The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-10-07

City Engineer L. Earle Thornton
heartily endorses the editorial OF This
Journal of yesterday morning relative
to city street grades and last night
declared that he invited an impartial
investigation of the matter at tho
hands of a competent engineer with
view OF putting an end to the useless
pickering over street grades.
The city engineer returned TO the
city last night. and.after reading the
editorial dictated the following:
Y have read the following editorial
In the Sunday issue of The Journal:
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF OUR
CUMBERSOME CITY GOVERNMENT.
Another example OF Pensacola's cum
oersome. unweildy, and ineffective city
government is found in the street grade
condition as Affecting the new Keyser-
Building on Palafox street.
This building has been erected at the
expenditure of large amount of money.
it was built to a street grade furnished
by City Engineer Thornton.
But now come the street PAYERS. work
Ing to grade furnished by Engineer
RommelI Of the bond trustees, and begin
the work Of paving In front Of tho KeysaE
stores at a grade some three to six
inches higher than that contemplated by
building. II this grade prevails II will
damage this private property materially.
There is only one or two explanations
for this discrepancy IN grades. First.
either the city has two separate grades
on Palafox street--one for buildings and
sidewalks. and another for street paving
--or, second, one Of the two engineers
has made a serious error.
II two separate grades exist in this
business section of the city. as they do
in various parts of the residence section,
the fact Is q reflection on our intricate
system OF city government which needs
no comment
II one Of the engineers has made a
mistake that fact ought TO be ascertaiDed
and he should be fired for incompetencv
II al Illustrates what The Journal has
two enK1ueerfng departments were bound
TO result In conflict. damage and un.
| necessary expense to the city of Pensa-
Had the street paving and Sidewalk
work and building grades all been han
died under one engineering department
we would not now have those unsightly
discrepancies In grades Witnessed In 50
| many parts OF the city and resulting In
so much damage TO private property as
Wen as provocation to the public.
When is PenFacola going TO have n
modern and business-llke system OF city
government
Your remarks and suggestions are
timely and to the point, and I hasten
to endorse them In fun.
"As city engineer, this constant
pickering over grades is to me as an
| noying as II is useless, the problems
involved being in no sense intricate,
and I invite an impartial investigation
| with view to putting an end TO same
"As an interested citizen think that
the proper authorities should be ad-
vised fully where the blame lies, that
they may take the necessary steps to
remedy the defect.
ITO this end I would suggest that
competent, disinterested engineer be
employed TO make an entirely inde-
pendent investigation of the subject
and report fully.
This could be easily done at no
large outlay in time or money. You
would be doing the taxpayers quite
service by heading and seeing through
such a movement, and take this
means OF saying that as a citizen I
stand ready to subscribe my share of
the expense"