Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-28
CLAYTON WILL Be
CONSULTING
ENGINEER
Qualifications for Construction
Chief To Be Such as to Make
Business Men Eligible.

or the office of chief of construction are
to be so changed that business man
as we'll as an engineer will be eligible
for the office
with this general plan of reorganiza-
ton decided upon, a special committee
of ten of council is at work arranging
virtually new plan of street improve
ments. A majority of the members
have voted to recommend to council
broadening of the qualifications for the
office of chief of construction; that the
chief of construction shall be subject
TO council in all matters and that all
of his appointments to subordinate Of
fees shall be approved by council. The
members personally expressed a will
lngness to make Captain Clayton con-
sulting engineer at a salary common
surate with the dignity of the office. He
did not make a positive reply, but in
dictated a willingness to accept such a
proposition.
The committee was appointed at the
meeting of council yesterday 1t met
and. discussed the matter yesterday
afternoon and adjourned to meet again
Saturday morning. 1t will make its re-
port to council next Monday afternoon.
There seems to be little doubt that it
will be adopted by council
See Street Improvement.
The supporters of the plan declare
that there will be great improvements
in street work when it is in operation.
They say Captain Clayton deserves a
relief from the detailed executive work
of chief of construction. They want to
give the people a chance to vote on a
man for his ability to organize and eX-
ecute the work of big department, and
they recommend that the qualification
that only one who has had ten years
experience as an engineer be removed.
The number of assistants is to be de-
termined later. But the committee rec
ommends that council shall approve the
appointment of all assistants to over
come the temptation with the present
organization, by which the chief of
construction appoints any one he sees
ft--to appoint men for their political
strength rather than their fitness for
the work assigned to them.
The members of the committee laud-
ed the services of Captain Clayton to
the city. They declared that their
desire to make him consulting engi-
neer was no desire to pension him, but
that the city could not do without his
extensive knowledge Of sewers and
streets.
I'VE want to do what is for the
best interest of Atlanta" said Council
man Claude c. Mason. I'VE all realize
that some changes are needed, and l
don't see why any one considers this
movement TO be a fight on Captain
Clayton. I have the highest regard for
him and my only criticism Of his de-
partment is that it seems to me that
some of his subordinates are laying
down on him."
New York Man Dropped.
Alderman James E. Warren said he
wanted Captain Clayton as consulting
engineer. He said that he had nothing
but praise to say Of Captain Clayton,
but that he thought he was getting a
little too old to handle a department of
so much routine, executive work.
1t was called to the attention OF the
&,
York, was retained as the city's con-
sulting engineer at a salary of $3.50 per
month and $50 day and his expenses
when he was in Atlanta.
Councilman Aldine Chambers and
others said they thought Captain Clay
ton better fitted for the place than DR..
Herring While DR.. Herring is paid out
of bond money, it was the opinion of
the committee that a consulting engi-
neer would be necessary permanently to
look after the sewage disposal plants
and to give advice on general plans
Councilman Harvey Hatcher led a
stubborn fight against any changes in
the chief of construction department.
He was especially antagonistic to strik-
Ing out the qualification that a man
must have had ten years experience
as an engineer before he could be elgi-
BILE. Councilman Hatcher said that
many people had told him that At
lanta's street work was progressing all
right. Councilman J. D. Sisson alone
stood by him.
Councilman Hatcher is chairman of
the streets committee of council and all
street work had Deen done under his
vision. He is very close to Captain
Clayton.
Clayton Calls Plan Ridiculous.
Captain Clayton, when asked his
opinion about the new plan for the
construction department, characterized
the feature of having a business man
as the head of the department as
"moonshine" and ridiculous.
Mr. Hatcher said Captain Clayton
was considering retiring from the city
employment altogether. The general
report has been that Captain Clayton
was anxious to be reelected this fall
that he might resign later and let the
mantle of his office fall upon the shoul-
ders of his first assistant, his nephew,
W. A. Hansel.
The members of the committee are
c. ". Smith, chairman; c. c. Mason,
James e Warren, f. J. Sprating, AL
bert Thomson, Harvey Hatcher, j. D
Sisson, 5. A. Wardlaw, James r. Nut
ting and A. H. VanDyke.
George w. Cardin, Jr.