The San Francisco call., 1910-01-20
Russell L. Has City Engineers
Appointment in His Vest
Pocket, Perhaps
~"ilI Save $IO,OOO,OOO, But
Don't Say Told YOu," Is
His Caution
By GEORGE A. VAN SMITH

De e"Ilpieted at a saving of $4,000 600
from 1he estimates made as a basis for
The bonds which We're authorized on
last Friday by vote Of 20 to /.
This is not "a prophesy. Not at all
IL is lerse. not TO say bald, description
OF one OF the minor photographic items
III the program OF Russell L. Dunn. who
expects to succeed City Engineer Mars
den Manson.
Russell L, Dunn expects thar his an
pointment as city engineer win be an
hounced TO an expectant public within
10 days. The quicker. the better for
the public, because the saving of So
100000 on Hetch Hetchy is only one of
the good things Dunn has planned TO
do for-the public.
russell l. Dunn has had other pro-
AIams Tor saving money for the neo-
PIE of san Francisco and furnishing
water 10 them. like the famous Giant
gap scheme. The approximate amount
oi the saving has never been so closely
oehned before. That. of course. NAV
De due in some degree to the fact that
MI Dunn was never before within 10
days Of the initial practice of his
benlhcent purposes.
DUNN Is COY
Dunn himself is authority for the
statement that by grace of Mayor P.
H. Mccarthy Russell L. Dunn is TO be
city engineer. That was not for pub
lcation. For publication he declines
TO deny that he is TO acquire the titles
ana emoluments appUrtenant TO Mars
oeh manson for the time being, but he
insists that he has been misquoted by
luose whom he has told that he is 10 be
city engineer.
notwithstanding the exaggeration of
ms remarks by his confdants these
things are admitted by Dunn, some of
them in amplided detail:
The Development OF the Hetch
Hetchy water supply is a comparatively
simple matter.
The estimates furnished for the pur-
poses Of the election are too vague for
explicit or detailed criticism. but they
are something like $4,000. 900 too high.
Under the direction of Dunn the
Hetch HetchY water viii be brought to
san Francisco in three and half
years. The pipe line route will be
changed, not much. but enough to help
save Sl0,000.000 and confuse those per
sons who. in the possession Of tips,
leaks or other frsthand Information, !
have acquired lands along what they
believed TO be the route. Russell Dunn
is opposed to that sort of civic spirit
HIS WONDERFUL PLANS
The work on the Hetch Hetchy pro-
ject under City Engineer Dunn is to be
cut Up in many pieces 10 insure expe-
dition. The biggest sob viii be the
tunnel under the bay.
Iron pipe viii be used only where
cement and timber construction is
found TO be impracticable City Engi-
ueer Dunn intends to patronize the
cement manufacturers OF California
and California's forests.
The distributing plant can be COM
pleted in the three and half years re-
quired by City Engineer Dunn to bring
Hetch Hetchy water TO this side Of the
bay. il may not be completed in that
time. because there is no haste about
that and I'VE have Spring Valley"
The Hetch Hetchy plant is to be as
good as the owens river prOject-not
better, because that is impossible but
Dunn has promised himself it shall be
as good. To insure the accomplishment
Of that promise he will give the city
some real plans for the job as soon S
lie can complete them after his ap-
pOintment
Dunn is not going to be a Jealous city
engineer. He admits that he is known
among engineers as the man who
leaves little for "the other fellow to
improve on but as city engineer he is
going TO give all the boys a chance to
tell what they would like to 90 TO his
plans If perchance, one Of the boys
has a workable idea no unmanly pro-
fessional jealousy on the part of the
city engineer shall stand between that
idea and the Hetch Hetchy project. The
people of San Francisco shall be given
the benefit Of il.
No CONSULTING BOARD
A board of consulting engineers is
rot contemplated by Dunn Every en-
gineer with an idea will be given a
chance to improve on Dunn's plans, but
he likes not the thought OF a lot OF
dignitaries who draw big fees for large
slices Of converse tion. That's no way
to save sl0,00O,0O0 The work is to
get under way as quickly as the board
Of public works makes possible.
Then there is the Geary street rail- !
road Dunn's plans for the new mu-
ricfpal road are quite clearly defined
though not worked out in detail The
work is to begin at once. The bond
issue authorized is too big. Another |
saving is TO be worked The job is to
be completed with neatness and dis
patch The roa is to be the finest
hit OF street railroad in this or any
other old land. and is to be an un-
derground conduit system from end
10 end. United Railroad engineers and
scoffers take notice.
IT is generally understood by
those close in that these plans are not
wholly satisfactory TO Michael Casey.
president OF the board of public
works The detail to which Casey
brings his chief objection is the ap-
pofntment Of Russell L. Dunn to the
berth OF city. engineer.
Casey has not and need not be ex-
pected TO break into print with any
extended exposition of his views, but
men w&o are in position to know say
that Casey IS in deadly earnest about
Hetch Hetchy and that he wishes to
retain City Engineer Manson.
JOB FOR MANSON
It is conceded that Casey will not be
responsible for a riot call if Mayor
Mccarthy lends only deaf ear to his
plea. for the retention of Manson. 1t /
is contended. however, that in the event 1
that Manson is made to walk the plank I
Casey will advocate his employment as +
special Hetch Hetchy engineer, con-
slIltfng engineer in charge of the (
proiect or some other berth which will /
give the city the benefit Of his knowl-
edge OF the project
Questioned recently on that phase Of +
the situation. Mayor Mccarthy said: +