Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-10-04
TO LET IN LIGHT
Council OmciaIIy Orders InVestigs =
ton OF WaIerwOrk De-
partment.
Rack AT STARTING POINT
Effort to Refer to Committee of Seven
Defeated-Fourteen Alder
met to Sit.

met to Sit.
Officially there has been ordered an
investigation of the waterworks de
partmcnt For q solid month the city
council, as q committee of the whole.
has striven yainly to obtain informa-
ton concerning this department. OIL
Gals and employees ignoring the re
quests Of the committee to appear at
its meetings and give testimony.
The city council. at its monthly Sc
sion last evening. passed a resolution
offered by Aid Robbins. ordering an
investigation. The resolution, IN its
original form. provided that the in
uIiry be conducted by a committee of
seven appointed by the mayor, non
Of the members OF the present water
works committee 10 serve.
There were charges of attempts at
vhitcwash on the part of the admins
trati1n through meetings Of the com
mittoc behind closed doors Aids. Sex
ton. Eckhart and Wilson demanded a
free ana full investigation before the
uubIic gaze. and that the whole cOun-
Gil. and not any chosen committee. have
n voice in the same. The Robbins reso-
luton. with an amendment that the
investigation be delegated to the whole
council. was adopted. The only vote
against its Adoption in amended form
was cast by Aid. Robbins himself.
Thus the council is right back where
it started on the waterwOrks PROPOSE
ton.
bancroft Asks to BE Investigated.
Superintendent +. T. Bancroft was
present and reiterated his request
made AT the first meeting of the coun-
Gil 1t which the management OF his
department was questioned for full
inquiry. Mr.. Bancroft rose from his
seat TO address the council as rejoin-
der to Aid. Eckhart in asking for the
occasion for the delay of 10 days when
the consideration of the department
first was taken up. 81 was at the
next meeting of the council with the
employees Of the plant with ne. in full
filmcnt of my promise. and in accord
ance with my honest desire for clear
ing mp of the doubts that members
of this body appeared to have as 10 the
management of my department. said
Mr. Bancroft. Il was here prepared
to proceed and give the aldermen any
information that was in my posses
sion. while the men that are employed
under me were here to speak for them
selves. The mayor of the city is the
one who called a halt. He told you
aldermen that you were proceeding
illegally: that you could not place a
man on trial until there had been writ
ten charges preferred against him.
have since remained silent. awaiting
the appearance of formal charges. but
there have none come through the re-
quired channels However. | am still
demanding the investigation of my
department by the council"
Ecknnrt'- ..MesS of Friends
At this juncture there was a lively
parry between Aid. Eckhart and the
superintendent, the former making fun
Their charges of star-ChambeT tactics
by the administration circles. of which
the Robbins resolution was a part. anC
Bancroft answering him by pointing
dramatically to the rear of the house
TO the mess of friends" he claimed
Eckhart had brought along with him
10 back him up in his statements be
fore the council-in other words. Il
root for him There was an abund
ancc of roofing. il might be stated
The gallery section of the chamber
was packed. and the hall was filled il
the bargain. Persons passing on Thir,
avenue or Sixteenth street might have
been led 10 believe. if they were il
hearing shot during the applause, tina
Uncle Toms Cabin" was on and tina
Eliza was just reaching for the las
cake Of ice
clerk Wants Light. Too.
City Clerk II. c. Schaffer opened tn,
waterwOrks discussion by statemen
to the council that. during the recen
meetings Of the committee of tn
whole. which he did not attend. Their,
had been made reflections on his OF
fetal conduct. There had been state
ments. he had been informed. tina
all was not as il should be in his OF
fee Therefore he wanted the council
10 look over his records. He did no
propose 10 be silent while there wa
n cloud hanging over his office. II
demanded that the light shine officiaIl
and he expected the council 10 diffus
the radiation. lie was READY. an
trusted there would be no delay.
Aid. Sexton said that probably h
had given utterance TO the statement
to which Mr.. Schaffer took exception
He had told the committee of III
whole that whom he called on NJ
Schaffer to learn as 10 the senuin,
ness OF an order for the sale of jun
that Mr. Bancroft had and had show
him Mr. Schaffer denied that he ha
ever issued any such order
Bancroft shows the Order.
Mr. Bancroft had the order all RICH
Mr. Sexton said. for he saw it with hi
own eyes. and it bore the signatuT
of Mr. Schaffer. This was rather
peculiar situation. and the alderman
when he tried 10 have Mr.. SchaffC
come before the committee. did :