Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1907-09-12
EVIL Or POLITICS,
How Il Shows Itself In the Con.
Mot of City MaterWorks.

tarv Of tho American Waterworks
Association, at the Meeting of the
Organization Held In June Of the
Present Year.
That DoAtaGs does In many Gases
protsaay large majority OF caSes--en-
ter into tho management Of water
works owned and operated by cities
and towns wiz not be denied- And that
this is not right rs absolutely n menace
to the hsaAsA and welfare " the citi-
zeLs In n44iAS oaases, ~ vel ~ q great
financial loss. WIKI MOI, think, he de-
Ried. Too much depends upon the
proper Management of q pablo water
supply to make II safs or right to al
low politics to control o. affect It.
To no a good wateTwoEzxs super
intendaat OF manager requires. Ia al
dition to ability and adaptabuity. long
study and practice. If these nanagers
are to be changed every time the city
ADMINISTRATION changes, Il Is evident
| that they can never hnyo the expe-
r1ence that they should have To per
form their duties properly. No matter
how good men they may DO they wiz
st1ll hack tho proper traf1nng and ex-
per1encal
Tlds foafows Throughout tho entire
staff-0fiice force. inspector. street
forenas. meter readers aud repaarers.
| engineers and fresnea-in fact, the en-
tire force.
Again. Will rsen VINO Only expect to
hold the "joss" for two 0r teeee years
should have? II ia not natural that
they should there Is iittle Incentive for
them 10 DO so; they know that the
next election Is likely to 60 the other
way. so tfaaf they VIII have 90 60 at
some other work.
Then trey have other duties TO per
form, other masters to serve-ths men
or party that put thesa n the position.
| Party allegiance mast be observed at
no matter wh6t cost To the citizens.
The men are emCdoyed for their poll
tics. not for their worth or atness for
tho particular position.
Under these circumstances. ase the
best men always or even usually
chosen-the mon fitted for the work.
Tho pubic water sueply y a matter
too an Important to he made subscrv-
lent to politics OF aay consideration eK-
cept tiiat Of the very best possible sup
| ply Of the puSast watDr obtainabie. All
! must use water. II II IL pure and good.
the health Of the peopis will be good
and tho community will be- prosperous.
Because Il Is healthy city with low
| typhoid death rate hoae seekers will
be attracted 10 II. But without proper
supervision and Maaa senent the puri-
| ty of the water viii in most cases al
ways be In danger.
These paai1caI oAaanges are often
trough to ths writer's attention in hts
capacity AZ secretary OF this associa
ton, ono Of his duties being To try and
keep track of the waterworks people OF
America. How frequently he finds
these changes-for purely political rea
sons-Sodng on! How MANY changes
have to be made In our list Of members
| for this reason In looking back over
| the years of hts connection with the as
sodatioa the number at such changes
that come to mind IN almost AZ long as
the present list OF members.
A man dr0ps out, Ii not heard from
One of our associate memjeSs calls
and fn the course OF conversation tells
| Of VISIT Ia "GGafto0." Asked about
Smith. tho odd superintendent, he says:
'Why. hadn't Yon heard? At The last
election there waS a conptete change
ia tho Doaiticai Complexion Of the city
Smith and all tho Odd commissioners
arc out Jones Is the superintendent
now" The commission Is new, the su-
pst1tupdent h new, just because there
has been a dhalge IA the political con
troll. Smith VIVA a good man for the
position. had had long experience, thor
oaRiliy understood tina work IN every
detail, was famiiiar with tire works,
knew all their weak points In his long
years OF service he had gathered about
him coryss OF able ana trained assist
ants. The works were we'd managed,
the QuHnty OF the water above snspi-
don. tho quantity ample. The manage
mont weS econmnioal: waste was kept
at tho lowest possible point The plant
was I'm first o;sSs condition.
But Smith didn't belong to the right
political party. He WIS not an active
politician, but he, hadn't heiped the
party now en-" had. I'm fact. voted
against them; hence he must GO No
matter IL the quality of the water is
not kept ND. If the quantity il lacking
when hg fire occurs because waste
had not been watched; no matter II
typhoid fever breaks out because the
water supIdy has not been properly
guarded and sickness. suffering and
death follow. the active politician. the
men who helped the party, must be
reuerded
Zones Ia an -ectfve politician" He
caa-in fact. did-carry the Seventeenth
ward for the party In power. He Is
good man, sober. Industrious and In
tahgeat There is nothing against
han; no FAULT can be found with his
app0fntment so far as character goes.
He was doclkmalSer am good
one, bat had absolutely no knowledge
or experience with waterworks man
agement
Then OSHuyan had n strong null In