The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-09-08
COX AND HARDING REPLY
TO QUESTIONNAIRES
State Their Positions on Ger
tain Matters Which Are Of
Interest to Engineers.

|
tain Matters Which Are Of
| Interest to Engineers.
]. d. Wright, publicity agent of the
local chapter OF the American Asso-
citation OF Engineers. has received from
! the general headquarters In Chicago a
, copy OF the questionnaires sent by the
association to Gov. Cox and Senator
Harding. democratic and republican
nominees for president. respectively.
This association represents 10000 en-
gineers Of the nation and is the largest
| body OF its kind in the United States.
The association looks after the social
and economic phases OF engineering
rather than the technical side.
The answers OF the two candidates
are interesting as a matter OF COM
parison. Gov. Cox answers unequivo-
cally "yes" to every proposition, while
on the other hand Senator Harding de-
votes good deal Of space In his an
swers, which are more or less evasive.
But the letters speak for themselves.
The questionable sent out was as
follows:
81. Are you In favor of national
department Of public works. for the
purpose of reducing and co-ordinating
the present number Of bureaus and
commissions, and reducing the useless
expenditures Of money incident thereto?
"2. Are you in favor OF assembling
and co-ordinating all the engineering
and construction enterprises of the
government excepting the purely mill
tary works) In a department such as
works. to the end that economy and
efficiency will be obtained?
49, Do you favor the appointment
OF an engineer Of recognized ability
and unimpeachable character as
member Of the interstate commerce
a. Do you favor a progressive and
constructive program of conservation
and Development of our natural re-
"5. Do you favor the budget sys-
tenn OF appropriation of public funds?
IS. Do you favor the reclamation OF
waste lands by drainage, irrigation,
flood control or other methods? Do
you favor giving the settler the advan-
tage OF procuring the land by sound
rotating fund?
cox's Answer.
''Mr. L. K. Sherman. President Amer
lean Association of Engineers; So
my Dear Mr.. Sherman-My~reply to
every one Of the questions you ask is
uneauivocally yes
Thine will not permit. nor do I con-
slider it proper that answer the ordi;;
and public utterances must be sufi1-
cent, however. as in the case Of your
letter, the reply to questions asked and
my record and public announcements
are one and the same. I therefore take
great pleasure in making this state
ment.
with every good wish. am,
-, JAMES NJ. cox"
HardInp's Answer.
''Mr. c., e. Drayer. Secretary, Ameri-
can Association OF Engineers, So East
Adams Street, Chicago. Ill.,:
my Dear Mr.. Drayer-Your letter
to Mr.. Christian has been brought to
my attention.
att is not an easy matter for me to
make a detailed reply to the inquiries
conveyed in your letter and I do not
care to enter into categorical reply
to questjonnaires, no matter how
how reputable and high standing is
the source from which they come.
my theory of campaign Is, that
a mans candidacy ought to be based
on the formal and public utterances,
formal enough to discuss informally
many OF the, problems which are in
the minds Of various groups of our
American citizenship.
IT have had UP the matter OF the
department Of public works In some
personal interviews and quite agree
with you that the question Is an ex-
ceedingly interesting and important
one. fear / should be unworthy OF
public confidence II I ventured to de-
eide so important and far reaching a
question without the very fullest study.
1t involves the reorganization of sew
eral departments. Undoubtedly. there
liz necessity for this, but / should be
very reluctant to unalterably commit
myself to II without the very fullest
Of understanding"
You may be Interested to know that
have already sent for the congress
sional hearings on this particular ques-
ton. e,a...,r.-r..,. ...-. . ........e
II may say, in a general way. that
think very well of the appointment
Of an engineer on the interstate COM
merce commission and I have always
spoken heartily in favor of progress
sive and constructive program Of con,
favor the budget system and very
forward policy relating to reclamation
and irrigation.
Every sincerely yours.
"W, G.. HARDING"
These letters are published to the
engineering profession by the Ameri-
can Association Of Engineers in fur
therance of Its policy Of forwarding
the public interest by the means at It's
command.
The association believes that the six
questions asked the two principal can
didates for the presidency OF the
United States are OF great Importance
to the American people and It has re-
quested these candidates to announce
their stand upon the policies involved,
in order that the electorate may be
informed definitely upon them. Engi-
neers are in a position to give sound
thought to certain matters Of public
policy and hope to be able to safe
guard the interests of the public In
are. by the nature Of their calling, ia
miliar. It should be distinctly under
stood that the political activities Of the
American Association Of Engineers are
nonpartisan and that the association
places the interests OF the people OF
the United States ahead OF party,
nhn 20 A. InIn.a.Aa - H. ninnnt.