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

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-
sineer 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 commemorate
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 50 that when the
head leaves they can step into his
mace without costing the city ana
county the expense required 10 de-
velop q new man.
"A temporary If not . permanent
adjustment of the law which requires
that a man must be a resident OF the
territory for a year before he can &C.
cept the position of city and county
engineer. This so that If a first-class
man cannot be found here, one can be
imported.
"A complete elimination Of all poll
tics from the city and county engl-
neer's office to remove any lmpedl-
ments that may lie in the way OF the
mans best work"
Robert w Single, chairman Of the
road committee on the last board OF
supervisors, expressed keen regret
that George NJ. Collins was leaving
the service of the city and county.
Il was on the committee when Mr..
Collins was chosen" declared MIR.
Single, and l regard him as a first
class man. We will have 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 a 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 $4,000 and $1,000 year.
The men required for Job as large
as the city and county now faces in
the building of new roads are not to
be found moving around aimlessly.
They are the good men who have Jobs
already, and what we must do is to
get them with salary that will pay
them for the work they must do.
II would like to see it made posi-.
Bile for the younger men in the de-
the department. Conditions now are
such that the younger men in the de.
partment cannot be trained as they
might be in large private firm to
take the place Of the head when he
goes out. Such a scheme would mean
a saving Of much money"
J. J. Belser of the Honolulu Con.
struction and Draying company de.
cried the fact that politics have so
often entered into the choice of a man
for such a large position.
II would be in favor Of eliminating
the residence clause requiring q man
to be here a year before he can &C.
cept this position" declared Mr..
Belser this morning.
we need big man for this Job
and II we cannot get him here we
will have to get him elsewhere"
Albion F. Clark Of the Hustace, Peck
company and a 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 it
vital, above all other things, that the
city and county engineer have back.
bone"
Get the man." said E. A. Berndt,
chairman Of the promotion commit
tee, this morning, and then remove
from his path the impedfments of
politics. What is quite as important
as good salary Is that the men be
free to work without the interference
of petty politicians"
Raymond C. Brown, secretary of the
Chamber OF Commerce, stated this
morning that the most expensive thing
that the city and county could do
would be- ito hire any Tom, Dick, or
Harry to fill the position Of city and
county engineer.
The work that has been done on
some OF our roads and especially on
that stretch five miles this side of the
should teach US that we must
have only the very best man that can