Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-08-08
REDUCED IN POWER.
Waterworks Superintendent Can.
not Employ or Dismiss
Subordinates.
MUST CONSULT THE COMMITTEE.

Council Passes an Ordinance to This
| Eject, Finding 1t Necessary to Take a
4 Hand in Matters at the CIty's Pumping
station-An Effort to ReInstate Engi-
neer Thompson-Levee Warehouse Bids.
One of the stormiest sessions of the
| present municipal assembly was held
last night. the clash arising in conse-
queDee of the uncalled for dismissal
from the waterworks by the acting
superintendent of John Thompson,
the chief engineer, to make room for
another of the mayors political
friends. The council. firing of the
Unfair conduct of affairs at the water
works since the advent of the present
administration, and finding that the
only remedy lay in its taking hand
in matters. adopted an ordinance
which virtually divests the superin-
tendent of all authority to employ
| assistants in his Departmental power
that heretofore was entirely given to
him-without the consent of the
waterworks committee and the SUBJ
sequent sanction of the council.
The airing of the waterworks Incl
dent was begun by the introduction
of the following resolution by Aid.
Gall, who moved it's adoptioa;.
Whereas, The mayor, by his
agent Charles WitherelI, removed
John Thompson July % as chief en-
gineer of the waterworks for no Just
cause. and your committee, after in
vestigating the charges, finds that
they are not true, but was done out
of malice by Charles Witherell. agent
for the mayor. and to the detriment
of the waterworks department; there
fore be it
be reinsta' 81 as chief engineer at the
waterworks pumping plant.
Mayor Rules Against Resolution.
The mayor ruled against considera-
ton of the motion, holding that the
ordinance gave to the superintendent
the power to employ and discharge
his assistants and that he was re-
quired to furnish bonds for the per-
Torrance of his duty.
Aid. johnson conceded with the
mayor and expressed his displeasure at
what he termed interference by mem
bers of the waterworks committee
with the affairs of the superintendent;
that he had investigated and had
found that Engineer Thompson was
hard to get along with and that his
uncivility toward fellow employees
had resulted in the resignation of two
firemen within the past few months.
Aid. Gall denied these allegations.
He knew Mr. Thompson personally
no one could criticise his work, and
any one who was acquainted with him
would resent the charge that he was
anything but a gentleman. Aid. Gall
declared that one of the firemen re-
ferred to by Aid. johnson was relieved
because of his fondness for drink, and
that the other was incompetent to per-
form the work required of him.
Have No Superintendent.
AID. Wheelan said it was question
whether the city had a waterworks
superintendent. ''Well we either have
or we haven't" answered the mayor.
1T is my opinion, said Aid. Wheel
an, that we haven't"
Aid. COncannon said he was a MEM
Der of the waterworks committee, but
did not see the resolution offered by
Aid. Gall until he reached the council
room last night. furthermore, he
thought the action sought uncalled
for.
You know different" enterposed
Aid. Gall. "but you're afraid of the
mayor. -
I'm afraid of no living man. was
the secor ward Statesman's reply.
The mayors ruling against the res
olution being sustained by the city
ordinances Aid. Lawhead offered an
ordinance providing that all appoint
ments at the waterworks be made by
the superintendent by and with the
sanction of the waterworks commit
tee. all of whose actions shall be re-
ported to the city council, which is
vested with the power to either ratify
or reject it's actions
The reading of the ordinance
brought a storm of protestations from
the minority side of the house. Aid.
johnson said it was all spite work,
claiming certain members of the
waterworks committee were after the
superintendent.
Aid. Winter moved as an amend
ment that the ordinance be referred to
the waterworks committee. Lost
Johnson, Winter,
Willis, Freed. Soderstrom-6. Mays
Beck, Heidemann, Aster, Wheelan,
Fender, Eiwell, Lawhead, Calls.
Brother Willis believed that
there was a resolution requiring
a two-third vote of the coun-
Gil for the consideration of an or
dinance and he did not propose to
be bulldozeG. He said the "other |
fellows knew that such a rule ex-
listed, and recalled an alleged remark |
made after recent meeting which |
his claim He got the |
Ia ha from the audience.
Ordinance Is Passed.
Consideration of the ordinance was |
called for. The vote-Ayes: Beck, |
Winter. Aster, Vince |
Ian. Fender, Elwell, Gall, Lawhead-l