South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-05-01
HOW THE BOARD OF WORKS
SAVES IT'S BIC MONEY"

Pres't r. VI. Morris Of the board Of
works. is mad; at least. perceptibly
huned; ditto. Member Arthur II. Rice.
We also understand that Member
John B. Weber is slightly disturbed
1t is all because that honorable body
OF men in their cbestiness and anxiety
10 exhibit their wondrous wisdom. al
lowed their authority TO bubble over
with respect 10 usurping the functions
OF the common council in the getting
cut % the city's annual reports. and
then run amuck in their farther efforts
that appear 10 have been put forth 70
save those reports-quite exclusively
for administration friends. Our little
reference 20 the proceeding, made in
this column Wednesday. is what pre-
cipitated the bad weather. IL served,
however. we have come To learn, TO
place a supply Of the booklets in the
hands Of the city clerk, where all of
them belong, and that bright and
early. following our first appearance
on the subject.
But they say they saved the city
money by their performance saw
ing quite consistent with other savings
of which the administration seeks TO
boast. We have it, presumably on
their authority. that the L. P. Hardy
Printing Co. did the job for SS96.
while the report OF the previous year,
1913. the last Of the GOetz admin
istration.-was contracted for with
.he Cooperative Print shop by the
GOetz administration at SOS. Looks
pretty good on it's face TO be sure, but
we also have it on authority very pre-
sumably from Mr. Hardy. that by a
mistake in his estimates, he loses
about $500, so that quite evidently the
job contracted by the Goetz admins
tration couldn't have been much more
than $40 high after all. Wonderful
saving by the city-S3OO on Mr.
Edrdy's mistake and by an angelic
administration at that. proposing to
let him lose II.
OF course the board or works will
tell yOu-it being Of abou- their cal
ibre.-that it was Mr.. Hardy's lookout.
not theirs. but we have also read
somewhere of a man named Esau who
was skinned out Of his birthright and
several cattle, because he made the
mistake Of overestimating the right
eous sense of a fellow named Jacob. We
are less interested in this connection
N Mr.. Hardy not caring TO be com
pared 10 Esau than we are in COM
pairing the board To the honorable
Jacob. but perhaps, the whole per
Torrance being a matter of usurped
authority anyway il will be up TO City
Clerk Rostiser and the common coun-
ell. TO measure out the fair dealing.
Ordinarily cities do not care to graft
of from anyone. especially under that
other ones misa pprehension. They
do not ask their citizens 20 do work
for them at loss in order that they
may play II up as a part of an econ
omy program for political effect; brag
about something that is no credit to
them whatever.
But this asserted saving, without
Justification or excuse. compares fairly
well with q number OF others. Par
ticuIar reference is made to the report
of the superintendent OF waterworks
the department under the special
observation OF Member Rice
Ii tells us that an entirely new sys-
tenn Of accounting has been installed.
II is true. but under what pressure?
service commission. There wasn't an
ounce OF initiative on the part of the
board of works in it anywhere; not
even as to the system of accounting
installed. 1t was forced upon the de-
partment by citizen complaint 10 the
commission.
Incident to which, along with other
things. Supt Toyne announces a total
saving Of Approximately $4,000 in his
department. on what? Mainly the
result of contracts made and work
done by the Goetz administration
while he was still chasing his profes-
sion of hydraulic engineer. but he does
not put IL that way. We are not ac-
cusing him OF incompetence. Under
the particular tutorage of Mr.. Rice he
could not well do otherwise than ex-
aggerate the accomplishments of the
department. The North pumping sta
ton, save as 10 the finishing touches:
the saving on transportation of coal
10 the station by interurban transfer.
and quite a number Of such improve
ments, were planned and contracted
for Ender Mayor Goetz, and 10 take
the credit for them. without compli-
menting the source is nothing more
nor less than a sort OF political sneak
thievery.
y is characteristic. however. OF the
exaggerated ego that pervades the
board OF public works. and that is
enough. the same sort of exaggerated
ego that led il 20 edge its way into
the clerk OF the councils affairs with
respect 10 the council printing. Plead
ing ignorance Of the usurpation is bad
enough II IL were trro hut the fact Of