The morning news., 1897-08-27
KEH0E A CAUSTlC CRITIC.
SAYS THE COUNTX-s AFFAIRS ARE
CONDUCTED ~ SLIPSHOD FASH
FASHION.

wants to stop the Work at buck
halter swamp IntiI >cme Definite
Plans Are Passed on and Np-
proved-A Rcd-IIot Debate Ensued
at the Meeting OF the Commission-
ers.
The county commissioners had a hot
time Of it yesterday.
MIR. William Kehoe was chairman in
place of Chairman Dale, who is enjoy
ing a trip through the woudrous west Mr
Newell West ana Mr. 5. G7sckenheimer
were the other two members present and
when Mr. Kehoe sprung the question of
drainage. as it is being done at Buck
halter swamp ana insisted ON knowing
'where are we at." there was great deal
of verbosty, which died away in time for
echo to answer. where
None of the county commissioners could
brns any plans for the drainage Of Buck
halter swamp forth, although a great ma
jority of the convicts of the county have
been az work ia the wilderness miles away
from the city the greater part of the sum-
mer.
Mr. Kehoe raised the point at the last
regular monthly meeting of the county
commissioners that the work should not
be proceeded wiz on Buckhalter until the
county commissioners had seen the plans
and approved them He introduced a res
olution at that meeting, stating that, since
the county convicts are being kept at
work on Buckhalter swamp, and since no
plans for the system of drainage to DE
established there had ever been submit
ted TO and approved by the county com
missioners as a body, the superintendent
of public works should be called upon to
produce such plans and estimates OF the
cost of the work at once, in order that
the county commissioners might pass up
on them. This resolution was seconded
by Mr.. Guckenheimer at the last meet
ing, but was never put to a vote by Chair
man Dale
When the meeting was called to order
yesterday and had attended to such other
work as came before the members present,
Mr.. Kehoe called for his resolution to be
read.
Mr.. Newell West said that the resolu-
tion had never been adopted
Mr.. Kehoe explained that the reason Il
had not been adopted was unknown TO
him. 1t had been introduced and was
seconded by Mr.. Guckenheimer, and MIR.
Lathrop chairman Of the drainage com
mttee, had spoken in favor of the idea
of having some definite plans brought out
for adoption before the work at Buck
halter should be continued.
Mr.. West said Mr.. Kehoe should have
insisted upon having the resolution put
n hV oh la gta cd fr4r-
ther that he thought the matter as it now
stood should be held over until the re-
turn of Mr. Lathrop, chairman of the
committee on drainage, as he did not
think it was exactly the proper thing to
take such a matter up and discuss 1t
when the chairman of the drainage COM
mittee was absent.
Mr.. Kehoe-"That's just what should
have been done at the LAST meeting The
chairman Of the drainage committee
should have taken the matter i'm hand and
furnished the county commissioners be- |
fore this time with a copy Of the plans
by which Buckhalter swamp is being
drained in order that we might have
passed on them before now. The truth is
there was to have been meeting the |
next day for the purpose of finding the
plans, but they have not been brought TO
light yet. II is getting too late for furt her
pos stponement of such an important a mat
drained the county commissioners should |
know just how the drainage is to be done
and give their approval of the work be
fore II is proceeded with. We don't know
anything about the cost yet. either. Does
anybody here know anything as TO what
this undertaking is going to cost the
county? ! see in the newspapers that Mr.
Chaplin estimates that
"Oh, we see many things in the newspa-
pers. - cN claimed Mr.. West
In the absence OF direct information
concerning this important work the news
papers give the only information at hand"
rejoined Mr. Kehoe.
Here Mr.. Guckenheimer remarked that
Il was his recollection that the work at
Buckhalter had been authorized by the
county commissioners in so far as the
starting was concerned. He said that while
no definite plans for the carrying out Of
the work had ever been passed on, he be-
lieved the county commissioners had said
let the work proceed.
That's the point" said Mr. Kchoe
"The work has been started in q sip-shod
manner-in a manner that no business
man would allow a private enterprise to
be started ana feeling as ] do. the respon-
sibility of the office. and having the in
terests OF the people OF Chatham county in
view, | cannot get my consent 60 allow
this slp-shod method to be pursued IN a
county affair any more than I would If IL
were my own private enterprise. n my
business affairs at the foundry had 20 pro-
coed In amy such manner as the work of
the county commissioners in this regard
has proceeded lately, / would shut up the
concern and quit the business"
Mr.. Wost-Nhat DO YOU want done.
then?
Mr.. kehoo-My position is plain.
know that the work on Buckhalter swamp
81 being carried on In an aimless. slip
shod manner 1 think the county has
shown supreme contempt for expert
knowledge No engineer has rendered any
plans. No skilled hand has mapped out the
work. 10 is AN a botch. and if pursued
on the idea ! understand Is dominating
the minds Of che men az work 10 will bc 10
dead failure and we viii be held responsl-
bic for it The dredgo wus burned Why?
Because there was no watchmnn ON 10 at
the time. Now. ~ we allowed our busi-
ness affairs 90 be- carried on in ans such
negloctful way. We would boz Boo the sher-
ims hand in less than thirty days. and ]
Will warrant 3d."
There was "a pause in the deliberations
here. Mr. Kohoe resumed. "Tho rssoIu-
ton introduced az the last meeting calls
upon the superiu. cndcnt OF pulur works