Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-07-02

board chosen outside Of the members /
Of this commission for the purpose Of /
and conducting the water
works department, is, if passed by this
a confession that We are
incompetent TO manage the affairs OF
that department. or else, that We desire
70 evade the RESP possibilities Of the po-
sitions to which We were elected. We
knew when We were elected that the
department was one of the
most important branches OF the city's
affairs, and must have taken our Of
fees with the understanding that We
felt ourselves capable of managing this
as well as others.
BY a majority vote. and over my
protest, this council discharged the
superintendent of the waterworks. and
directed that the commissioner of pub
lie property act as superintendent OF
that department, thus giving the pub
lie 10 understand that the affairs OF
that department could be successfully
NDAAaa Nv ANu " 4A44bAL d Eubt- III NtAAANl4N
MOLINE AGAIN.
The city Of Moline, operating under
the commission form Of government,
has not, 50 far as I am informed, found
II necessary 70 create any special
board for management Of the water
works. and / have not heard any
charge that the operation of their plant
IS anything but satisfactory.
NO statement has yet been made in
this council that the affairs Of the
waterworks department are not being
conducted properly. II the department
is not being properly conducted, then
those who proposed the present ordi-
nance should be frank enough TO so
state at the present time. II We are at
fault IN our conduct Of this department,
lc' us al least be honest with ourselves
and change our course instead Of at
tempting 70 shift this burden to the
shoulders Of a board
WANTS REASON FOR BOARD.
las ] understand the proposed ordi-
nance the wateTworks department will
be conducted by board of three men,
none OF whom are 10 receive more than
a nominal compensation. The ordi-
nance has eliminated all Compensa-
. tom This being the case, it is not to
be expected that any of these gentle
men will act as an actual superintend-
eut OF the waterworks department. or
take the place of such official. If their
duties are 10 be simply 70 superintend
the affairs of this department and have
the work performed by suboTdinates
as must be the case, then what reason
can we give 70 the people of Rock Is
land why We can not manage the af.
fairs Of this department. and direct
the work of its necessary employees?
If we confess that We can not properly
conduct the affairs Of this department
what reason have the people Of Rock
Island for believing that We are com
pctent 10 conduct any departpent2
II MOVE TOW ARD MONOPOLY.
Another objection which ! urge tC
the proposed oIdiuaua, IS thai q re
moval Of this department I'm The
power OF a commission elected by The
people, is a step toward private own
ershIp Of, and a monopoly in, the salt
of water % the citizens of Rock Island
We have at present in this city tele
phone monopoly, a transportation mo
! nOpoly. a lighting monopoly, and
strenuOusly oppose anything which
believe has a tendency towOrds mo
D. uopoly in any article Of common u.s.
d or public utility.
WOULD BE REPUDIATED.
> 1T may be that the proposed ord
nance has received the sanction of
certain portion of the voters Of thi
city. burt / firmly believe that. if pass
cd. 1t will be repudiated and set asid
by a large majority Of citizens
WoEFUL MISMANAGEMENT.
In reply to the commissioners II
marks, Mayor SChriver said tina
though the commission is not lackin
IN ability to conduct the affairs of III
department any more than have bee
g former councils. he recognizes the nee
> of a commission He declared tina
the system, the most important in tn
} affairs OF the community, has bee
! marked by wosful mismanagement "a
years He said that half million do