The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1910-02-04
THE WATER AND
LIGHT PLANT
"Onlooker' Thinks Anoth-
er Bond Issue in Sight
Unless Plan of Opera
ton is Changed.

Editor Sentinel
Your suggestion in recent issue OF
the Sentinel, that this is a good time
to air the management of the Water
and Light Plant, has put me to think
ing something along this line.
We venture the assertion that few of
our people can understand why it IS
necessary for "another bond issue"
every time any repairs, save the most
ordinary. are made at the Water and
Light Plant. Why it is that well
constructed plant. receiving goodly
share of patronage from our people,
not only can't make enough money to
pay for itself, but can't make enough
to erect a temporary new building or
replace worn out machine, without
another bond issue" They do not
understand why this should be the case
when light and water plants owned or
controlled by individuals, in towns no
larger than this and with no larger pat
ronage than this plant receives, are
giving good service, at fairly reason
able rates, and paying dividends on the
Investment.
TIE trouble is in the management.
Now tbs article is not intended in
any way to.redect on the honor or in
tegrity OF the present superintendent
Of the plant; We are constrained to be-
leve ne is doing the best he can, but
he is handicapped. and necessarily so.
The aldermanic board cannot, under
its position before the people, give the
superintendent wide open authority to
do as he p!easeS, n fact, we came 20
fewyears ago, SO the story goes,
by 5 beng done, and the public til
was sufficiently tadped to let US know
that somebody had been decidedly dire
lict in duty.
On the other hand, the Individual
members Of the aldermanic board can
not justly = hell TO too strict an ac-
count or ones f the shortcomings,
misfits and general failures of the plant |
10 do do what it should They are all
men of affairs, with "a living to make |
and they simply can not give, practi- |
cally gratuitously, the time necessary |
to the successful management Of a
great business, such as the business Of |
any town the size of Grenada is. Fur
ther than this, it is pretty well con-
ceded that whats everybody's busi-
ness is nobody's business. Certainly
this is true of the aldermanc attitude
toward the Water & Light Plant. Our
aldermen do not have time to visit the
plant and familiarize themselves with
all its various workings and if they cid
visit it they would not half way under
stand many of the things they saw, for
operating plant of this kind is not
their business, not the line of activity
they are engaged in and along which
they are thinking.
Then it is so easy to put the blame
on the other fellow, and console ones
self with well. it is so and SOS busi-
ness to lcok after this just as much as .
1t is mine and thus, this or that I'M
portant matter is passed up and the re-
suit IS, after awhile, another bond is :
sue, and We, the tax payers, literally
oay the freight.
Citizens Of Grenada, this matter re- ;
lulre3 some good hard thinking by you
IS individuals, and then some good, :,
rompt doing by you in concert. =
what snail be done? Let's try a COM =
Isslon for the Water and Light Plant; !,
ct the management be taken out OF !
ne hands of the Board of Aldermen :,
they have plenty Of other things to do) :,
y appointing or electing, as may Be
ne proper and legal way of going 1,
oout the matter, three commissioners. =
egin by appointing a commission com
oseo OF torae OF the best business men -
town, psy them enough for their -
me TO make 1t worth the while Of -
eai business man to accept place on o. =,
be commission and devote the neces- I'll
ary time TO the management of this
important public property. Hold that g
accountable for the results III
t the p.art, and then let them have I'd
he full and unqualified power TO en- th
10y such mechanical men as may be 70
ecessary to keep the plant M, make
Extensions and repairs, IN short oo+
esults from every dollar that is spent :
y seeing that each machine, each in u
each piece of wire. each
iece Of pipe, in any way connected lul
nth or going to make up this property It
oes its duty and produces the maxi to
um of results for the minimum of ex- HI
ense in maintenance, operation, etc. an
ct that commission have full power to 81
nploy the necessary clerical force, 8 ST
ookkeeper and storekeeper, both in