The Marietta journal. (Marietta, Ga.) 1918-1944, 1919-03-28
M'NEEL COMES BACK AT
MAYOR BRUMBY ASKING
FOR COMMITTEE AUDIT
Thinks City Wells Are Only
A Temporary Supply
Says City Has Wasted Money on
Wells Which Are Abandoned Now.
Claims Finances of City Are In a
Deplorable Condition
The Marietta Journal and the Cobb
County Times, Marietta, Ga.

The Marietta Journal and the Cobb
County Times, Marietta, Ga.
Dear Sirs:-
AS both Of your papers carried
in your issue of last week a letter
from Mr.. Brumby in which he denies
the allegations made in my former
letter, / beg to ask that you publish
the following
The people of Marietta are no in
terested in newspaper controversy,
especially one of a personal nature.
What they want and should have are
facts.
Mr.. