The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1917-07-13
REPORT OF CITIZENS COMMITTEE,
To the Public:

To the Public
The Citizens Committee wishes to submit tho fo,ou;.
mnary report IN order that the public may keep informed on
the good roads question. "
In accordance with the instructions of the mass MEETING Of
citizens assembled on June 22nd your committee so41 .
report and recommendations to the Police J ~ Ue
July 5h, 1917 COL W. L. Stevens the engineer w VICE.
and defended his acts as an engineer ~ P"''
The principal charges of the Committee based upon rf
able facts, four in number and are given below.
COL stevens rphed IN speech and through the reading Of
signed statement but did not refute single alteration n
fact his reply stripped of its vebiage and matters not
acknowledged every one of the charges as true
The Committee charged that Col Stevens was not l.
8d engineer and therefore had legal right to practice the
profession
COL Stevens wrote ut is true am not registered as an
engineer Il am practcng absolutely within the law a an
practicng consulting engineer"
The contract with the Police Jury not with him as con-
g engineer but engineer charge the road contract
H. The Committee charged that COL Stevens had violated
the contract which he had made with the Police jury
l. The contract states that COL Stevens binds and obi
gates himself to give his personal attention all times to said
road work supervising and looking after the work"
COL Stevens asserted with evident pride that last month he
gave the Parish IL days Of his time He 81" was I'M
dsOod hat not to remain the altogether but was
give the road work such personal supervision as became nee
essay The written contract the best evidence of what the
agreement between the parties actually was
q The contract states that COL Stevens shall provide
sufficient number of capable and scass engineers to super
wise the work properly"
The number has sufficient as is evidenced bv the
fact of insufficient and inefficient inspection and the Police Jury
has called the engineer down about this on several occasions
ILL., The Committee charged that the Alexandria Gravel Co.
had not fulfilled its contract which furnish pit gravel
with per cent rock S inch screen and that the ngn
who provided the inspector had allowed inferior gravel to be
shipped in
COL Stevens admits that mo test was ever made of the
quantity Of rock this material and alleges that when he test
ed the request of the Police Jury about so per
cent rock
The plain facts that large part gravel which
has been put the Lake Jennings road
80 cent to 40 rock according the eng
eer statement will not last per rock ought
be the minimum amount for permanency engineer has
taken upon himself the responsibility of changing the specfa-
tons from pit gravel with 60 per rock pit gravel
with no specified percentage of rock.
w. The Committee charged that the road from Jennings
Lake Arthur not being built according plans and pec
fcations
l. Width By actual measurements made by H. D. HILL an
expert lumber man, the width of the gravel the road
found to be it. n it. n it, n it, in, at differ
ent places
Col Stevens admitted that width in some instances was
less than the specified nine feet
g. Depth By measurements made by G. H. Shove and P
HOag the depth found to vary from g. to inches in
places, when it should have been inches
COL Stevens states 81 have found very difficult hold
OF allotted dterent sections OF
the road to ESTIMATES and result aSceraned in
number of places the Jennings and Lake Arthur road that
the material being put down thicker places than
specifications called for therefore instructed the contractor to
tighten up Their surfacing material in the center"
He further stated that he did this because the gravel
running short.
The engineer has again changed plans and specifications
Query By whose authority?
After placing the facts, backed up by statements and
affidavts the Committee recommended
l. That Col. Stevens be discharged as engineer.
2. That competent gravel inspector be appointed and
placed the gravel pit and that he compel the Gravel Co.
to furnish gravel according to specifications.
That competent licensed engineer, with the necessary
assistants be employed properly supervise the construction
the roads,
The Police Jury into executive session and then post
poned action for weeks order further investigate an
and consult with the District Attorney When the Police jury
reaches its decision your Committee will make further report
T. c. MAHAFFEY,
NJ G. HOLT,
w. H. ADAMS.
Citizens Committee.