Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-04-25
SEE WAR ON ENGINEERING
PLUM FOR BRIDGE HERE
CONTINUED from page II


At the meeting Of the State High
way Commission today, the matter
of employing a consulting and der
signing engineer for the 100000
bridge to be erected across the Rar-
itan river between this city and
South Amboy. is to come up for ac-
ton. According to reports as week.
Clarence w. Hudson of Upper Mont
clair and New York. a civil engineer,
is TO be elected for the work. How
ever, George l.. Burton, chairman of
the commission, declared that al
though the appointment of an en-
gineer would come VI today at the
weekly meeting of the commission,
it is still an open question whether
Mr.. hudson will be named as con-
sulting engineer or designing en-
gineer. He emphatically denied that
any outside influence is at work in
the interest of Mr.. Hudson's APP
pointment.
The report which Mr.. Burton de-
MED. was that the suggestion Of a
new designing engineer came from
an outside source shortly after two
new members were appointed to the
highway commission by Governor
Edwards. 1t is held that a design
ing engineer might receive as much
as s250,000 for putting aside the
plans now awaiting approval or re-
lection, and drawing new ones.
1t is said that opinions conflict
as to the necessity of employing a
consulting and designing engineer,
but that there does not seem to be
objection to a consulting engineer.
There is also a question as to what
will happen to the plans already
completed for the bridge. should a
designing engineer be appointed,
while a consulting engineer would
be employed to check up on the
estimates, plans, boringS and other
facts compiled by Charles A. Mead,
engineer of the Public Utility Com
mission, who has drawn the plans
being considered by the high
way commission. 1t is held that the
employing of a consulting engineer
to check up these plans would cost
in the neighborhood of $4,000 to
$4,000 a year
Among those who are not sure
that a designing engineer would
have to discard all the plans already
drawn. is Thomas +. Collins, of EliZ-
abeth, an engineer member of the
commission. The cost of getting the
plans in their present shape is said
to have cost $4,000. According to
Mr.. Collins. he is of the opinion that
most of the data compiled by Mr..
Mead, the reports on earth forma-
ticn, the boring tests and much of
the designing already must be con-
siGered because of its worth.
That a consulting engineer should
be employed and continued until the
bridge is completed in order that the
interests of the people of the state
be doubly s~afeguarded is the belief
of George Paddock, of Newark. also
a member of the commission. Mr..
Paddock. however. is of the opinion
that the commission should not en-
pioy a designing engineer in view OF
the fact that the bridge has already
been designed at a large outlay of
money, and as the design seems to
meet with the approval of bridge
engineers generally.
The commission for some time has
had the plans of MI. Mead before
1t. and it is understood that they
were in such shape that bidding for
the contracts for the approaches
could have been started last July.
Since that time. however. IL is said.
Mr.. Mead has made changes in the
plans which will save the state be
tween $f5O,00O and 100000.
AS far as can be learned the first
talk OF employing a consulting and
designing engineer for the project
occurred about two weeks e. when
II is reported that at a meeting in
Trenton, the suggestion came from
outside of the commission that the
bridge construction be pushed ahead
by the appointment of an engineer TO
have entire charge of It.
NNA.
Walter +. Whittemore, two engineers
on the board, were appointed by the
com mission to investigate the quail
i~ications of various engineers with
a view to selecting one OF them To-.
the commission.
In stating his attitude on the mat
ter Commissioner Paddock declared
| that he is anxious that construc-
| ton on the bridge he started at the
| earliest possible moment, that the
| right Of way has been acquired. the
borings have been made. consent OF
the government granted and the
commissions W engineers have
| designed the bridge, and he is now
of the opinion that the interests OF
the state can be s~afeguarded by the
employment of one of the few ex-
ceptionally able bridge engineers, in
a consulting capacity to check up
the commission engineers plans,
pass on them and continue in the
capacity of consulting engineer until
the completion of the bridge.
Mr.. Burton. chairman of the COM
| mission, holds that in the building
OF the bridge it is of vast tmpor-
| lance that a competent engineer be
employed to advise the highway
board, he has also pointed out that
it would be to the advantage of the
taxpayers that the highway board
have a bridge engineer of the abil'
ity of Mr.. Hudson to look over the
plans and to make suggestions. This
he held would expedite the bridge
work rather than delay 1t.