The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-02-26
CITY ENGINEERS REPORT.

The report of City Engineer D. IL
Blossom makes good showing Of work
under contract and contemplation. The
uncompleted contracts arc heavy. The
sudden coming OF the cold weather last
fall was one of the elements that con-
tributcd TO the postponement Of the
work
The report of the Eugitecr is very
thorough in detail. and comprehensive
IN grasp. II shows the conditions Of
improvements. the cost Of them, the
water flow and the different sources of
supply; al set forth fully in text and
tables.
An important part of the report OF
the Engineer is that which recommends
that the inspection of public work in
progress be transferred to the City
Engineer s office. We consider this no
more than reasonable. because the City
Engineer gets up the plans and specifi-
cations; the maps, drawings, and the
data arc all IN his office. To place the
inspection in other hands. where these
necessary factors in the inspection work
are not available, is disiouder Of au-
thority and responsibility altogether IN
dcfeusiblc. This is an old dispute, one
which has como into this administration
from the former ones, and being au old
dispute it is really time, that it were
settled; and there is only one real way
TO settle it, and that is TO settle 1t right,
by cntrustipg the inspection to the
City Engineer and holding him rcspon-
sibIc for the work done under the plans
and specifications which he has drawn
up.
According 10 the report Of uncom-
that scheduled for the coming season;
and if the bill which is before the
Legislature passes, allowing Of the as
sessment Of the cost of paving the
street intersections upon the taxpay-
ers of the half blocks in all directions,
there will be no difficulty in getting
this work done; otherwise the city is
liable to be short Of money. Still, un-
der the old administration au enor-
nous amount of public improvement
was made. and the city was able TO pay
for the street intersections. With the
same tax levy as before. and with the
increased assessed valuation. good
many Taxpayers are asking why it is
that the present administration cannot
do as the former administration did,
pay for the street intersections. The
questions involved are being tbreshcd
out before the legislative committee
which is hearing the opinions of the
taxpayers upon the bill referred to,
What the people Of this city want is
efficient administration ccouomy in ex.
penditure, and results shown for money
received and expended, The old admin
istratiop was first.class in this respect.
The new has hardly had au opportunity
TO get the run of things. and it's money
is largely tied up in increased salaries
and increase in tho number Of en-
ployees in order that the city's business
should be properly done. We are in a
period Of readjustmcnt on these mat
ters, and 1t becomes every taxpayer
to be tolerant, calm. and form de
iberate judgment as to what should
be done.
We trust that the public improve
meuts may be pushed, but confess TO
decided predilection in favor of having
the work done under tho direction and
Of the City Engineer. rather
than under the eye Of ipe1pert en-
ployees who have not the proper ideas
of what ought to be done, nor the
drawings and specifications before them
showing what the work requires. Uni
ficatiop in control Of public work is
evidently the necessity of the time. and
we arc candidly of the opinion that the
City Engineer is absolutely right in his
plea for control over the INSPECTORS and
IL |.