Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-01-27

HERBERT MUM, STATE
HIGHWAY ENGINEER
REPLIES TO CRITICISM
Makes Few Explanations For
Purpose Of Enlighten-
ing Public.

The following statement from Her
bert Mum, state highway engineer, re-
fcrs especially to some remarks mSde
last Friday evening by L. stipp, an at
torney of Oregon City, at meeting
called to discuss road building. The
meeting Friday eve1ing was just an i'm
promptu sffair as those present were
picked up from the state house shout
1880 o'clock.
There was some criticism regarding
the work Of the state engineer by Mr..
Stipp who it is thought is antagonis-
tic towards Mr.. Mum. 1t will be noted
in Mr.. Nunn's statement that he feels
other parties have inspired Mr.. Stipp
to make an attack on the state high
way commission, and that while Mr..
Stipp was honest, there is chance that
he is being used as tool for certain
paving interests not friendly towards
the state highway department.
Mr.. Num- s letter is as follows:s
81 wish TO make the following state
ment to all those interested in good
roads within the state of Oregon:
A Mr.. Stipp has made, within Tho
past few days, several insinuations but
no exact statements in regard to the
standard specifications of the state
highway department and several re-
marks in general as to engineers, evil
IDENTIFY with the intonrIon OIL riseredit-
ing the specifications and engineering
as q profession.
One OF the statements, as printed,
was to the effect that the specifications
we're so rigidly drawn that the engineer
could break contractor if they were
rigidly enforced. This, coupled with
smother statement that engineering was
a tricky profession, would have ten
dency to discredit the present highway
engineer. Mr.. Stipp further stated, ae-
cording to newspapers reporters present,
that the state highway commissioners
were ignorant Of highway matters and
lit was within the power Of the engi-
neer to use his influence with them to
their disadvantage in getting construc-
tion handled in an economical manner.
He further stated that the remedy for
this was new engineer.
Mr. Stipp has probably overlooked
tho fact that the state highway COM
nissioners of Oregon sre not men who
can be influenced by their own engi-
neering department but are men who
have minds of their own and have made
a special study Of types Of construction
and that with their two years expert
encc they have established policies
which conform to the laws Of the state
Of Oregon and that the engineers au-
thority goes no farther than their in
structicns. The statement that the en-
ginoer's influence over the commission
is direct insult to such a body of
representative men who have long ac-
lively interested themselves in the gen
eral methods of highway construction.
Mr.. Stipp, in making the statement
that the specifications Of Oregon were
too rigid, has overlooked the fact that
Oregon's highway specifications have
been drawn according to number Of
laws on the statutes. He also has ov-
erlooked the fact that such specifica-
tions are standard throughout all the
states with in the United States snd
that there there is little or no differ
ence in those specifications and the
specifications of any other state. He
does not know that these specifications
have to be submitted to the United
States bureau of public roads in order
that we may handle federal post roads,
and that these specifications have been
approved and corrected by the United