The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1905-04-29
The Waterworks.

been III charge he has made :
most creditable showing for tn,
plant. He has been prompt anC
courteous in all of his dealing:
with the patrons and enjoys til,
confidence and respect of the en-
tire public. 1t was a matter OF
regret to the board of commits
Sloners that Mr. Berwick found il
to his best interest to resign.
| The first board of commission
erS was appointed Feby 1, 1901
under he authority of the amend
mcnt t" the city charter, passed
by The Legislature in 1900. The
original authority read as follows:
Provided further that there shall be
a Board of Water and Light Commits
SlOnerS for sad City composed of the
Mayor, who shall be ex-Otficio Chair.
man of said Board, and six members
to be appointed by the Board of Trus-
tees OF sad City so soon as Is practic
able for terms of office as follows,
| tO-Wit: The terms of two of said mem
| bers shall expire on the first Monday
| OF December, 1902; the terms OF two
others on the first Monday of Decem-
ber, 1901 and the terms Of the remain
ing two members shall expire Oh the
first Monday in December, 1906. All
vacancies happening by reason of ex-
piratlOn of term shall be flied as here
matter provided for the tern. OF six
Years. Of each two vacancies bv eX
piration of term one shall be filled by
appointment by the Mayor and the
other by appointing Mt bv the Board of
Trustees of said City Vacancies hap
penlng during the term of any mem
Der shall be filled for the unexpired
term by the ma ajorltv vote OF said
Board of Commissioners. Said Com
misSioners shall serve without COM
pensatIon.
The new charter of this city
passed 10y the Legislature of 1904,
practically le-incorporates the old
clause, changing the dates for
future appointments.
The present commissions are
Messrs. r. S. McMahOn, Max
Levy, Jerry w. Taylor, Geo w.
Dallas, Eug. GuillOt, and G. +.
Reynolds. The term of Office of
the first two named expired by
limitation on the first Monday in
December, 1904 Their success
sors have not yet been appointed.
The present council will make the
.appointments-probably at their
next meeting. There seems to be
a strong desire Oh the part of
some of the commissiOners-if not
all of them-that the two retiring
commissioners should be cap
pointed.
Under the management of the
present board the plant has been
placed on a sound financial basis
with an ability to declare a month
ly dividend, i. e its revenues are
now greater than it's operating
expense. In February last it
earned a net revenue of something
over S14O. AS the fan service
now begins better shOwings
should be made by practically the
amount of the revenue from that
department.
We understand, however, that
the plant has considerable back
Indebtedness, which developed
during the period when the
plants revenues were not sutfi
cient to meet it's needs and ex-
| penses. In time this will be ex
tinguished by the increasing net
revenues.
When NJ. Berwick was ap
pointed to the management OF the
plant It was a condition of the
agreement that his salary should
be 800 per month, with the pro-
viso that should he bring the
plant to revenue bearing basis
his salary should be raised to
1925 per month. In accordance
with this agreement his salary for
April was fixed at the latter fig
ure.
Mr.. Jules E. Dupuy filed an ap-
plication for the position made
vacant by the resignation of Mr..
Berwick. 1t was accepted. he
will take up the work where his
predecessor left off under the eX
listing conditions.
The idea that the salary was
raised for the benefit of Mr.. Du-
puy seems to be entirely arron-
eOuS.
That the plant may continue to
develop and extend dhe sphere of
its usefulness to the limits of the
city is the earnest desire of every
property holder of the city.