Designers’ Names

Progress, Volume XIV, Issue 3, 1 November 1918, Page 358

Designers’ Names

A rather petty piece of malice on the part of a County Council towards the designer of a bridge in Otago is commented on by the Otago Daily Times” as follows:“The inclusion of the name of an engineer from a tablet on a public structure, in the planning of which he took a large part may be regarded by some people as a matter of small consequence to any but the individual directly affected. When, however, it involves a breach of faith it assumes more than a personal importance. Such is the case in the studied refusal of the Vincent County Council to recognise the claim of Mr. E. F. Roberts, a young engineer, who has been absent from the country on active service since early in the war, to have his name placed on the tablet on the Luggate bridge. The “Alexandra Heiald,” which vigorously condemns the action of the County Council in the matter, says that the facts as admitted are as follows The County Council’s engineer, being unable to do the work himself asked for and obtained the sanction of the Council to engage an assistant. Mr. Roberts was engaged on the condition that his name would appear on the plans as joint engineer. His name did so appearas joint, not assistant engineer. That the credit of the plans belonged to Mr. Roberts is also borne out by the fact that the County engineer stated in writing that Mr. Roberts practically did the whole of the work and designed the plans for both the girder and the cantilever type of bridge. In these circumstances it is not in unduly caustic terms that the “Alexandra Herald” comments on the inclusion in the tablet of every name except the one most entitled to appear on it—that of the designer— on the cold indifference of the County Council to the claims of Mr. Roberts to recognition. It is certainly due to Mr. Roberts that an acknowledgment should be made, in the permanent form provided on the pridge, of the skilled service which he rendered in designing the plans for the structure. In refusing, as it seems to have repeatedly refused, to accord to him this measure of justice, the County Council is treating him very shabbily,”

A girl who was running a London bus was making out her first report. Under the heading “Accidents” she stated: “Bumped into an old gent.” Under the heading “remarks” she said: “Simply awful.”“Tit-Bits.”