The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1918-02-19
Tuesday, Feb. 10, 1918.
COMMISSIONERS OF
PUBLIC WORKS

Last week we discussed some o
q the imperfections and irergularitie
q Sin the matter of the City Govern
Il. ment and undertook to- point out
az we saw it, these irregularitie
ss md to make some suggestions Il
sa the, interest of economy and bet
ater government. We said ther
sS Fiat we would have something fur
ther to say concerning the publ
utilities in the City of Abbeville
& While we spoke, and while the legis
Htwe session in Columbia was il
iits last days, the powers that bt
svere busy having the management
,saf cur public utilities taken bodily
3 out Of the hands of the City Coun'
cils by, Legislative enactment, and
\ placed I'm the hands of Commission
ar1 of Public Works. ..
Has the Public Been Consulted?
B This change in the management
aof oW public utilities has not been
sgitated By the public in Abbeville; +;
here has BEEN certainly no public
demand that any such change be
made, so far as we can now learn.
u may be- of interest, therefore,
fW those who sought and who are
Z fespousible for this change, at this
t77lne, to come forward Sand give
iSheir names and explain to the peo-
/! & Me Of Abbxlle why it is sought to
make the change. Is the change to
4 BE made at the suggestion of the
city Council, after it has satisfied
1 ifself that the water works and elec-
I TIE 6gHt plants are not being pro-
s aperIy managed, or is the change
&, / made at the suggestion of the re-
Ering mayor and Of his associate
!; ;sstatesmen? At whosoever sugges-
/ ssiOn, so quiet and so quick a change
= 10 be made, it will be of great
futarest to know whether it was
1 sade for the purpose of getting
! nd Of the present management OF
4 shese public utilities, or for per-
petuatfng it in Office. If it is made
/ fcr: the purpose of getting RID Oh
Z lEr. Anderson, it may be ettectual'
III it is made for the purpose OF
keeping him in office, by the elec-
Bon Of one man favorable to him
Y fnr q. term of two years; of an
d ether of his friends for four years.
md of another of his friends for
: !. Iix years, it is apparent that the
fio5 will be nailed down for at least
four years to come, unless plans
G miscarry.
.s5 Are the People Restless?
It may be, and doubtless is, a
fact that the people of this City, OF
some of them, have grown some
! what restless under the present
7. management of these plants, worth
now perhaps s15O,OOO.oo, bought
i and paid for by the money OF the
fax-payers of the City of Abbevllle
: about whose management the public
knows little, hears little, and seem
Y inpIv has been little concerned. L
& NAV be that this is true because thu
u. plants are we'll managed. If so, M
change in their management shoul'
{ be made at this time, so as to max
.$ Them the footballs Of politics, no
IS. beds of ease for retiring and worn
) out politicians. 1t is however, Gus
tomary for the affairs of a bl
business enterprise, such as thes
i. plants are, that they be examine
by competent auditors at least one
a or twice year; that the books b
3 carefully scrutinized and balanced
and that a report be made to tn
stockholders or owners of the er
terprise, showing in detail the tran!
. actions of the enterprise during tn
4 last period. The stockholders an
owners of these business enterprise
are the taxpayers of the City {
q Abbeville. They would, perhaps,