Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-04-13
SHIFTED THE DUTY
Mayor-elect Knox and Council
in Conference.
APPOINTING POWER ABANDONED.

AII V4H l1N0 IVWb6 ADANOONGDs
Heads nj departments Placed In the
Hands of the Aldermen. Who Elect by
Esllot-Thc Lucky Men and How They
Were Selected at the House Of the New
Executive
Marshal ..-----.-.---.----... ANDREW kTZEL
Deputy Marshsl..--...- ........GsORGE LONG
superintendent OF WaierworAr 1T. J. kEDDIG
lEZRA wILCHER,
waterworts Engineers BEN VII SON.
JOHN BOLIVIAN.
snpt o. Sirse's 90. go. HENRY II. HO AND
Comm 4:oaer OF II, alth ......DR. E. NJ. SA A
To Bridge Collector. SAMUEL NELSON
weisbm ,.;.r.... .....WlLlIAG A NORRIS
Gu CT o! Fire Department. JAMES JOHNSTON
assistant Chef. ...........J D. COLLIER
CITY ScsvcnCer JAMES BCRR,S
Pocrmaster......-. ..... HENRY LADDERS
This is the composition of Mayor
Knox's cabinet; rather it is the slate
liked for his appointment by the
members of the incoming council
who were his guests at his residence
on Fourth avenue last evening. The
mayor waived the appointing power
reposed in him by the municipal
code, thus shifting the responsibility
and assuming merely a nominating
prerogative and giving to the council
the right to elect, and strange to
say, the very few instances in which
the mayor did manifest any inclina-
ton of preference the aldermen re-
ciprocated the coming mayors cour-
tesy in taking them into his conf
dence and placing things in their
hands. by voting out the very one
for whom the executive had anything
of particularly friendly disposition.
As to waterwork. superintendent.
This was particularly so as to the
appointment of waterworks superin-
tendent. Mr.. Knox stated that the
arrangement that seemed to him the
best, was to appoint Ezra Will
cher with T. j. Reddig first engineer
and Ben Wilson second engineer.
Nevertheless the council elected Red
dig superintendent and made Will
cher, Wilson and Bollman the en-
giueers with rank in the order
named. Mr.. knox's course in pre-
ferring some one else to He'd
dig, was natural and consistent.
When Mayor McConochie attempted
to remove Superintendent Murriu
four wears ago to make way for Red
dig in the discharge of a political OBJ
legation. he had no more uncom-
promising opponent in the council
than Aid. Knox, who maintained
H., Tho ,.,tar~,rls Sb,nlJ n. liant
out Of political squabbles and that
the business men and taxpayers
should have a voice. and they were
unanimous for the retention of the
then superintendent, John A. Muir
rim. sentiment that Mayor McCon-
ochie afterwards publicly and
through a communication in the
Union endorsed. and yet Mr.. Murrin
is to be dismissed and Mr.. Knox re-
quired to appoint one whom he had
not picked upon himself and one who
al one time when an engineer at the
waterworks, deserted his post and
left the city in distress.
The same was true as to Mr.. knox's
preference for toll gate keeper and
for poormaster. the circumstances in
the latter being only different, as
an appeal was made for the present
incumbent, to which Mr.. Knox ac-
ceded, but in the other two he was
simply voted down in his choice
without explanation or apology. He
gave the aldermen a chance to ex-
press themselves and they took mat
tiers entirely in their own hands, to
the utter disregard of the mayor.
who is to be held responsible for the
acts of the appointees under his ad-
ministration, no ma ter whether ne
or someone else be instrumental in
their selection.