Evening journal., 1896-04-17
Nol ) srenraIIl Not : ND.


What do our Gormsn-American Re-
publican frle1di think Of strest and
Sewer Director William Smmonsl For
many years they have been supporting
him ard his party In season and out Of
season, and now he has turned down one
OF tieir most earnest and devoted repre-
sentAtives, and entered into a coalition
With Democrat TO name Democrat for
one Of the most lucrative positions In the
street service.
Director Pratt, a Democrat. Is the
minority member OF the boird. Directors
Simmons and Chambers, Republicans.
ought to be the ms jorIty members. Bat
somehow the beard has become fatally
twisted Directors Slmmons and Pratt
one Republican and the other Demo
crat. constitute the majority members.
and Director Chambers, Republican on
a Republican board, has become the
minority member end has practically no
voice in its councils.
The natural question is how has this
come sbout2 It is an unnatural condi-
tisn which must have something back Of
It. and the publlo should certainly be
Informed what II is
There is nothing about Director Pratt
which would suggest that he has per-
sonal magnetism or hypnotic power
sufficiently strong to induce Director
simmons TO forget that he is a R-publi-
can, ard one OF The chief benenclsres OF
the party. No. 1t ls neither personal
magnetism nor hypnotlsm. Director
Pratt is not sveng,ll and Director
Simmons Is not Trilby,
Then why is It that we ses 4 RsPubli-
can and Democrat plodding along so
oOmplasently toGether7 They must have
q mutual interest which Is very
binding; perhaps a number OF mutual
interests.
What Is this interest We believe
that the public would like to knoW In
fact we are sure that the public Ia do
termined to know 1t has become con.
vlncsd that a mutual interest which in-
duces man like Director simmons to
break away from his political associates.
combine with Democratic minority, help
elect Democrat TO the exclusion OF
HoRspubliean, and pursue the same course
In other matters, Is one which will bear
public scrutiny.
The Board OF Trade has appointed It's
investigating COMMITTEES. Lst It begin
It's work Immediately with the firm re-
solve TO make a most thorough lnvestigA
tion. The members of that committee
must not content themselves With
mere examination Of the annual reports
Of the Board OF Street aud Sewer Dlrsc-
tors; with a casual survey of ths work
done ana undone on the city streets, or
the statements OF the directors and
their subordInates. They will ssll moth
ing but good OF themselves In order
that their work may be effective and Of
public value, the Investigators must
20 beneath the surface Of ONCE routine
and scrutinizs the methods and
motives Of the directors; must ascertain
who Is furnishing the paving and sewer
material; through whom 1t Is furnished
aud by when put down; who furnishes
the sand who hauls It and all that sort
Of thing Whether there are any silent
partners or middle-meu, and, IL so, who
they are aud what they are. How much
paving has been done around unimproved
property for the benefit OF real estate
spectators. Il tso. where the paving Is,
Who the owners are and what was Il Q
ncsuatipo motive
When the investigatios has been
clsverly begun along these lines there is
no telling where T. will lesd, or who it
will involve
The committee may have TO report that
everything Is as 1t ought to be, and for
the credit Of the men who now occupy
the directorate and those who have
preceded them. we trust that II ay be
so. At the same time, II the investigs
tlon be properly conducted and itH
progress faithfully aud impsrtially y
reported the report will make very 10.
teresting reading matter and the public
will be thaukfal to ths Bpard Of Trade
for fta oood rffear In thia hohalf