Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-07-31

represent that they have formally as
sumed the duties of that office and
have perfected permanent organiZa
Ision. and in compliance with section
10 of the Act now appear before you.
Section 5 reads as follows:
Sec. 5. The commission shall Sc
lect and with the approval of the
Governor and Council appoint as
chief engineer, a civil engineer hav
ing experience in and knowledge of
highway construction, upon terms tic
be fixed from time to time by the
commission subject to the approval
of the Governor and Council
On July end last, the members of
| the commission, having been duly
qualified, met in regular meeting and
unanimously voted that Parker L.
Hardison be appointed acting chief
engineer, until such time as perma-
nent chief engineer shall be appoint
ed and confirmed. We, therefore, re-
specially ask you in accordance with
section s. to approve of the selection
of Mr. Harrison. and that his salary
be fixed as heretofore at the rate of
s., 10000 per annum.
The question of the appointment of
State highways department has occu-
pied the attention of your commits
sioners since the probable appoint
ment was first announced by Gov
ernor Haines. April Eth. last. While
nothing could be done officially in this
matter. it was deemed of the highest
| Importance that the selection should
be made at the earliest possible date
far. cd inf
ally 10 an exhaustive study of the
| situation. The chairman of the com
mission promptly wrote letters to
many prominent educational institu-
tions. among them the University of
Maine, the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, the Thayer School of Civ
! il Engineering at Dartmouth College,
| Cornell University, Columbia Univer-
sity, and others, where it was thought
that the names of candidates might
be procured. he also took up by cor
respondence the same question with
lother state highway commissions, not
ably New Hampshire. Massachusetts,
New York, Connecticut. and Mary
land. He also asked the advice and
iassistance of the Federal Office of
Public Roads at Washington.
AS can be readily seen this led
| TO a large amount of correspondence
and developed the names Of numerous
candidates for the position of chief
engineer for Maine. Some of the
names mentioned in connection with
, this candidacy are as follows:
| Edward E. Rusgles, connected with
! the state highway department of
Maryland.
II. d. Phillips. connected with the
state highway department of Massa-
chusetts.
| Frank d. Lyons, formally connect
ed with the state highway department
of New York.
Howard L. Smith, resident engn-
eer with the New York State High
way Commission.
Frank A. Biggi, connected with the
New York State Highway Depart
ment.
| Richard V. Collins. connected with
the New York State Highway De-
partment.
Paul d. Sargent, connected with the
Office of Public Roads, Washington,
d. c.
Irwin w. Barbour. connected with
the Office of Public Roads, Washing
ton. ID. G.
Edward NJ. Hunt, connected with
the L. S. force at Portland.
Harry u. Fuller of Portland.
Chas. w. Gates, highway commits
sioner of the State of Vermont.
/ have made this statement at some
length in order to show that your
commission has approached this mat
ter in the spirit of eanvassing the
subject thoroughly.
While in connection with some of
the candidates we received many let
tiers of "a political nature endorsing
them for the position, very little at
tention was paid to such endorsement,
unless there was coupled with it the
knowledge of the candidate from a
scientific standpoint. We believe that
the State of Maine needs the most
efficient man We can procure for the
important task in hand. All the cor
respondence with the various candi-
dates was read and discussed in the
meetings of the commission and all
the candidates were given opportun-
ity to pprSOnally appear before the