Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-08
ARE SALARIES OF CITY
WORKERS SUFFICIENT?
COUNCILS MUST REPLY
Case of Chief Engineer Quimby,
of Transit Department, Given
as One Where Remuneration
Is Below Service
A BUILDER OF BRIDGES

Does Philadelphia pay her servants suf
ficientlv for the services they render2 II
the case nf those technical experts whose
wort actually results In large savings. Is
their rpcompense commemorate with tht
eTorts they have made to help Philadei'
nhIa take her place among the cities OF
The countrv2
This Is the question which the Finance
Committee Of Councils will decide when
Il either grants or refuses the request
of Director Taylor 10 raise the salary OF
Chief Engineer Henry II, Quimby from
fe0c0 to $1,000. At first blush II would
appear that the request Will meet with
Rejection; but there are other factors
whicr make II apparent that Director
Taylors request will receive favorabls
consideration.
MFR Q'iimby is best known to the coun-
try by one of his many monuments, He
Is the designer and supervisor of the con-
Htruct'on of the now-famous Walnut
Lane bridge. at the time of its erection
the longest span of concrete In the world.
Incidentally. it might be added that Mr..
Ouinity recently was consulting engineer
y fo- longer span bridge over the Rocky
River However 1t is with this city that
M Qumby has been most closely as
ISOLATED
For 10 years he was bridge engineer In
the Bureau of Surveys. During that
tin,n he developed concrete bridge build
ing from "a crude, almost experimental,
undertaking to the point where Philadcl-
phla bridges became models for beauty
of construction and economy of design.
More than 70 bridges were designed by
him during that time, including the lift
bridge over the Schuylkill River at Pass
yunk avenue and the 42d stree bridge.
which is regarded as one of the most
pleasing designs in this country. This
latter bridge was constructed at saw
ing of more than $4,000.
He also developed the present perma-
nent type of concrete bridge floor. This
waH fret used on the bridge over the
renpsytp ania Railroad at the Junction of
Belmont and Girard avenues. The orig
inai design called for steel buckle plate
flooring. The Improvement saved the city
approximately $4,000. The improved floor
consists of concrete arches between steel
beams. This type will be used eNclu-
sively on the Frankford elevated section
of the transit development and will in
effect put into the pockets of the city
about 81 100000 This Is the saving which |
the improved floor will effect over the
ordinary method OF construction.
In the design of the Frankford ele- |
waited road il Is estimated that Mr..
Quimby has saved the city more money
than 1t can ever pay him in salary.
1t Is, however, for his work in the |
Transit Department that Director Tay-
ior requests Councils to reward him with |
an adequate salary, salary commen-
suratc with the unflagEing work he has |
done In preparing the thousands of plans, |,
with the efficiency with which the work |
was carried out and with the saving to |
the city which his skill has made pOssi- |
BILE
He has saved the city thousands OF !
dollars by the efficient administration of |
the department over which he has super
vision. He has introduced time value
scheme of striking originality which has
caused the actual work on the first part |
OF the operation to be done at a record /
breaking speed, and with utmost salts /
faction to the contractors engaged on the |
work lie has turned back to the city |
treasury thousands of dollars from the |
n appropriations by employing only suffi-