People's voice., 1900-06-14
HOW To RUN THE PLANT.
The City Council Now Wrestling With q
New PrObem-Pitts's Suggestions.

As the city Will acquire full owner
SHIP aud control OF tile waterworks
system on July |, the cOuncilmen are
racking their brains to devise suit
abieplan fOl running the plant. There
Is no dedrth OF ideas as 10 how the
plant should be run fit is to be allow
ed to yet into noiiticS, but il is TIE
first intention Of the council to put
the management Of the water plant
out of the reach Of the politicians and
run it on purely business plan.
With this Officer in view, Mr.. Pitts
submitted several ordinances last
night, creating a Committee on PUB
lie Works." and abolsnlng the old
water aud light committees, regulat-
my the duties Of the committee,
creating water fund and providing
for water aDG light superintendent
and defining his duties, etc, etc. Mr..
Pitts did not submit the ordinances
for passage, but as an outline of what
he believed to be the best plau for
adoption if it was the intention Of
the council 10 organize the manage
ment on purely nOn-partiSan basis.
There is no doubt that every member
of the council sees the danger of the
management Of the plant becoming a
political question, and is anxious to
forestall such contingency so far as
lies within his power.
Mr.. Pitts thought The council should
oe ready W auOpt sUme plau by tile
Time Lhe city assumes control OF the
water plauLi aud urged that il was
Time Tile CUunclI commenced deyOtiug
SOme thought 10 Tie matter. His
suggestions, as outlined IN the Ordl
hduCeS submitted, seemed TO meet
The approval OF Tue council with a few
WlnUr exceptions. Mr.. Pltts's plan is
10 put Tue management Of the water
system in cOnLIOi OF three members OF
The council, 10 be known as the Com
mittee on Public Works." to be ap-
pointed by the mayor in May OF each
year. This committee TO have entire
charge OF the plant and its manage.
ment, and TO Oe always subject to the
dictates Of the council body. A SUP
erlntenuent is to be appointed each
year by the mayor, requiring a two
thirds or thr3e-fourLhs vote TO con-
hrm. To avoid the contingency OF a
scrap between the mayor and council,
and the appointment OF superin-
tendent BY the mayor from month to
month in the event the council should
fail To confirm, Mr.. PlttS's ordinance
provides that "in the event the cOun-
Gil shall fail To confirm the mayor's
appointment, it shall be the duty OF
the mayor 10 appoint some other per-
son uutil the council cou4rmS While
this ordinance gives the mayor power
To appoint superintendent, it clear
~ gives controlling puwer 10 a two.
thirds or three-fourths majority OF
the council.
The superintendent is bound by the
provisions of the ordinance to act in
all matters under the instructions OF
the Committee on Public Works. He
shall do no work, hire no men or paw
out any money without permission
from the Committee On Public Works.
and is placed absolutely under their
control. The only weak thing about
the ordinance is that it handicaps the
superintendent unnecessarily and
places too much power in the hands
1f the Committee on Public Works.
Under it, Committee on Public
Works not in accord with the super
intendent could embarrass him and
almost force him to resign, no matter
how good superintendent he might
be.