The Palatka news and advertiser., 1916-10-13
WATER WORKS, ALDERMAN
McNALLY, THE "ORGAN"
AND SOME "FIGGERS."

controversy III IHe SolueH duIulli
time of the year, time when th'
frost is liable to appear on the pump
kin at moments notice and the sou
is buoyant with life and happy antic
ipations of the golden harvest, unless
perchance it is his nature to be belig
erent. Trouble may come-will com'
whether we will or no-but only thu
foolish man inviteth it.
The News has been foolish-it has
invited a controversy with Alderman
McNally of the Third ward. This
controversy was not invited because
of spirit of beligerency, and neither
was it premeditated. 1t was brought
about simply in the good-natured pur-
pose Of correcting what The News
considered then, and is now fully con-
vinced, was a misleading statement
on the part of the alderman from the
Third ward.
The News likes Alderman McNally;
he is urbane, sleek, smooth and fas-
cinting. He is withal man of parts,
a gentleman of manners winning and
a penetrating smile.
But Mr.. McNally is not infalible in
his labors for the city, and neither are
his figures indisputible.
He made certain figures concerning
the receipts and expenditures of the
city water works. The News had the
temerity to question the correctness
of those figures. Hence the contro-
versy
Last Monday Mr.. McNally took up
an entire page in the city's official
"organ" to impress his figures upon
the public. 1t is of no consequence in
the pressing of this reply whether Mr..
McNally paid for that page adver-
tisement out of his salary as alder
man or from his private purse or
whether it was paid for by some par
ty in the background. What we are
concerned about are his figures and
their proneness to mislead the public.
The News saw the figures last
week; each alderman was given a copy
of them; one of these gentleman
showed them to The News.
The News stated that they were
misleading: 1t must make good that
statement. 1t had decided to go to
the records, but was saved that trou-
BILE.
The "Organ' published this state
ment as coming from the city clerk in
its Wednesday morning edition. City
Clerk Williams Quoting the "organ")
said:
"The receipts and expenditures of
the Water Department for the six
months, Jan. /, to June 31st, were as
follows
"Receipts -------------S6,3 2.2O
Disbursements 6,944.47
"Making a net apparent loss to the
department of $612.27. However 7
am informed ny the superintendent Of
the water denartment that there were
on hand Jur 30th, 1916, the follow
ing" Here he gives in detail tn
quantity of soda ASH lime and wood
amounting to S2O73.34. and contin-
ues, "total value on hand less the
above deficit will SHOW RECEIPTS
OVEP DISBURSEMENTS, 1,461.-
o."
There is your answer, Alderman
McNally, not from the unofficial
News. but from the official W, A.
Wiliams, Jr., clerk of the city of Pa
latka.
Mr.. Alderman McNallv's report
said: "The net cash loss for one year
(of the water plaNt) is S2122.10.
And to this loss he adds the interest
on O,OOO-cost of water plant
$500. and depreciation, "a per
cent. S1,925.OO. In all making to-
tai loss to tax payers for the year of
S9.5471O."
The News said Aid. McNally's fig
ures were misleading. They are
worse than that-they are absolute
ly incorrect.
The News said that the Palatka mu-
nicipal water plant had an income suf-
fcient to pay all running expenses eX-
cept interest and depreciation. That
is fact.
But the city Of Palatka does not
pay annual interest to amount of S5,-
500 per annum. It pays annual in
terest on water works Indebtedness
amounting to S3,12O. Instead of pay
ing interest on $4,000, it is paying
interest on but $4,000. Of this
amount-the total Indebtedness of the
plant-S6O,OOO is for the original bond
issue and $4,000 is for borrowed mon
ey.
u-1 IL Io,,,.oo;o +;o,, should ha e a.