The Wilmingtonian., 1884-07-05
DEAR AND BAD WATER.

fanHually, Win an upward tendency. Inc
expenses, literally estimated, should not
exceed $50, 900. The remainder goes into the
City Treasury, to be dealt With according to
the pleasure Of the political party in power.
An annual expenditure Of $4,000 itself
represents a considerable scope for margins,
while few thousands more or less of tue
surplus would not look very formidable on
paper, although the astute political wire
puller might be able to make nice little
thing of it during his tenure Of office. The
political patronage in the Water Department
is inconsderable, but tie opportunities for
making money are apparent ON the merest
inspection.
Under the system hitherto in vogue, the
Chief Engineer has held a practically undis-
puted and despotic power He has had
ruling voice in all purchases, sales and con
tracts. lie has been responsible to no one
save the Water Committee of the Council
which elected him, in other words to some
two or three gentlemen who were his par
ticular friends, and for political reasons
Chief Engineer he has had tle control of the
pay roll of the employees, sometimes as many
as hundred in number, and lastly lie has
enjoyed the prerogative of appointing and
discharging those employees at his conven-
ience.
Under the steady continuance of this mis-
cradle system the water supply of the city
has naturally enough gone on from bad to
worse; and tens of thousands of dollars have
been wasted in buying unnecessary rights,
purchasing useless machinery and gener-
ally in ways which have not produced and
cannot produce the slightest benefit to the
people Of this city. To cite an instance, the
turbine wheel put i'll about four years ago
has cost the city, from first to last, in the
neighborhood Of 100000. It has been over
and over again ''out Of order" "under
repair or working defectivcly." its cree
ton imposed upon the city the necessity of
buying certain water rights for which there
would otherwise have been no earthly occa-
sion, and which are neither Of use to us now
nor likely to be in the future. At an early
date the city will be compelled to do what
should have been done when the turbine
wheel was put in, namely provide an addi-
tional WorthingtoL pump to relieve the one
already in use. An experienced man long
connected with the Water Department ofthe
city assures us that the old overshot wheel
was far more efficient and reliable power than
the turbine, and was much less expensive
and far less liable to arrangement. However
as the city has got the turbine On its hands,
and has purchased the additional water
rights entailed by its adoption, nothing
remains but to put up with the consequences
as long as possible. BY the time the new
pump becomes necessary, the Water Com
mission will have gained sole control
of the expenditure, and some better guaran-
tee than that of political committees of
City Council controlling political City
Engineers will be afforded to the taxpayers
who have to foot the bills,
And this brings us to say that while the
Water Commission as originally constituted
promised nothing better than a pcrpetuaton
of the evils Of a political administration of
the Water Department, Gin addition 10 the
loss Of self government in the matter) the
present constitution of the Commission is
the best that could be secured for the pub
lie interest under the circumstances. AIessrs.
Rodney and Lewis Painter were very est-
mable gentlemen, but it is matter of noto-
riety that they were chosen friends of Mr.
NIcIntire, and that their nomination was
made by his indirect agency Or at all events
with his express approval. The survivor Of
the original Commission, NJ, Porter, is not
at all the man to become the creature Of Ii.
B. McIntiIe or any other politician; while
Nlessrs. W.G.Gibbons and Christian Febiger
will assuredly not lend themselves to the
furtherance Of any of Mr.. .McIntire's schemes,
political or otherwise. This being the case,
there now appears, for the first time, hope
IF real lnstinu reform in thn administration
ofthe water supply Of the city, The COM
missioners will have the scrutinizng Of all
bills and the control Of the minor appoint
ments. They will be i'll position to insist
on the production Of receipts and vouchers
for all wages paid to employees and lastly
they will be able to take the Water Depart
ment out Of politics. If in addition to this
they will exercise without fear or favor the
power they possess to put stop to the polu-
ton of the Brandywiie water by the etllueut
water ofchcmical factories and dye-works, the
loss Of local self government may prove as
small an evil in comparison with the benefits
obtained, as was the transfer of the civic
judiciary from the mayor to stpendary
magistrate.
The commissioners will not be slow to
recognize that the people at large will give
their full moral support to any authority
which promises an abundant supply of clear