New Engineer of Certification and Dams

AUGUST, 1933 ARIZONA HIGHWAYS 17 New Certification and Dams Engineer

WAN A. ERICKSON, bridge design engineer of the Arizona Highway Department since 1928, this month took over the duties of engineer of the State Certification Board and en-gineer of dams, succeeding J. A. Fraps, resigned. Mr. Fraps has been named by W. W. Lane, general manager and chief engineer, as designing engineer of Maricopa County Municipal Water Conservation District No. 1, and as-sumed that post on August 1. Born in Bisbee, Ariz., in 1901, Mr. Erickson was educated in the Bisbee he wished to buy or install in the De-partment during this fiscal year.

Mr. J. H. Tanner appeared before the Commission and asked to be reinstated with the Highway Department as night watchman. Mr. Tanner stated that while working for the Highway Depart-ment in 1928, he sustained a severe injury to his right leg which prevented him from doing hard labor since that time. It was regularly moved by Com missioner Mansfield, seconded, and carried, that the case of Mr. Tanner be investigated and Mr. O'Connell sub-mit to the Highway Commission at their next meeting, a report giving the facts of the case.

high school and graduated from the University of Arizona in 1925 with a B. S. in civil engineering. Since com-pleting his university course he has had considerable experience in the line of work which will be required of him in his new position. He was employed by the city of Los Angeles on the Colo-rado river acquaduct survey, and later by A. G. McGregor on design of mills and smelters. He next was employed successively by the Dwight P. Robin-son Construction Company on the con-struction of the smelters at Douglas, by the El Paso Foundry and Machine Com-pany on fabrication of steel structures and by the Loveland Engineers on de-sign and construction of irrigation structures for the Roosevelt Irrigation District. Coming to the Arizona High-way Department June 4, 1928, he has since been continuously employed in the department of bridges, until his elevation to the post of certification board engineer on the first of the pres-ent month.

Mr. Fraps also came to the highway department in 1928. He was graduated from the University of Arizona with a B. S. in civil engineering in 1925 and in 1929 was granted the degree of C. E. by the same institution. From 1925 to 1928 he was employed by the United States Indian Service, first as junior engineer on the San Carlos project and later as assistant engineer on the same project. He spent two years of that time on the design of the Coolidge Dam and one year in charge of prepar-ation of the working drawings for con-struction of the dam. He came to the Highway department July 1, 1928, and has since been engineer of the State Certification Board, where his duties were making reports on the feasibilityof projects proposed for irrigation dis-tricts that requested certification of bond issues. From June 22, 1929, he also was engineer in charge of dams, having supervision over construction, maintenance and operation of all dams in Arizona, except federal structures. During his period of service in that capacity, Mr. Fraps became a widely recognized authority on that type of work and his reputation became nation-al. He has written numbers of techni-cal articles on dams and irrigation works, and was the author of the state code to govern design and construction of dams in Arizona.

An opinion from the Attorney Gen-eral concerning the jurisdiction of the Governor, the Highway Commission, and the State Engineer over the Super-intendent of the Highway Patrol was read by the Secretary.

The matter of building a plant for the manufacturing of license plates and road signs was next taken up by the Commission. Commissioner Vyne stat-ed he felt that, inasmuch as the equipment budget is subject to expenses, unknown at the time of preparing the budget, such as the matter of scales and stations for the Highway Patrol, which will take at least twenty-five per cent of the budget, it is ill time to provide for a manufacturing plant for license plates and signs. He further stated that if this plant were provided for, the Department may not be able to purchase the necessary equipment needed for snow removal and other items of equipment that the Department cannot get along without. It was reg-ularly moved by Commissioner Vyne, seconded by Commissioner Mansfield,and unanimously carried, that the mat-increased program without employing ter of building a manufacturing plant for license plates and signs be tabled.

