The St. Louis Republic., 1903-09-21
EMBARRASSING?

The voters of St Louis appreciate the unique
position in which circumstances have placed Dele
gate Mccarthy of the Twenty-third Ward but they
hope most fervently and expect most emphatically.
that it may not embarrass him a sworn public
officer. As private citizen Mr.. Mccarthy is su-
perintendent for the Excelsior Hauling and Trans
fer Company. which holds the municipal contract
for collecting ofal while member of the House
of Delegates he is Speaker pro ten belongs to the
Committee on Sanitary Affairs and is Chairman of
the Ways and Means Committee.
1t would be unjust to assert, without convincing
evidence, that the same Mr.. Mccarthy who is an
employe of the hauling company would be unable
on that account, to do full credit to the Mr.. Nc
Carthy of the House of Delegates Presumably the
Excelsior Hauling and Transfer Company which
holds contract with the city for collecting offa.
Is not the corporation known the st. Louis San-
tary Company, which holds contract with the city
for reducing Offa and perhaps the two concerns
have no mutual interests and no real affiliations.
If Mr.. Mccarthy is in any wise subject to the
st. Louis Sanitary Company, or its officers. man
ayers or controlling stockholders or if the Excelsior
Hauling and Transfer Company or its officers, man
ayers or controlling stockholders are capable of pre-
valing upon him in the interest Of the st. Louis
Sanitary Company, then Mr.. Mccarthy might find it
arduous TO suit his duties a Delegate to his per-
sonal obligations and welfare a superintendent
for private company. Should he oppose COM
mands from the company companies, supposing
that instructions might be given to him, his public
spirit might endanger his individual prospects in
his private business
AS member of the Committee on Sanitary AT
fairs of the House. Mr.. Mccarthy is member Of
the special commission that has been chosen to in
spect garbagedisposal plants with the object of in
SITS q mn n1o in ShouId l,a
majority of the commission decide, doubt 1t
will, that municipal plant should be installed Mr.
Mccarthy would be expected to support the recon-
mendaton in the House and urge the passage of the
bill providing for the municipal plant.
But his duties would not end here AS chairman
of the Ways and Means Committee, he would, in the
regular procedure, consider and report the bill pro-
viding for an appropriation for the municipal gar
bage plant By chance, the Speaker might be alb
sent at the meeting when the bill would be reported
and Mr.. Mccarthy, Speaker pro tenn, might be
the presiding officer who would decide the bills
fate.
1t cannot be said that Mr. Mccarthy is incom-
petent to perform this task For all that the aver
age citizen knows Mir. Mccarthy may be the strong
est advocate for municipal plant. His public duty
be entirely in accord with his private interests
However it appears that Mr.. McCarthy's position is
uHique, tHcTc are iudt 1t may Ue
exceedingly embarrassing to him.
Since Mr.. Mccarthy has thus far given no indi-
cation that he antagonzes the project for a mu
niclpal garbage-dsposa plant, his unique position
cannot be prejudged. Mr.. Mccarthy must be eau
toned, however that the public is almost unan
nous in the opinion that the municipal plant is
necessary. Therefore, il he believes or surmises
that his position may lead to embarrassments or
that his private occupation would conflict with his
public position, that he might be unable to do all
that the people expect and require, he should re-
sign his offices on these committees and give the
responsibility to others.
The problem at issue is grave and important
and the people determined in their desire for
municipal plant that it is necessary to call atten-
tion, in advance, to the dangers ahead Mr.. Nc
Carthy should bear in mind should every mem
ber of the investigating commission that the citi-
zens of St Louis resolved that the private-con-
tract system shall and that the city shall have
its own garbage-disposal plant within year. All
arrangements must fit to this popular demand.