The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-03-06
From Thursdays Daily.


in favor Of abolishing the Office of
county surveyor. He so stated yes
terday at the annual meeting of the
Minnesota Surveyors and Engineers
society held at the West hotel in
Minneapolis. Mr. Brooks was hon.
ored with election to the presidency
Of that organization. There were
about seventy-Hye engineers and sur
veyors present from all parts of the
state.
Mr.. Brooks and City Engineer II.
F. Bloomquist, both Of whom we're
present at the meeting invited the
society to hold the next annual
meeting at Mankato, but II was de-
termined that as next year would be
legislative year, It would be bet.
ter to hold the meeting at st. Paul,
Mankato being reserved for a future
meeting.
Among those present at the meet.
ing was John Wilson, city engineer
OF Duluth, former city engineer Of
Mankato.
The society conceded with Mr..
Brooks idea on the abolition Of the
Office OF county surveyor, and a res
olution was passed accordingly.
Mr.. Brooks said, in part:
Frankly I do not see any suffi-
cient reason for continuing the Office
of county surveyor. II seems to me
1t has outlived its usefulness. The
office carries with II no prestige;
II does not mean anything to be
known as the county surveyor Of
"Podunk." The law makes no edu-
cational requirement to guarantee
the fitness of the official; oftentimes
the office falls to a mans lot be-
cause no one else wants II, or a
mans only qualification for the office
may be that he Is good mixer and
can slap you on the back and get
your vote.
Absolutely the only reason that
a man could give for wanting TO
hold the office is that II gives him
place in the court house, a few
perquisites, and a little allowance
in the way Of stationery and Office
supplies, and except for the work
In his line that naturally comes to
the county surveyor, although II Is
not I'm any respect official work.
Had II not been for the drainage
work that the county surveyor has
In Is Ira Oh 10 n
territory, very few men could have
earned by virtue of the Office To
provide more than a mere existence
while as you know the drainage work
does not belong to the official work
OF the county surveyor and should
not be intrusted to anyone but a
competent, experienced man in that
line Of work.
you see I am assuming that the
county surveyor is not competent
man because there is no legal re
quirement that makes him be com
petent in order to hold the office
Another thing that should be rele'
gated to oblivion is the absurdly
meager statutory fee provided by
law.
"The point have been coming to
is this: Abolish the Office OF county
surveyor altogether; let every per
son who seeks to practice as a land
surveyor or as a civil engineer pass
a suitable examination which will
determine his fitness to practice as
one or the other or both for that
matter, and procure a state license
to practice. Neither doctor nor.
lawyers are allowed to practice with.
out a license why; should We?
Make It the duty of every license
surveyor or engineer to record In
the office of the register Of deeds
all work that he does which Is OF
a public nature. In Canada l under
stand no person is allowed to do
surveying except a duly licensed
dominion land surveyor. Something
similar exists in the Dakotas al
though 1t is not so rigid nor so
efficient"
other officers elected were: J. Z.
Mullen, st. Paul. vice president;
George II. Herrold, st. Paul. secre-
tary; w. F. Rosenwald, St. Paul.
treasurer.
The society appropriated s11o to-
ward the establishment Of perma.
nent headquarters in st. Paul.
~ At a meeting of the executive
committee of the group Of the Sec
ond Congressional District Bankers
association, held in the National Citi.
zens' bank last night II was decided
TO hold the associations annual meet
Ing in Fairmont June 20 and "a. A
tentative program was arranged and
will be announced in two or three
weeks.
The bankers present were Z. g..
Hage Of New Ulm, J. B. Ludlow OF
Rushmore, ]. 8. Tolverson Of Fulda,
ID. w. Wade of Fairmont, NJ. s. Dos
sett OF Madelia, w. A. Streeter Of
winnebago and George w. Sugdep
and w. ID. willard of this city.
The divorce suit OF Mrs. Anna
Mary Bergh against Nelson Frances