ARIZONA HIGHWAYS AUGUST, 1933

It was regularly moved by Commissioner Vyne that bids be called on copper plates for passanger cars with the contrasting color being black. The motion was unanimously carried.It was regularly moved by Commissioner Mansfield, seconded by Commissioner Vyne, and unanimously carried, that the Department issue a call for bids on a straight steel plate as well as the patented Fortinberry steel plate showing information desired by the Commission as to the weight of the vehicle for which it was bought by the owner of the vehicle, and showing whether or not the tire equipment is solid or pneumatic. This plate is to be used on commercial vehicles only and to be of the same contrasting colors as the license plate for passenger cars.

The Secretary read a letter from Mr. Chas. M. Plumb, stating that since the highway had been widened a mile southwest of St. David, there is not sufficient ground on which to put the mud that is taken from the St. David Canal when it is cleaned, and asking the Department to remedy the matter. A report on the situation from the District Engineer, Mr. W. R. Hutchins, was also read by the Secretary. It was moved by Commissioner Mansfield, seconded by Commissioner Vyne, and carried that the matter be referred to Mr. O'Connell in order that he might take it up with the Right of Way Department and the Attorney General's office.

A letter from the Merchants' and Manufacturers' Association was read by the Secretary. The letter requested that employees now being allowed a half hour for lunch be permitted to have one hour instead, in order that they may spend a portion of the hour in the business district. State Engineer O'Connell advised the Commission that the Department is trying to get out theany extra help. Commissioner Mansfieldfield requested that he be furnished with a copy of all rules and regulations made within the last few months concerning the conduct of the Department.

Discussion was entered into on the rotation of employees in the Motor Vehicle Department. Mr. D. B. Hutchins, Chief Clerk, advised the Commission that by rotating the work in the Motor Vehicle Department, on the basis that each employee work two-thirds of his time, seventeen additional people had been given employment on the same basis. It was regularly moved by Commissioner Mansfield that the order of rotating employees in the Motor Vehicle Department be abrogated until some future date when a policy may be decided upon. Commissioner Mansfield stated he was decidedly against the rotation of the office help in the Motor Vehicle Division, or the State Highway Department, inasmuch as other Depart ments of State are not rotating their office help. There was no second to Mr. Mansfield's motion and further discussion on the matter was postponed.

The Secretary read a letter from Mr. B. W. Norton, of the City of Bisbee, asking if the Department had any F. W. D. trucks that could be sold to the City of Bisbee. It was regularly moved by Commissioner Mansfield, seconded by Commissioner Barth, and unanimously carried, that the State Engineer be instructed to sell to the City of Bisbee the obsolete equipment requested, at the same price obtained by the Department in the past for such equip ment.

Letters were presented to the Commission from Mr. R. G. Tugwell, Acting Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, and from Mr. P. St. J. Wilson, Chief Engineer of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, acknowledging receipt of resolution adopted by the Highway Commission June 20, 1933, pertaining to the unimproved part of U. S. Highway No. 80 between Rodeo and Lordsburg, New Mexico. The Commission ordered the letters placed on file.

A letter was read from Mr. H. А. Hopkins, Chairman of the California Highway Commission stating the suggestion offered to change the route in Arizona in connection with the suggested designated federal route extending from Fort Landing, North Carolina, to Morro Beach, California, is agreeable to them, and Mr. C. H. Purcell, State Highway Engineer of California, had been requested to embody this change in his recommendation to his Board of Directors of the American Association of State Highway Officials.

A letter was read by the Secretary from the Douglas Central Labor Council in regard to provisions dealing with labor to be employed on the highways as set forth in the National Industrial Recovery Act. Mr. Dowell requested this letter be sent to the Attorney General for answer.

The Secretary presented a petition forwarded from the Governor's Office relating to a proposed highway from Phoenix to a point on U. S. 66 five miles west of Kingman to cross the Bill Williams River at a point called Alamo. The Commission stated there were no funds set up in the budget for this road and it was impossible to do any thing about the matter at this time.

State Engineer O'Connell advised the Commission that he would like to establish an office to take care of the unemployed looking for work with the Department. He stated that as matters stand at present, it is next to impossible for Mr. Sid Smyth or Mr. W. L. Carpenter to get their work done. The Commission advised Mr. O'Connell they would take this matter up with him again before adjourning.

The Secretary read a letter from the Mountain States Telephone and Tele-