail
an increase Of aboutSsoO over that now
paid to the hveengineers in the two de-
partments. This differencewill be made up
by Council and placed to the credit Of the
Street and Sewer Department