Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1897-10-28
Reply to Maj. Harris.
or Greenbrier Independent:

NPiJ W "hJs HuTTlSs
Editor Greenbrier Independent:
Maj. Harris is unfortunate in his
bitter and hasty arraigument of our
committee. His severe criticisms on
the committee would have been
timely and eminentIy just if they
had been guilty Of the offences
charged. AS they were not, how
ever, his elaborate rebuke reminds
one of the criticism made by wit
upon Chief Justice Marshall, of
whom it was said, He adorned the
bench on which he ought never to
have sat.r
Maj. Harris denounces me and my
associates on the committee for hav-
ing submitted a report that is in his
Judgment untrustworthy because
based, he assumes, upon no certain
and known facts. He says, cit is
doubtless true that the committee
rode over the ground, selected the
place at which to get the water, Sc
cured site for the reservoir, and,
with the aid of the accomplished
gentleman from Charleston, did
some nice figuring in the higher
mathematics but if they did more
the public is not informed" The
public were informed in as plain
English as [ could use that the "con-
illusions of the committee are based
not upon fancies but upon facts
With the assistance of Mr.. Venable,
skilled and expert civil engineer,
the whole ground has been search
ingly and carefully traversed, and
v cost Of all necessary material and
'oork has been dScertdined in detaH."
Maj. Harris challenges the integrity
of these statements. He assumes
In his article throughout that no
such thorough work has been done
by the committee, and urges the
Council not to abe guilty of the
stupendous folly Of railroading an
ordinance into execution in the a6-
sence Of Information as to The FEAST
6Hity OF the scheme within the limi.
tations imposed" For a gentleman
Of his usual accuracy Maj. Harris as
sumes entirely too much. Before
publicly challenging the accuracy of
my statements he should have first
thoroughly satisfied himself that the
statements were untrue. He could
have easily ascertained from the
Town Council whether or not the
facts and figures 1 have referred to
had ever been before them. He
would have discovered that it was
upon our estimate, backed by these
very facts and figures, that they
based their judgment in submitting
the question to the vote of tho peo-
pie. All of these facts and figures
were not embodied in my article in
the INDEPENDENT, because that ar
ticle was not, and was never in
tended to be, an official report from
our committee. 1t was merely a
communication such as any private
citizen might write, b&sing his argu-
ments and conclusions upon certain
Investigations that he knew to be re-
liable.
l have nothing to say about the in
yestigations Maj. Harris made for
himself concerning water works sew
eral years ago. do not doubt but
that his Investigations were thorough
and the conclusions reached by him
were correct at that time. Since
then, however, the price of piping,
fittings, fire plugs, ETC., has declined
and this material can be bought for
one-third less now than it could have
been purchased four years ago. AS
our plant will require approximately
twenty.three or twenty-four thou
sand feet Of pipe, this reduction
would make great difference be-
tween the cost of water-wOrks sew
eral years ago and now.
Now, as to my statement con Germ
ing the necessary increase in the as
sessment to meet the expense of
maintaining such a plant. Mai.
Harris asks me to leone down out
of the clouds" and state where ]
got my figures. 1 got them from the
Town Council. They figured on the
cost Of maintaining such plant, es.
timating the cost of the plant at S14,.
600. / had before me CODY OF
their figures which l used without
change. Their estimate does not in.
clude any revenue from the water
nor does ii count any interest on the
sinking fund.
Maj. Harris says that the topper.
ating expenses" of such plant "can
not be safely put at less than $4,000, ,,
and yet in the same breath he tells