The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-06-11
A TRUE STATEMENT.
Disappointment Kerr Replies 10 the
AapOrings Of Superintendent
Stafford.
To the Editor of the Argus

Rock ISLAND, H., June lin Sun
days Union, of June 9TH, III. I. Stafford,
superintendent of the waterworks, In re
plying to charges made by the ARGUS,
questioning his management of the
waterworks department, attempts to jus
tify his action in contracting such large
bill for the month of May. In doing
so he endeavors to shield himself by
throwing slurs at myself and my man.
agement of the waterworks. A few
of his statements are probably true. but
the majority of them forces me to ques>
ton Mr.. Stafford's veracity.
Firstly, Mr. Stafford says that David
Carr was paid 81 &c for firing the last
night of my administration. Mr.. Carr
came to me and claimed pay for firing
from ~ o'clock on the morning of May
lst, up 10 the time Stafford took
charge. referred him to the
new superintendent. who psid him the
bill. As Mr. Stafford took charge the
first of May he was responsible for all
bills contracted from that time
Secondly, Mr.. Stafford says that when
he took charge of the waterworks build
ing he found that the supplies of oil. rub
Der packing, castings for repairs of n.y.
drants, sleeves for repairing broken
mains, etc, were exhausted This state
ment is utterly false, and sounds as
though the superintendent was laboring
under fit of temporary insanity when he
made it. The facts are that just
two days previous to Mr.. Stafford
taking charge, l received one barrel
of engine oil and 100 pounds of white
waste, which was paid for IN my April
account A barrel of cylinder oil. which
| had ordered arrived two days after my
departure, and should have been presents
ed with last months bill, but it has not
yet been paid This bill was over $50.
There should be enough oil at the build
ing TO last until Sept. LIST. So much for
oil.
also left the following supplies which
were paid out of my last years appro>
priation; One 16 inch valve, $105; one
inch valve, $22; one inch valve, $14;
one new double fire hydrant, S27; one set
extra rubber valve on engine, 81 so; two
pieces of 16 inch pipe, about S54; three
pieces of II inch pipe, about $54; one
cord of ratings, and several sleeves of
different sizes, which can be found ut the
water works building now.
As regards the expenditures for coal
Mr.. Stafford is again in error. He says
that $145.75 of the bill should be charged
to me. left two carloads or sec worth
unused, and this deducted from $14575
would leave $119.75 belonging to my adj
ministration. This would leave Mr.. Stat
ford's coal bill for the month of May
1913. My largest coal bill for any one
month last winter was 1852, at which
time had to pay $67 a car for lamp
coal This bill is even $51 less than Mr.
Stafford's bill for May. He evidently be
lieves in burning as much coal as he can.
just previous to my turning over the
works to Mr.. Stafford | employed Mr. J
Rosenfeld and he and | took the old
gang pumps apart. repacked them and
put them in good order and started them
up. We got from 60 TO IS pounds pres
sure on the main, 20 pounds steam pres
sure, and 2S-inch vacuum. On one occa
sion we ran the pressure up to 12C
pounds on the old gang pumps. never
told Mr. Stafford the gang pumps were
of no use to anyone, but told him they
were in good repair, excepting the eccen.
trio, which needed truing up. Now
Mr.. Stafford has the cheek to say
that the gang pumps had not been used
during all my administration. met him
upon the street and asked him why hi
made such an assertion, and he said he
had been told So"
As to the statements about my expert
ments in burning smoke, that is another
mistake. The furnaces were Just as
received them from Mr.. Cramer. ha(
the bridge walls repaired by Alderman
Farrell, and don't think they can be i'm
proved by altering them; and l dom
think that Mr.. Stafford will find any bill
for smoke purchased by me for expert
mentiDg with. The electric light plant
was put In good repair by the Van Depole
company, and paid for In my April &C,
count.
1t would look more manly in Mr.. Staff
ord if he would find some other methot
of defending his management of the
waterworks than by laying the blame
for any irregularities on my shoulders.
suppose that if some break should occur
in the machinery year hence, Stafford
will say that am responsible for it.
Respectfully yours,
j. III. KERR