Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-08-06
BUSINESS MEN
ON RECORD FOR
ABLE ENGINEER
Big Man for Big Job With Conn.,
menSurate Salary and a
Trained Organization

u nth the appointment OF new
" city and county engineer 70 take
w the place of George NJ. Collins
who recently resigned TO become en-
!. gineer for the Bishop Estate, now
: pending. business men OF Honolulu
are almost unanimous in urging that
the II an TO be appointed be an en-
gineer OF much road building exper-
fence. Of backbone. and OF energy.
These, in effect. are some OF the
recommendations made TO the star
Bulletin by prominent men OF the
city:
An increase in salary Of the city and
county engineer to be commensurate
with the extent OF his duty.
An organization of the city and
county engineers office which will
provide for the development OF the
under engineers so that when the
head leaves they can step into his
. place without costing the city and
county the expense required to de-
Velop a new man.
"A temporary il not a permanent
adjustment of the law which requires
that a man must be a resident OF the
territory for a year before he can ac-
cept the position of city and county
engineer. This SO that, II first-class
man cannot be found here, one can be
imported.
"a complete elimination OF all poll
tics from the city and county engi-
neer's Office to remove any impedi-
mans best work"
Robert w. Single, chairman Of the
road committee on the last board OF
supervisors, expressed keen regret
that George M. Collins was leaving
the service of the city and county.
II was on the committee when Mr..
Collins was chosen" declared Mr..
Single, and ! regard him as first.
class man. We will have a hard time
finding someone to I'LL his place.
-The city and county engineer
should receive a larger salary than
the $3.50 a month which he receives
now. The job involving the funds for
roads should be filed by man who
is worth a salary that is commensu.
rate with the work that is done. We
must pay more If We are to get the
man."
James A. Pratt, president and mana
ger Of the Bitulithic Paving company,
declared this morning that where the
city and county engineer is only get.
ting $4,000 mad he ought to get be.
tween $1,000 and $1,000 year.
The men required for job as large
ns the city and county now faces in |
the building of new roads are not !toI
be found moving around airnlessly. |
They are the good men who have Jobs
already, and what we must do Is to |
set them with q salary that viii pay |
them for the work they must do. |
] would like to see it made posi-.
bic for the younger men in the de-
partment to work up to the head Of /
the department. Conditions now are
such that the younger men In the de-
partment cannot be trained as they
might be in q large private firm TO
take the place of the head when he
goes out. Such scheme would mean
saving OF much money"
]. ]. Belser OF the Honolulu Con.
struction and Draying company de.
cried the fact that politics have SO
often entered into the choice of q man
for such q large position.
q would be In favor of eliminating
the residence clause requiring a man
70 be here a year before he can &C,
cept this position" declared Mr..
Bclser this morning. &
we need q big man for this Job
and II We cannot set him here we
will have to get him elsewhere"
Albion +. Clark of the Hustace, Peck
company and q member OF the Homo
lulu AID Clubs committee on roads
which did so much towards obtaining
the large appropriations for roads
made by the last legislature, declared
this morning that he considered If
vital, above all other things, that the
city and county engineer have back
bone" = Z.
Get the man." said E. A. Berndt.
chairman Of the promotion commit
tee, this morning, 'and then remove
from his path the impediments of
politics. What is quite as important
as good salary is that the men be
Iree to work without the interference
Df petty politicians.
Raymond c. Brown, secretary of the
Chamber OF Commerce, stated this
that the most expensive thing
hat the city and county could do
would be ito hire any Tom, Dick, or
Harry to I'LL the position of city and
county engineer.
The work that has been done on
some Of our roads and especially on
hat stretch five miles this side of the
should teach us that we must
nave only the very best man that can
De obtained" '..-..