The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-06-29

Rising to a question of personal
privilege last night in the Council Com
to some extent modified his remarks
made at previous meeting of the
committee with regard to the careless
manner in which city departments. es-
nents. replace the surface OF streets
after laying mains. Mr.. Boiling said
that his relations with the heads OF
pleasant, and that he had not meant
to criticize their efficiency. but that he
did warmly censure their contractors
and his own for the manner in which
they retilled trenches and replaced
street paving. He reiterated that his
patience was exhausted at such sloven-
ly work and that since the former
meeting of the committee he had him
self seen streets left almost impossible
for gas and water mains.
Mr.. Knowles Makes Reply.
Superintendent KNOWLES. of the city
Gas Works. sent the following letter In
relation to the City Engineers criu-
cisms to The Times Dispatch yesterday:
''In Your issue OF Friday. June ~.
you published the proceedings of the
Committee on Streets in a column
headed May Prosecute City Officials in
which you quoted City Engineer Charles
p. Boiling as stating to the said Com
mittee on Streets that he had reached
the limits of his patience, not only with
companies authorized TO lay pipes and
electric conduits in the streets, and
that hereafter prosecutions would be
prompt and vigorous for failure to
written Mr.. Knowles and Mr.. Davis
time without number, getting no sat
isfaction Mr.. Davis usually made the
repairs after delay. but Mr. Knowles
had taken no notice whatever
I'm answer TO this, i would say that
after a consultation with the City En-
gineer in his office on Friday he stated
that your paper misguided him, as he
did not intend any reflection on the
efficiency OF the heads OF the Gas and
! Water Departments. and ! viii state
| that every communication received by
me from the Engineers Department
| has promptly been given my personal
attention, which the contractors will
/ substantiate, some of them being made
| to go over their work two and three
! times.
The reason 1 did not comply with
pipes where granolirhtc pavement was
| to be laid on East Broad Street. be-
tween Thirty-sixth and Th!rty-seventh
] Streets-one service for every twenty
five feet on both sides of the street
! built thereon-was that incasings
which are furnished by the Engineers
| Department, could have been PLACED
under this granolithic pavement by his
| Wuu'i NiiC pdH W do y W
down, and when necessary TO install
either gas or water the service pipes
| could be run there through.
AS to Thtrty-fourth Street.
"As to the ripping up of Thirty
fourth Street, or Chimborazo Boule
ward. the City Engineer is mistaken
as this street has never been rippee
! up. Before smooth paving was laic
service. pipes were run between Broad
and Clay Streets for each residence
and also for each thirty feet of resi-
dence site (for which special appro
priation was made), since when add
tional piping has been needed for thi:
street II has been laid In alleys ant
no application has been made by thi.
department for tearing up any portion
of this avenue.
TN conclusion, I would like to sa,
that SO far from petty jealousies' ex
listing. the relations between this, thu
Water Department and the Engineering
| Department have been most cordial, ant
we have frequently discussed the hes
! methods for preventing the constan
digging up of streets; but emergencies
will frequently arise that no one cal
anticipate, and our earnest endeavo
has been to reduce such digging to tn
minimum.
"As to the laxity of the city service
4 can only speak for my own department
for which the records will prove tn
lreverse. I am,
Very truly yours.
NV. p. KNOWLES,