Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-31
H|RSCHBERG SAYS
BOILING SHOULD co
Thinks Present City Engineer Is
Not Big Enough for His
Position.
HAS NO PERSONAL FEELING
Motion to Transfer Boiling to
Water Department Meets
With Defeat.

Following a strenuous effort ycster-
day to induce the Administrative Board
TO transfer City Engineer Charles r.
Boiling from his present office to that
OF Superintendent OF the Water Works.
John Hirs"hberg. after being overruled
by inc boards othe. members. declared
that In his opin'cn, Mr. Boiling does
not measure up to his responsibilities,
and that his removal is demanded in
the public interest
Mr. Boiling declined to make any
comment. either on Mr.. Hirschberg.s
statement or on the animated proceed
ings o. the board meeting
Mr.. Hirschberg introduced a resolu-
tion providing:
That CITY Engineer Charles F. Boil
iEE be transferred from his present po-
sition. to take effect Octob... /, 1915,
and that he be known as Superintan-
dent OF the Water Works: and, further
that Major VI. o. HanI;ina present sec.
ond assistant city engineer and chi IL
of surveys. be put temporarily in charge
Of the City Engineers Office
HIRsCHBERG MOTION is
DEFEATED WITHOUT DEBATE
The resolution was presented BY Mr..
Hirschberg after the board had voted
down or tabled five resolutions intro
iuced by Carlton Mccarthy providing
additions to the force under Mr.
1;ankins and defining his status In the
Engineering Department. 1t was re-
ccived without comment and defe1 led
without debate by vote of 3 to l. Mr..
t'irschhc"g alone supporting IT. Mega
tive votes were cast by Mccarthy.
tolkes and Beck.
My sole object in Offering the rcso-
luton transferring Car. Boiling to the
Water Department" said Mr.. Hirsch-
berg yesterday sfternc on several hours
afte' adjournment, was TO secure for
the city ortter administration of both
t.. Engineering and Water Depar,
ments.
There is nothing hard to understand
about my position, and l don't mind
stating 1t frankly. l have no personal
feelings against Mr.. Boiling, but l do
not believe the present City Engineer
Is big enough for the position he holds.
He might have been equal to IL when
he first took the office. The ONCE to-
day demands an aggressive. alert and
fully corTetent engineer with execu-
tive ability who Is able to direct every
department of this important Office and
assume personal responsibility for its
policy. Tho present City Engineer, in
my opirio". does not measure up to
this standard. and the sooner we make
chang" the better 1t Will be for
everybody concerned"
WOULD PUT BOILING AT HEAD
DO you regard Mr.. Boiling ms fully
capable of taking charge of the Water
Department" he was asked
do answered Mr.. Hirschberg
promptly. Mr.. Boiling has had suff
Gent experience In hydraulics to en-.
able him 20 administer that department
properly. We need ut the head of the
Water Department fully qualified
hydraulic engineer. Thirty wears ago
the city got along very we'll under tho
policy that is followed to-day. Since
then It's growth has been such that the
Water Department has become too big
an assignment for the present head"
DO you regard Mr.. Hawkins as COM
petent enough for the City Engtneer's
offce?" he was asked.
Il regard him as very competcnt
replied Mr.. Hlrschbers. MY resolution
placed him at the head Of the depart
ment temporarily. That would at least
have given us time to look about for
the ideal man for the position. II he
is not TO be found 90 Richmond I an,
in favor of going outside of Richmond
to baltimore. to New York II neces.
sary Mr.. Hawkins is competent enough
To hold the oHico nnt;l
could be found"
AS Mr.. Hirschberg spoke the other
members of the board drIfted in and
lstehed attentively to his words Mr..
Folkes, Mr. Mccarthy and Mr.. Rec,s
heard Mr.. Hirschbergs statement hu,
no comment
DESIGNER OF
CITf'S CLEAN WATER PLANT
III Mr.. HirschberE's resolution had
been carried out, Mr.. Boiling would
have been reassigned to a department
which he had administered for moro
shar twenty years with signal success.
AS head of the Water Department Mr..
Boiling designed and supervised the
construction of the settling basins Civ
ing Richmond clear water after wears
OF supply grimy with clay deposit.
How would the reappointment of
Mr. Boiling as head OF the Water De.
partment have affected the position Of
Davis?" Mr.. Hirschberp
was asked.
That is detail that would have
been adjusted later" he replied.
Toward the end of the session Mr.. !
introduced a resolution. |!
which was passed unanimously. direct |
ing the clerk to notify Mr.. Boiling that
he will be expected to carry out all the
charter provisions and all ordinances
pertaining to the duties of the office OF
City Engineer.
BOARD RECOGNIZES
NO DIVISION OF AUTHORITY |
No explanation accompanied the res
olution. 1t was assumed that II was
designed to put it beyond misunder-
on Mr.. BollinG's part that tho
Continued on Seventh Page.)