Whatever your industry may be, the scientists and engineers of General Electric Company are at work in it, discovering new ways by which electricity can lighten human labor and protect human life. The experience and counsel of these men is at your command, without obligation or cost. Nobody. A tiny stream of GENERAL ELECTRIC 943A-I OF THE ASSOCIATED ENGINEERING SOCIETIES Vol. II OF ST. LOUIS A Monthly Periodical Devoted to the Interests of the Engineering Profession in St. Louis ST. LOUIS, MO., JULY. 1923 No. 7 IS THE U. S. TECHNICAL SERVICE IN DANGER? A. P. Davis, Director of the Reclamation Service, is Removed by the Secretary of the Interior. A. P. Davis, Director of the U. S. Reclamation Service since 1914, and its chief engineer from 1906 to 1914, an engineer of ability and a Past-President of the American Society of Civil Engineers, has been requested by the Secretary of the Interior, Hubert Work, to tender his resignation. The request is tantamount to a discharge. The civil service laws require the head of a government department to give a written statement of his reasons for discharging a subordinate. This requirement has been evaded by the Secretary by abolishing the office of Director and creating a Commissioner of Reclamation. D. W. Davis, ex-governor of Idaho, a former grocery clerk and not too successful banker, has been appointed to fill the newly created office. The only reason for his action given by the Secretary is his desire to place the management of the Reclamation Service in the hands of a "business man" instead of an engineer. He has further stated that there is an "insistent demand" for this action. The "insistent demand" is rumored to have come from parties who desire a reduction in, or the discontinuance of payments on reclaimed lands. The Federated American Engineering Societies and the American. Society of Civil Engineers have started exhaustive investigations of the whole matter. The following statement by Mr. L. W. Wallace, Executive Secretary of the F. A. E. S., prepared for general press release. reviews the present situation thoroughly: The Federated American Engineering Societies has a membership of 28 engineering societies. They are local, state and national in scope and have headquarters in 24 cities of the United States. The combined membership of these 28 societies is 50,000 engineers. These engineers formed the Federated American Engineering Societies in order that they might have an agency through which to give expression to their views regarding public questions of an engineering aspect and so render an essential public service. The Federation's reports on "Waste in Industry" and "The Twelve-Hour Shift in American Indus Entered as second-class matter. February 11, 1916. at the post-office at St. Louis, Mo., under the Act of August 24, 1912. Acceptance for mailing at the Special rate of postage provided for in Section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized August 23, 1918. try" are expressive of the way in which the organization has been functioning. The members of the Federated American Engineering Societies, as well as the members of many other engineering and technical groups throughout the United States are much concerned with the recent announcement relative to the displacement of the Director of the Reclamation Service and appointing in his stead a man who apparently is not technically trained and fitted to direct an important technical service of the Government. Such summary action as discharging an eminently successful employee after 35 years of service without a hearing or adequate explanation, and with a request to hand in his resignation to take effect within two weeks will undermine the morale of all the technical agencies of the Government and may lead the most competent men to more readily accept of engagements with commercial and industrial agencies, thus interfering with the efficient operation of the technical bureaus of the Government. If it is true, as has been reported, that certain governmental officials believe that a man not technically trained and fitted is more competent to direct a technical bureau than one so trained then, indeed, such action as has taken place regarding the Reclamation Service might be reasonably expected to occur in other technical branches of the service, such as the Bureau of Mines, the Bureau of Standards and the Geological Survey, as examples. Members of en gineering and technical bodies are not willing to believe that such policy is a wise one and is in the best interest of the American people. Many technical directors of large works, both within and without the Government Service, have ably directed such projects both from a business point of view, as well as from a technical one. One of the most marked tendencies in recent years has been the placing of technical men in charge of large industries and commercial enterprises. The managing directors or presidents of many large public utility companies, railways, and industrial organizations are technically trained men. Therefore, the step taken in connection with the Reclamation Service is contrary to the policy of many industrial organizations. Because of the far-reaching results that might ensue and because of the seriousness of the situation, the organized engineers and technical men of the United States are preparing to make a thorough search into the considerations that led to the action taken in regard to the Reclamation Service. The American Society of Civil Engineers has appointed a special committee to investigate the matter. The Public Affairs Committee of the Federated American Engineering Societies has already addressed a letter of inquiry to the Secretary of the Interior concerning the action. This is being done not from the standpoint of questioning the right of a Government official to discharge anyone that he may elect, but from the point of view of the wisdom of the announced policy that a technical bureau can be more effectively directed by a man not technically trained and fitted in comparison with one so technically trained and fitted. The work of