Evening journal., 1908-05-02
TO RESUME WATER
BOARD INQUIRY
Questioning Of Chief Enei-
neer Lessen Will be
Taken Up Again
SUMMING UP TESTIMONY


Mayor Wilson will resume his In
vestigation OF Water Department at
fairs on Monday morning, and the
Questioning of Chief Engineer Leisen
viii be taken UP then to learn the
cause Of the greatly increased expendi-
lures Of the department from the year
1908 up TO the present time, during
which Nc. Leisen has been chief engi-
neer. The investigation. it viii be re-
called. is a result Of charges OF un-
business-ilke management and ex-
travagance made by Water Commits
sioner William w. Knox,
One OF the lines of questioning pur-
sued by City Solicitor Townsend, who
is interrogating for the mayor. is to
try to show that there was a guess
work" system followed in the depart
ment and that water rates for the flat
and meter services were fixed with out
any estimate of what would be needed
to run the department being made up
by Engineer Lessen on which to base
the rates he recommended. Mayor
Wilson and Mr.. Townsend are going
on the theory that Mr.. Leisen is the
chief operating official Of the depart
ment. and as such he not only has
charge of all the labor, pipe laying
and improvements that have been
made the past four years, but he also
recommends TO the Water Board the
schedule OF water rates for the ensuing
wear. Mr.. Leisen has testified that he
never made uD any schedule of est!-
mated receipts and expenditures for
! the ensuing year on which to base the
water rates he recommended to the
board. and which were adopted. He
saws he used his judgment in this.
based on the way the department got
along the previous year. It is evil
dent from the questions asked by Mr.
Townsend that he does not consider
Mr.. I.eisen's method -business-liSe or in
conformity with methods followed in
other big cities.
i Another subject being inquired into
is the way the expenditures Of the de-
partment are classified in the books of
the department. The investigators arc
going on the theory that the classih-
cation IS inadequate and does not give
an intelligent idea OF the purposes f0r
which the departments money has
been expended. too many different eX-
penditures for different purposes being
lumDed under the heads of pumpage
distribution and extension.
1t also is the idea Of the investi-
gators that the bookkeeping system OF
the department is far from being right,
first OF all there not being enough de-
tailed entries because Of the presumed
failure Of Engineer Leisen to make out
detailed reDorts. and also because too
much is left to the memory of two OF
three officials. The theory of the in
ouisitors is that II these two or three
officSls should leave the department
nobody else would be able to get a
comprehensive idea from the books OF
the workings Of the department.
Another line Of questions being pur-
lsued by the examiners is to try "a
show that the fiat and meter rates are
mot sufficient to meet the expenses OF
J the department. Mr.. Townsend claims
that under the act creating the Water
; Department, the department must moi
only take in enough money to pay its
own legitimate expenses, but also
enough to pay interest on bonds is.
sued for the Water Department and
also to pay off the principal OF the
bonds and sinking fund charges as
they become due. In this respect Au.
ditor Gleason asserted that the de.
! partment's surplus turned over e
} Council annually up to 1904, since
when there has been no surplus, has
; failed by $2S5,773 to meet the principa
! bonds, while Chief Engineer. Leisen, OF
! the other hand, contends that $776,00'
of bonds have been issued for the de-
partment, and that the department hal
turned over $1,052,047 to Council I,
meet the principal and interest OF
bonds since 1886. This is a subjec
. that Special Auditor Gleason has saiC
he will go into further to try to show
that Mr.. Leisen's figures are wrong
A fact brought out is that the ex
penses for the payroll item charge,
to distribution in 1904, under Mr.. Lei
sen. was $4,000 more in 1908. durinl
= part of which year Mr.. Leisen was Il
1.-THE department, and that the expens
has been on the same high basis eve
since. Mr.. Leisen contends that ex
\ traordinary work, the introduction o
Z an eight-hour day, the laying of pipe
through rock, etc. caused the increas
lin 1904, but Special Auditor Gleason
! says there is still $1,000 of the in
crease TO be accounted for. Mr.. Lei
1 sen on Monday is to submit detailed
figures TO show the reason for the in
crease in the distribution items II
1904 1905, 1906 and 1907.
Special Auditor Gleason also has as
serted that the department is not self
4 sustaining and has not been, and tina
D this will be shown.