Evening journal., 1899-01-26

ldAtN OH liDViAtA MAAtA u't1 hvN NvhiS !
Rithir tie reach Of the Water D6par-l 4
ment
IN lengthy editorial, evidently in-
splcd f not actually furnished, by
thc Board OF Waiter Commissionen,
the Escn Evening ondeayors 30 dee
lend This condition CO aIoirs % o.
gins Dy reviewing the hZory OF the
department., and the acts Of the Gen
eral Assembly incident thereto
We shall pay no attention
Ito the Every Evening in
lthis discussion, because It Is bein6
used merely as a mouthpiece by the
Board Of Water Commissioners, and
we prefer TO address them direct. We
admit mach Of the ancient history en-
bodied in the article; but We are not
dealing in ancient history just now
The past speaks for Itself We speak
for the present and future. and it is
for these that the Board cf Water
commissioners must answer 10 the
water consumers and the General AS
lscmbly This glorious financial trim.
lity cannot hide behind acts of crea
ton and point with pride to work
which has been done while this $685.
600 surplus stares them In the face
They say that they have reconstructed
and rehablliated the water system OF
Wilmington. So they have, and why
Should they not have dg1e it,? The,
have had more money than they couiu
use in the purchase OF brain power
materials and mechanical appliances.
Give an imbecl.e all the money he
needs and he can buy brains to {.
what be cannot do himself. That 10
what the commissioners have done.
and the water consumers have footed
the bills. For the water plant to be ia
other than frsr-class conE-s:on would
be pa'pabe evidence of gross misman
agement and fraud. Men who have
an the money that they need ana
more than they know what to do with,
can accomplish almost Anything with
In human power, and MT be especially
endowed with gray -,~lter. These
commissioners may not know the ec-
centric Of an engine from the crown
sheet OF the boiler, but they supply
the deficiency By hiring. with the
water consumers. men who do. Ano
50 it goes. The consumers pay the
money the commissioners use what
brains they have and buy the balance,
paying for 70 out of the consumers
mn0s. That is the p,Sin English OF
t The market Is full og clerical ana
Imcchaaical gray matter and the
! Water Commissioners ara merely the
consumers purchasing agents. The
pea that the wafer plant is i'm good
londition is unnecessary and nonsensi-
leaf. hat there are hundreds Of men IN
the c'fy who could have accomplished
leQually good results with the same
money al their disposal We are not
lcr 'cislng the plant. We are criticis-
flag the commissioners 70. collecting
! lirom water Cusumers $4,000 more
lthan twice as much money as is re-
lQuirel to maintain the department IN
It's present state OF efficiency and d.
3, lveuing the surplus to the general
fund. That is the thing which the
commissioners would lie TO be rele-
2 gated to the background, but it is the
vital point in this controversy, and the
, commissioners cannot meet it face t.
face. Il stands against all comes
Efforts to evade it merely show tC
what lengths these Water Commits
sioners have been driven in an at.
tenipt TO excuse themselves for tn,
pact and to Justify a continuance O
the eXtortion i'm the future.
I'm this inspired article in the Every
+ Evening We find the following:
But the water works system of vii
b mingt,n is not complete. Much haI
been done In the past. and much re
mains 90 be done hereafter. Extension
mus, be provided FOR and the Ell
cheney of the department must be kep
I mp 20 It's present standard Their
! would be q great public clamor If 5
, Should be permitted 20 deieriorate
which certainly would be the result o
cutting down It's revenues. which. 4
4 has ceen shown, come from rates tha
b instead OF being exorbitant are lowe
4 than those Of almost every other cit
. or the county where water is pumpe
into the reservoirs instead Of bein
supplied by gravity. 80 cut down IL
revenues would cause 30 To rc.rograd
S 60 los condition of fifteen years agc
d y is a valuable piece of property. am
r. 4 put up az auction would certainl
oring enough money TO wipe out IN
entire bonded Indebtedness Of the city
e nut u cannct be maintained i'm il
8, present condition of efficient servc
d oy adopting the cheap. experiment,
, course recommended 10y the new oit
!. charter committee Of the Board ,
L Trade
at And, alter an. when the citizens
De large community have "a water a,
l. partment-she most important branc
,e or their public service -couductr