The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-02-15
TOPICS OF
THE TIMES.
Figures That Don't Strike People
Very FavOrably.
MORE ECONOMY REQUIRED.
An Experts Wages Paid the Engineer
at the Pumping StatiOn-HOw His
Pay is Distributed.
MORE ECONOMY REQUIRED,

The public, as rule, is patient and
forbearing. There are times when it
displays these attributes to degree that
equals fault, and at this late day it
appears to have discovered that it has
been at fault in many respects. The
announcement that the engineer at the
Brandonville station of the public water
works has been paid at the rate of five
dollars per day has engendered 3 bitter
feeling. This is not surprising. 1t is
certainly an outrage that five dollars per
day should be paid for the services of a
man who actually places the value at but
$3.50, and the outrage is aggravated by
the itsmized statement set forth to justify
the exorbitant charge. This man is
allowed IS cents per day for board and IS
cents per day for mule hire. A bill of fare
is not furnished as an exhibit in the case,
nor is anything said about the number of
meals the engineer gets for the rs cents.
If it only covers dinner all will agree
with us that the aforesaid engineer must
be living on the fat of the land. If it
for excellent living And the mule If ne
gets the full benefit in feed and care f Or
what the borough allows for his services
in carrying the king of the pumping sta
tion to and from his place of employment,
he, too, must imagine that this land of
ours is one of milk and honey. But
this other item of one dollar that goes to
make up the charge of five dollars per
day We are told that goes to the Jeanes
vile Iron Works Company. Whyy Be
cause the company selected and recon-
mended the engineer All, then, we think
we hear the people say that they under
stand perfectly why the Jeanesville people
were desirous of keeping the pumps in
motion. 1t required a continuance
of the engineers employment, and
that continuance means one dollar a
day to the company for acting as an en-
ployment bureau for the borough. The
engineer was retained upon the company's
recommendation. That engineer wont
have to work much longer to earn what
it cost the Jeanesville company to least
the Councilmen and others in order "to
continue the pleasant social relations"
This kind of Juggling is enough to make
the people sick. 1t is, indeed, bad step
to start out With, and If it is
to continue the people will be glad
If the water works can be kept in full
operation and make sufficient revenue to
keep them clear of expenses for meals,
mule hire and commissions due employ
ment agencies. This is one of the most
bare-faced pieces of business yet unearthed
in connection with the public water
works, and it is hard TO see how any
Councilman can justify his action in
passing such a bill, and especially pass it
over a disapproval of the water COM
mittee, which, we are assured, found the
items as stated here. 1t is, indeed, a poor
criterion. II the engineer is to be paid at
that rate Whist, in the name of common
sense, will the superintendent of the
plant be paid The solution OF the water
works annual budget Of expenses will be
most trying one to the people for years
tocome unless they place in charge OF the
public affairs men who will be patriotic
enough to guard the interests OF the
borough as they would their own. The
appointment OF an engineer will present
one of the first problems. Is the borough
going to pay his board in addition to hii
wages II he is a married man, will h'
be allowed to reside here, or be obliged Il
reside at the pumping station9 If h'
resides here, who will bear the expense o
team hire If he must reside at thl
pumping station where will he ge
house II house must b
built, who will build 1t Thes
items have never been considered
Then, again, how often is the superinten
dent of the works to travel from town t
Fowler's Run and to the pumping station
or to either Of the places, and how 1t
doubtful that the superintendent vii
walk. A horse and carriage, or wagon
will be required. viii the borough bu
the outfit, build a stable and put
hostler on salary Or will the boroug
hire a horse and outfit by the trip, O
make a contract for one by the year
There are thousand and one little iii
cidentalsn in connection with the opert
| Ilou VI PunAiS NeNSi "NAAs VI "AAN
not one tenth of the people have though
and it is safe to say that within yea
after the works Of this town are put /
operation, if its affairs are not manage
on basis of economy and shrewdnes
which generally chaTacterizes the MAJ
agement of private water companies,
regret that the borough ever embarked
the water business will be- well define
In all cil cles except those embracing IN
plum-pluckers. The people will find tha
public water works creates a wldesprea
spoils system, and with each recnrrin
spring election they will find the seleollo
of Councilmen grow more and more pei
picking. They should show their Sppr'