Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-24
new OFFICE PROPOSED
IN ALEXANDRIA COUNTY
y Agitation for Creation Of Position
4 to Be Known as Managing
Engineer"

Creation of the office of county
manager" or managing engineer" for
Alexandria county. Va. such official to
be charged with the duty of super
vising all public works. purchasing
supplies for such works, approving
bills etc. has been made one of the
live issues in the political campaign
being waged in the county. Charles
T. Jesse, one of the three candidates Tor
commonwealth attorney, who was a
member of the committee appointed
last summer to report on the advisable
ity of creating the Office. is making the
managing engineer plan a prominent
feature of his campaign.
The committee. which was appointed
nv the board of supervisors of Alexan-
dria. county. was composed of Joseph
Taber johnson, chairman; Crandai
Mackev. commemorative attorney;
John Smithdeal, G. Washington Lewis
Allan P. Hume and Charles T. Jesse.
Committee Unanimous
The committee was unanimously In
favor of the plan, the concluding para
graph Of its report saying:
1.-The saving accomplished by man
aging engineer would not only more
than nay his salary, but would greatly
increase the power of the board (of
suneryisors) in the distribution OF i'm
proyements needed throughout tne
county. Your committee oeleVes ina
the saving accomplished Will tend TO
diminish rather than increase taxes.
= According to the suggestions OF the
committee, which have been adopted
as planks in Mr. Jesse's platform. the
managing engineer or county mana
ger, under the authority OF the noalu
of supervisors and directly respon-
sible to the board, would have charge OF
all public works in the county, sucn
as road building. laying out OF streets
in new subdivisions, construction u
public buildings and purchase Oh
eauipment for such buildings, etc.
Outline of the Plan.
The plan contemplates the purchase by
the county manager, on a system OF COM
petitfve bids-contracts to be awarded to
the lowest and best bidder-of all sup
niles used by the county At present, 1t
is stated. such purchases are made in
harhazard manner, often without the
formality Of asking for bids, and 1t is be-
lieysd substantial saving in county ex-
penditures would be effected by the SUD
, stitUtion of the new pan LOT the exiseihs
arrangement.
Under present conditions" said Mr..
Jesse .'exorb.tant salaries or commissions
are paid to officials for the collection OF
revenues, but no adequate provision Is
made for safeguarding the expenditures
of the money thus collected or for proper
salaries for those having in charge the
expenditure of such revenues. The cure
for this condition is the appointment or
election of a competent managing en-
the appointment, based
on qualifications for the position. and free
from politics.
Problems Rapidly Increase.
1T is not to be expected that the board
of supervisors. meeting once, possibly
twice, a month, and composed of men
who are not possessed of technical train
ing. can give the attention to all of the
engineering problems that is demanded
by the rapidly increasing development Of
the county. Roads. sidewalks, railroad
crossings, public buildings and the like
are furnishing rapidly increasing
volume of work. proper attention to which
urgently requires the attention Of some
one individual technically qualified for
. the place
Many progressive men Of the county,
leaders in their commodities, 1t is assert
ed, are strongly in favor Of the creation
of the ONCE. 1t is believed a man qualified
for the position could be obtained for a
ga Of mn fhan