the Reclamation Service is essentially engineering and technical. There are business aspects to be sure, but so far as is known there has been no criticism of the business direction of the Service, other than perhaps by certain interests in the West who have endeavored to secure a reduction in or have endeavored to repudiate payments for reclaimed lands purchased. Should this demand prevail, the fundamental principle of the enabling act will be displaced and the revolving fund for the continuation of the work will be dissipated, so that other needed projects cannot be carried out unless there be additional drains upon the Treasury of the United States. Furthermore, should such an eventuality ensue public confidence in the integrity of the direction of such work would be so shaken as to make it difficult to secure appropriations from Congress to extend the work of reclaiming the arid lands of the west. In the main, the support for such has come from the West, but should there be a question as to the wisdom with which the projects are selected and executed then it is entirely probable that the West would not receive support from other sections of the country. Therefore, not only is the morale of the technical service at issue but also the larger thing, perhaps reclamation itself. It is these considerations that are causing organized engineers and technical men to make a thorough study of the situation. Undoubtedly pronouncements will be forthcoming as the result of such study. The evident interest and concern among engineers and technical men regarding this situation, as well as their views, may be gleaned from the strong editorials that have and are appearing in the technical publications regarding it. COLONEL SPENCER RECEIVES THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL. Col. Eugene J. Spencer was presented with the Distinguished Service Medal at a special ceremony at Jefferson Barracks on May 11th. The story is best told in the language of the citation: Eugene J. Spencer, Colonel, Corps of Engineers, United States Army. For meritorious services in positions of great responsibility. As Colonel, 32nd Engineers, he constructed, in large part, the storage camp at St. Sulpice, Bordeaux, the receiving barracks of Genicourt, the new port at Talmont, the munitions depot at St. Loubes, France. As Chief Engineer of Base Section No. 2, Bordeaux, France, his duties included the construction and maintenance of roads and buildings, supervision of forests and posts. His high professional skill, unremitting energy and devotion to duty contributed markedly to the success of the American Expeditionary Forces. ALL IN THE FAMILY. Officers of the Missouri Association of Public Utilities for 19231924, elected at the annual convention in May, are H. C. Blackwell, General Manager of the Kansas City Power and Light Co., President; J. D. Von Maur, Superintendent of Distribution, Laclede Gas Light Co., St. Louis, Vice President; C. L. Proctor, Empire District Electric Co., Joplin, Vice President; W. F. Corl, Missouri Utilities Co., Mexico, Vice President. St. Louis engineers on the Executive Committee are Herman Spoehrer and John P. Casey. On the Public Affairs Committee are W. H. Henby, E. D. Bell and J. E. Hillemeyer. The St. Louis Committee on Storage of Coal, co-operating with the general committee of the F. A. E. S., is now functioning. A limited number of questionnaires have been sent to representative users of coal among the principal industries in the St. Louis district. Replies will be used as a basis for the committee's report. Members of the committee are J. D. Robertson, Chairman; W. K. Kavanaugh, President of the Southern Coal Co.; C. H. Krause, President of the Coal Operators' Association for Districts 5 and 9; R. S. Sherwin, Aluminum Ore Co.; Stanley Stokes, Union Electric Light and Power Co., and Geo. S. Hessenbruch, Consulting Industrial Engineer. Yo Ho! And a Bottle of Sarsaparilla! St. Louis Mechanicals, their friends and better, much better halves, set sail on the Harbor Boat Erastus Wells on June 30th for an afternoon on the bounding billows. Not a thought of engineering marred the pleasure of the occasion, and from 1:00 to 8:00 p. m. music, dancing, lunch and movies were the order of the day. The weather was fine and a pleasant time was had by all. Mr. H. G. Hake, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at Washington University, is spending the summer with the Department of Public Utilities assisting in the design of the St. Louis Street Lighting System, authorized by the bond issue. Mr. E. R. Fish has been named chairman of a special committee to represent the Associated Societies in supporting the bill for regulation. of smoke, now before the Board of Aldermen. The bill provides for the appointment of a Commissioner of Smoke Regulation and an adequate force of trained inspectors. The Advisory Board of Engineers is continued. The House and Library Committee of the Engineers' Club is to be enlarged to include representatives of the several associated societies. The committee is instructed to suggest to the Public Library the purchase of such engineering works in the different branches of engineering as it may deem advisable. Members of the Associated Societies will be interested to know that our youthful confrere, Jacob D. Von Maur, celebrated his silver wedding anniversary on the 23rd of June. THE JUNE MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF THE FEDERATED AMERICAN ENGINEERING SOCIETIES. Ann Arbor, Michigan. June 19, 1923. To the Associated Engineering Societies of St. Louis Gentlemen: The regular meeting of the Executive Board of the American Engineering Council of the Federated American Engineering Societies was held at the Hotel St. Paul, St. Paul, Minnesota, on June 8 and 9. 1923. There were present in person or by alternates eighteen members of the board, including the executive secretary. On account of the contemplated withdrawal of the Mining Engineers from the Federated Societies, none of the representatives o' that Society were present, although Vice President Moore attended the |