Purchasing Agent. The making of all purchases should be placed in the hands of a competent man. Schedules of materials and supplies should be furnished to him by the office engineers, specifying when they will be required; and he should arrange his deliveries as nearly as possible in that order.

Accountant or Auditor. In charge of all office work outside of the engineering department. He should have charge of bookkeepers, paymasters, timekeepers, cost accountants, material checkers, storehouse men, and any other clerical help required.

2. Plant.

The best plant obtainable should be provided in sufficient quantity to permit of the rapid execution of the work with the smallest possible number of men. Hand, air, or electrical tools should be liberally provided. There should also be furnished spare equipment, such as an extra hoisting engine, an extra derrick, and an extra dredge-bucket. On large jobs of work these extra pieces of equipment are always needed because of breakdowns. A liberal supply of repair parts for engines, pumps, pneumatic tools, etc., should always be kept on hand.

3. Yards, Wharves, and Tracks.

Sufficient ground should be obtained to provide storage room and space for the necessary operations. Existing wharves should be secured, when they can be had, and new ones built when necessary. A plan should be prepared showing the exact location of railroad tracks, storage grounds, buildings, and wharves. The arrangement, of course, will depend to a great degree on the ground and the river front available; and the cost and progress of the work will vary largely with the care and attention given to this subject.

4. Plans of Buildings and Plant.

After it is known just what yard-room can be secured, and after a general ground-layout has been drafted, detailed plans of buildings, derricks, and other material-handling devices should be prepared; then the necessary bills of material should be made therefrom. These plans should include drawings of barges, pile-drivers, falsework, etc.—in fact of everything that must be built at the bridge site.

While planning buildings and barges, it is well to give consideration to the fact that, after the completion of the job, buyers may be obtained in the vicinity, provided such constructions are so designed as to meet local conditions and requirements.

5. Materials and Supplies.

Schedules of materials for both construction and permanent work should be made as quickly as possible, even though the contractor may have contracted for his materials before bidding. It is important that no time be lost, in order that early shipments may be made; and, again,