Evening star., 1925-04-06
WOULD GROUP j. S.
ENGINEERING WORK
National Council Wants All
Building Jobs Under De-
partment of Interior.

With the twinfold aim Of elimina
tion of waste of millions of dollars 6
year and of reduction Of unemploy.
ment during periods of Industrial de.
preston, the American Engineering
Council will embark this year upon q
Nationwide education campaign de-
signed to concentrate in the Depart
nent of the Interior all the engineer
ing and public construction enter
prises of the Government Changes
to be asked by the organized engi-
neers will go along with the plan foI
reorganization of the Interior De-
partment, although there will be sew
eral departures from the reorganiza-
tion plan.
Urging the appointment OF -four
assistant secretaries Of the Interior
TO handle and administer all public
construction, public works and archi-
tectural matters and all work having
to do with administration of the pub
lie domain. the engineers propose also
that many Of the activities now cen
tralized in the Office of Lieut.. Col
c. o. Sheriff., officer in charge OF
public buildings and parks, be trans
ferred to the Interior Department.
The engineers would place the Office
of public buildings and parks. the
superintendent of the State, War and
Navy Buildings, the Rock Creek and
Potomac Parkway Commission and
the office of the architect of the Cap
itol in the Interior Department.
Col Sherrilrs office has recently
been reorganized and its duties en-
larged. He is now director of public
buildings and public parks, and all
Government buildings have been
placed under his Office. administered
by Capt f. Walter Hoover. who is
designated as chief of the buildings
and maintenance division. Col. Sher-
rill is also executive officer of the
Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway
Commission, which the engineers
would place in the Interior Depart
ment.
The present plan provides that the
Assistant Secretaries of the Interior
shall be known as the assistant sec
retary for public domain and the as
sistant secretary for public works.
The engineering profession, aided by
the architects of the country, the
building industry and allied fields, ask
that provision also be made for an
assistant secretary for public archi-
lecture and an assistant secretary
for public construction, both to be
appointed by the President
Administrative jurisdiction over all
engineering work would be given TO
the assistant secretary for public
works, while the assistant secretary
for public architecture would be in
charge of all architectural activities
and the assistant secretary of public
construction would direct the con-
StructiOD work of the department
The four assistant department head :
framed by the American Engineering
Councils committee on Government
direction of the Secretary of the In
terror
All the functions included n the
now archaic Department OF the In
terror" under this plan would be
brought into efficient relation, so that
the work OF the department shall be
harmoniously and economically per-
formed and administered. and so that
long-ranGe plans and arrangements
may be made to expedite the eKecu-
tion of public works during periods
Of industrial depression and unem-
ploymnet," the council said today.
Other changes contemplated by the
engineers propose that the board for
river and harbor improvements. tie
Mississippi River Commission and the
California Debris Commission, now
under the War Department, be trans
ferred to the Interior Department
Engineering and construction func-
tions of the Government, the engi-
ueers claim, have become so vast tha {
these changes are essential TO IA
tional economy and industrial equi-
Iibrium