Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-09-23
CHARGES AWAITED
Mayor is Not I'm Receipt of Any In
VOlViDR Waterworks Man
agement.
SAID THERE WILL BE TWO
Four Former Employees at Meeting
of the City Council
Tonight.

Mayor William McConochie stated
al noon today that he had not received
any written charges again p. 7. Ban
croft, superintendent of the water
works, for the further consideration
of whose department the city council
adjourned TWO weeks ago until this
evening.
The resolution of the council at the
former meeting ordered thai if there
were any citizens who had charges 40
prefer they must have them i'll writ
ing in the hands of the mayor before
this evening.
Whether there will be af1idavits be
fore the council remains to be seen,
though member of that body is au-
thority for the statement there will be
two signed statements from former
employees of the waterworks depart
ment telling of the hauling away from
the Twenty-fOurth street pumping sta
ton of wagon load of junk. Where
this material was deposited, il is uu
derstOOd. these men will not be able
TO say III their adidavits. They will
also, SO it is claimed. allege misman-
aSement of the department under the
administration of Mr.. Bancroft
Valuable Property Missing.
An alderman told an Argus reporter
today that there is property belonging
TO the city valued at several thousand
dollars that will have 10 be accounted
hLy b.
He said that there have disappeared
from the river pumping station the
brass filters and tubs. including about
two dozen brass valves. There is no
record N the Office of the city clerk in
dicating that they were sold or given
away.
After the abandonment of the filters
at the Twenty-fOurrh street plant the
tubs and attachments We're stored at
the plant. Two engines We're included.
These engines were turned over to
Davenport concern in payment for re-
pairs made on one of the city pumps.
What Has Become of 1t:
What we are seeking to learn is
what has become of this property that
is charged TO the waterworkS depart
ment." continued the alderman. Il re
fuse to believe that there has been any
misapprOpriatiOn by men in the employ
Of the city. and trust sincerely that the
developments before the council will
show that all this talk that has been
caused has no foundation in fact. As
| Il member of the council | have a
| right TO know the extent and charac-
ter of the property that has been paid
| for out of the city treasury. | do know
| that those filter tubs are not at the
waterworks | do know that they were
! there three years ago. Who knows
! but what there has been a gang of
! burglars operating at the waterworks
| plant at nights carrying away this
property piece by piece? If such is
proven to have been the case. why
am in favor of the appointment of a
night Waterman there Mr.. Bancroft,
true, has much to look. after and if
| ne needs help i'll kee ping track of the
! property of the city. for one l will
vote in favor OF providing him with an
| assistant whose duties shall be purely
| clerical"
| Ii Is Up Ia Nr. Bancroft.
| As lie Argus stated IaSJ evening, II
| is TO be hoped that Mr.. Bancroft will
come forward at the meeting this even
ing. even if there are no charges upon
| which to base an investigation filed
| with the mayor, and give those mem
beTs of the council who are seeking
explanation the information they de-
| sire. Surely there is no one better
able than he is to give an accounting
IF the property of his department. TO
allow such an affair to hang fire can
be anything but pleasant TO him and
his friends.
The members of the council owe it
10 the taxpayers of the city to have
a full investigation Of the waterwOrks
| dom II nlDllt To LrnrA thn atfnir. rnL-