Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1925-06-12
SHOULD We DISREGARD
OUR CITY ENGINEER?
Another Battle Looming In City Side
walk Fight.

The question of sidewalks for Bev-
erly has been tender subject for
several years back and now that
Council has started the machine Y
moving to make them reality, our
citizens are watching the wheels go
round with perhaps greater interest
than has been displayed in Beverly
for some time.
We all know in our heart that
sidewalks are needed and badly TOO
and we all can picture the wonderf vi
enhancement they will make to oul
already beautiful little suburban
town. But the dollars and cents
question is vital and now that W.
have given our assent to Councils
ordinance legalizing the work we are
most desirious that the expenditures
should be umscribed with the ut
most economy.
The expense will be great and the
burden will fall heavily upon many
of US who have made it rule to be
conservative in spending our sur
plus funds.
We know that Council appreciates
this fact and will not wantonly waste
our money.
Right now the question of engin
eering services for the work is OF
paramount interest. Should we en-
deavor to procure the services of an
outside engineering concern which
will be paid commission on the
amount of money spent for side
walks? Naturally the more money
spent the greater their fee will be
Or should we use our own City En-
gineer to handle the job?
The ordinance on the work will
be up for final action in Council on
June 22nd and citizens will on this
date have an opportunity to SPEAK
their minds on the subject.
| Many feel that our City Engine
is fully qualified to handle the VOL
and is we'll within his righhswin IA w.
ing exception to the intention OF
Council to ask outside engineers d
bid against him. He has been APP
pointed as the City Engineer and
should be given the work which is
nothing more than part of the WORT
any City Engineer is expected to do.
The question arises as to whether
Council can legally deprive him Of
this work 1t is the opinion of three
prominent lawyers in the County IS
we'll as the County Engineer, that il
is not only unnecessary to ask fer
bids on the work but is illegal as
well.
There is no one among us more
popular than our City Engineer and
probably no one as well qualified to
do this particular work. He is at
the present time engaged on three
similar engineering jobs, all of them
exceeding $4,000 in cost by far and
for which he was not required TO
bid.
Bids are not required where tie
City performs the work itself and
through its hired or appointed Off
GERS. If a law case arose which
would cost over $4,000 in Council
fees, surely no bids would be asked
for from lawyers for we already have
solicitor for this work. We yearly
spend over $4,000 for men to give
police service but we do not ask for
bids. Our city water, lights and
sewer maintenance exceeding $4,000
but we never ask for bids on such
We have City Engineer who is
engaged in like manner by the year
with fixed rates for his services and
it would be folly to spend sever al
times the cost of his services for an
outside engineer with no better quail
ifications.
1t would be well for US to look in
to the matter most carefully and full
( ly examine any motives which may
prompt Council to continue what is
generally regarded as an insult 10
our City Engineer