The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-06-15
Chairman Soderlind of Full
Time Health Officer Com
mittee is Given Still More
Time.
COUNTY ENGINEER
JOB is UP IN AIR
Solons Spend Several Hours
NJ a ms - K o a d S a n d
Discussing Ways and
Bridges Need Action.

At the meeting OF the board OF
county commissioners yesterday much
time was devoted to earnest discus
sion of several important matters,
without any conclusive ACTION
Chairman Soderlind, of the commit
tee on full-time health officer, stated
that he was not yet ready to make a
report, but would endeavor to be
ready in another week. He exhibited
a mass of documents received from
various authorities, Indicating that
he is making a thorough study OF
the matter, and stated that fe was
convinced that the Appropriation OF
$1,000 for salary would be but the
initial cost. there would arise ne
cessity for sustaining af1on from
time to time. He felt tht in yie,U
of all the probable COST sareful in
quiry ought to be made as o whetbeb
the proposed method is til best for
reaching the desired result
Commissioner McCurdy.who has
expressed himself as favorale to the
appropriation, stated that hesao n.ar
told positively BY Mayor Saners mat
the city commissioners wotd have
nothing to do with the projtt not
withstanding it had been At,ected
they would appropriate $1,000 uair-
man White said that the mayoa had
made the same statement to him but
expressed the opinion that the -itv
commissioners were "stalling" tosea
what the county commissioners woId
do.
Engineer Job Up in Air.
The matter of compensation of !
county engineer was again brought
up and a proposition was received
from the Scherzer Lift Bridge Co, OF
Chicago, to furnish an engineer on
terms that seemed in some respects
more favorable and otherwise less so
than the two detailed propositions
presented in writing by A r. Towse
Commissioner McCurdy stated that
he believed a bid still more favorable
could be obtained from a Birming-
ham firm with which he was in touch
In view of this statement, and on Inv-
tion of Mr.. Soderlind, it was decided
by the board to rescind it's action in
electing Mr.. Towse as engineer, and
to take up the entire matter anew.
AS a matter of justice to Mr. Towse.
however, who had presented a sealed
bid, without knowledge OF the possi.
BILE bids of competitors. it was agreed
that figures in hand should be treated
confidentially till all bids are in.
Mr.. Soderlind said he felt that he
had been represented before the pub
lie in an unfortunate light, and both
he and Commissioner Hardy made
careful statements of their positions.
Commissioner Soderlind had taken the
attitude from the start tnat the serv-
ices of a competent engineer secured
comparatively on the market would be
bound TO cost the county a minimum
of perhaps $1,000, and that a fulI-time
engineer is now necessity, whatever
the actually required outlay. Mr.
Hardy, on the other hand, believes
that s3,600 is a sufficient price for
the service required, and that the
commissioners should not be expected
to add extras to the salary. There
is no questioning that both the COM
missioners are thoroughly sincere in
their convictions as to how much
money will buy the services Of a good
engineer at the present time, and it
would seem that inquiry into the
compensation generally received for
such work would settle the contro-
versy.
The embarrassing feature Of the
matter is that the bridge work is in
urgent need of immediate action, and
nothing can be done till an engineer is
secured: the inquiry now indicated
will consume valuable time. The
board intended no possible reflection
on Mr.. Towse in resembling their
former action, but merely wished to
put themselves in line to get the best
services for the county at the most
reasonable figure possible. it was as
serted. 1t is still possible that Mr..
Towse Wild be engaged, II his bid is
finally regarded meeting the con-