The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-04-13
CORRESPONDENCE Is
RATHER INTERESTING
Full Text of the Petition Presented 10
the City Council, With Views OF
Third Ward Alderman Lucid'y SET
Forth.

The News is in receipt of the fol
lowing correspondence treating LUZ
ther of the controversy regarding the
pay Of the employees of the city wateE'
works.
In view of the action of the council
last night, together with the apolos1
of the waterworks employees the cor
respondence is especially interesting
Editor News-I am enclosing to you
n copy of nv letter of April 10 to Mr..
T. o. Watkins; also his reply anu
a copy, of the much talked of petition
I would not care to discuss this mat
rer any further except to refute the
statement made by Mr.. Puckeu' l
think that Mr.. Watkins letter VIII sat
isfy the public that l have not maue
anv assertion that is not correct as
far as the action taken by the city couh-
Gil is concerned. Now as to any other
assertions that l have made, am just
as completely prepared to suDstantla'e
them as the one mentioned. | did not
ask Mr.. Watkins to go into the details
as he did (see my letter to hlm) ol
the discussion by the council, but as
he has mentioned them l Will say That
expressed my views of the matter
about as he has stated. l was them
and am yet, in favor of granting tp7
increase of the salaries Of the EN-
Moves mentioned to tire tlgures THAT
the present board found them WHICH
would be $65 for the engineers anu
$40 for the firemen. l do not coh
slider that the engineers and tlremen
who walked out, acted In good TAIN
with the citizens who so kindly nlaue
a., effort in their behalf to do then
good. AS this petition was presented
nv the citizens and represented pS
Mr.. Watkins it was, in my Judgment
a matter that the citizens should nav {
been interested in, and If any actlot
was to be taken it should nave Deei
handled by the petitioners who under
took to pilot their cause through st
far as | was concerned in the matter
nv position is plain. Now, after TIL
council had acted in good faltn D.
deferring the matter until lts mex
meeting, we were assailed and Wis
orors nrotest made, and all of 1t WIFI
out foundation, as the records OF IN
meeting and action taken by the
council did not ignore the said pet
ton: therefore, the protest was u
called for. Had they waited until Tn
following week and the council ma
ignored or turned down the reques
of the citizens, then the protest cou.
!, have been made and sustained
tho event the council had done sue
the employees mentioned would nj
have been justified in walking VI
without sufficient notice to the supe
intendent. who had supported them
their petition Had the city counc
been stock company and no or
else interested but them, the emplo
ed could have walked out without al
harm or damage to any any other bu
mess interest; as IL was Ih0y vi" NV
in my Judgment, act in good faith
the citizens of Hattiesburg. II,
stated in this petition, that these p
sitions were to be filled by skllle
workmen. then they left the city
the middle of bad fix, without du
s.. notice. We will admit that the supe
intendent was skilled man and kne
how to run the pumps; it is well thu
he was such man. II, on the othe
hand. the men who took hold OF the'
numps and are operating them (and
understand that they are), and If TN
he true, "without experience the
The skilled workmen is a rad AZ
not willing to believe that this is Tn
case: I know that skilled worlIme
should handle these pumps.
Elected by the people to represen
the people, I propose 70 do SO to tn
very best of my ability, regardless Q
protest or any difference whatever
realize that the citizens have to pa'