The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-06-15
TO LOSE NEWELL
WOULD Be FATAL
CHARLES WHITING BAiSER.
Leading Authority Says Plan To Put
Army Officer in Charge Would
lnjure Reclamation Service.
-CHARLEs WHITING BAkER.
BY ROBERT =. WILSON.

WASHINGTON. June l5.-The en-
cheering profession OF America does
not like the proposed administration
plan To take the reclamation service
away from the civil engineers and
turn IL over 10 the army engineers.
Charles Whiting Baker, OF New
York. editor OF the Engineering News
and one or the leading civil engineers
Of America. voiced the Dissatisfaction,
Of the engineers over the contemplated
change. In answer 10 question as TO
what his fellow engineers thought or
the Taft-Ballinger reclamation service
house-cleaning plans, he said
The best answer ! can make 10
that question Is that civil engineers
ali over the country, Judging from the
letters that | receive. regard the pro-
position as most humiliating TO their
profession. They freely recognize the
high standing OF many OF the army en-
gineers. Many OF these men. In fact,
are members OF the engineering so
oieties and are highly regarded by
their civilian associates. But with full
recognition OF the admirable character
of much OF the work which has been
done by the army engineers, IL must be
admitted that the system on which
that work is organized is not one with
which civil engineers are at all sell
fish. II Is not one which promotes
economy and efficiency in the organ
ixation.
The engineering profession has
taken a deep interest In the reclama-
ton service. Here was a great field
OF engineering construction carried on
by the government under conditions
which made possible the building Up
OF an efficient organization OF civilian
engineers. Here was a position in thu
government service where an engi-
neer could obtain his start without po-
litical pull. and obtain promotion from
step TO step by his energy and ability.
1t has often been claimed that the
government could not carry on any
great works OF engineering construC
ton because Of the constant tendency
toward corruption and inefticiency
The reclamation service. however. as
built up under Frederick ii. Newell.
has been an object lesson OF the pos
sibilities in the development OF a gov.
eminent engineering bureau.
Under these circumstances. the an.
nounced intention OF Secretary Balm
ger almost as soon as he assumed OF
fee, TO remove Newell and reorganize
the service TO suit his own ideas. was
matter OF the deepest disappoint-
ment 10 engineers everywhere. But
the disappointment al Newell's re-
moval would be multiplied tenfolG II
some army engineer were TO be put In
his place. IL was felt that the govern
ment has no use for and no respect
/ for the civil engineering profession:
that the civil engineer in government
service In the future Is TO be nothing
but a highly skilled laborer; that the
path of promotion to positions OF high
responsibility and honor is TO be per
manently closed TO him
Gould not the army engineers han
die the reclamation work efficiently
They have had no experience in
irrigation work or in the administra
ton OF irrigation works, which Is the
future great task OF the reclamation
service, and they already have all the
work they can do, and do well. In con
nection with river and harbor improve
ments J do not believe these officials
as a class look with any favor upon
the proposal 20 add entirely new
fields of work TO their burdens"
Has the reclamation service under
Newell been efficiently conducted
ut certainly Is the belief OF tho en-
gineering profession generally that Ills
work has been efficient. or 1t would
never have given him such unanimous
support
1T Is a fact that the irrigation en-
gineer has a peculiarly difficult task.
Irrigation work even under private en-
terprise. where the engineer is free
from the many hampering limitations
which exist with government work.
shows a record replete with failures.
An angel from heaven could not run
an irrigation project and please every
body-there are too many conflicting
interests"