The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-31
CALLING ON ALLEN
State Engineers Pledge Sup
port Water Commission.
Closing Session of Kansas Con-
venti0n Today.

At 3 O'Clock this afternoon the
members of the Kansas Engineering
society went in body to meet Gov.
Henry j. Allen and to assure him that
the society is united in it's decision
to back up the passage of bill which
will make available for the use of the
state water commission, a total of
$50, 1000 which has accumulated from
sand levies.
According to Con NJ. Buck. president
of the society, they feel that the
money derived from the river should
go back to the rivers. There are
many problems over the rivers which
have never been worked out. There is
the question of flood control. At GER
tain times of the year, in this country.
the rivers are full of water which
runs down the waterway and is lost
to the country. 1t is felt that some
system could be worked out. as the
establishment of retaining reservoirs
in which the water might be saved and
a steady flow of water maintained in
the streams. All of this will cost
money and on the $4,000 year now
allowed the state water commission,
very little can be accomplished.
1t is the desire of the society to pro-
| vide for exhaustive surveys SO that the
| society may send delegates to the ma
tional water congress and thru the
congress succeed in interesting the
government in aiding the states by
| helping finance various measures
| which may later be adopted.
Cheap Roads Expensive.
At the meeting this morning S. E.
Fitch of New York spoke on Some
| Highway Troubles, Their Cause and
| Cures The major trend of his talk
was that the cheapest road was the
| most expensive in the end. The things
to be held prominently in mind in con-
templating road building were to build
| the best and most Suitabl road in the
| first place and then would come the
problems of normal upkeep, cost of
| replacement when the road was worn
| out, and interest on the money invest
| ed in the road.
| The upkeep on the roads of New
| York state amounts to $5,00O,000 a
year The. roads there, says Fitch, are
chiefly constructed of maca dam, either
water bound or asphaltic. An interest
ing feature of his talk was the opin-
| ion that 2 per cent of the trucks using
the New York roads were of over the
five-ton capacity, and that rs per cent
of the damage to the roads was due
to the use of the trucks weighing over
| five tons.
During the afternoon the assembly
was addressed by various material
men as follows: Asphalt, A. r.
Young; tar product roads. Arthur B
Hitchcock; brick, Clark r. Mandigo;
and concrete, A. G. Lagerwall
The election of officers was the last
feature on the program. According
to a long esta bliShed precedent, the
vice president has always been elected
president. The present vice president
is A. A. Potter of Manhattan. The sec
retary-treasurer is usually reelected
also. Lloyd B. Smith of Topeka is the
present secretary. Practically the only
new officer will be vice president.
Pledge New Legislation.
Alleging that it was due to mis-
, wording of the original bill tina
money, received from a sand lev,
placed on all sand taken from the
river, is not placed to the credit o.
the state water commission, the Kan
sas Engineering society pledged them
! selves Thursday to fight the bfll and to
, urge the passage of bill of their own
which will appropriate the $4,000 al
ready accumulated, and place it il
| the general fund.
In the meeting today roads ant
road construction are given creates
attention. The esta blishment of thu
state geological survey on a satisfac
, tory financial basis holds a promfnen
{ place on the contemplated progra II
of work the society intends to attempt
Following the precedent esta blishet
by practically every convention tina
j; has met in Topeka in the last few
days, the engineers have up for con
, sideration a move requiring the Ii
censing of engineers, as physicians ar,
licensed. so that 1t will be possible t.
locate qualified engineers and in ordeI
that the profession may be protected
According to President c. M Buck
there is no reason why a man shoult
spend four years and several Thousand
; dollars learning to be an engineer an(
! then have to get out and work for tn,
same pay as that received by maj
| with no specialized training