The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1918-02-19

they would be able to split the up
town vote and carry the cotton mill
vote in a solid mass, would enable
them and Mr.. Anderson to become
thu? Pan acknowledgements
of the public affairs of the City of
Abbeville,
Or, mayhap they seek only the
public good, believing that the pub
lie is unable to devise the best me-
thods for the management of its
own affairs.
Wiggles in and Wiggles Out.
We cannot read mems motives,
nor know the why's and wherefores
of their acts unless we are advised.
The changes made may be in the
interest of economy and good gov
ernment. If so, we say that the
people of the City, who bought and
paid for the water, light and sew
erage plants of this City, should be
taken into the confidence of the
people who know, and should at
least have a voice of acquiescence
in the settlement of their own af-
fairs. The water plant was, some
twelve or fourteen years ago, in the
hands of a Board of Commissioners,
which spent large sums of money
and was unable to operate the plant
except at great loss to the city. On
that account the Board Of Commits
sioners was abolished at the re-
quest of it's members by an Act of,
the Legislature, after a full discus
sion by the Council and after the
matter was canvassed and a solu-
ton of the problem of the city's
losses sought and the plant was, on
that account, turned over to the
management of the City Council.
When the electric plant was pur-
chased from private owners, the
purchase was made by the City
Council, the plant was put in its
present improved condition through
the efforts of the City Council, and
it has all along remained in the
hands of the City Council. These
public utilities have so remained
during all. of the period when Dr..
Gambrell has been mayor of the
City, and during the whole four
years Senator NfckIes has held the
office of senator, and during the
four years that Representative
Neuffer was a member of the coun-
I'll, and the last two years, when he
1as been in Legislatures, The people,
give themselves some con-
,ern that while the "Old time Relig-
on has been good enough for Paul
md Silas", up to the end Of the
;erms of all of these gentlemen, at
he very end of these TERMS. when
hese ofice-holders no longer seek
public approval by asking for re.
lection, as it is said, an Act Of thiG
ind should be hurried through the
without consulting the
,eople who own the property, those
Who pay the taxes. At least word
# explanation is due the public on
his extraordinary procedure. |
Vigilance, the Price of Lib
erty. /
LII CilS HcdLWuliS IuS pSopiS oh +
his city should realize that we are
,aying directly by property taxes,
md indirectly by water rents, light
ents, meter rents, profits on globes
md all electric fixtures, by license
axes, privilege taxes, and in num-
,erless others ways, hundreds and
thousands of dollars into the cityf
reasury of the City of Abbeville,I
Ill of which is annually spent with
10 detailed information offered the
people of the city from year to year
IS to the amounts of the bills made,
who makes them, what made for,
and so on. If the people would take
thought to see that all of this money
is properly and economically spent
they must first cease to have an
interest in the personal ambition of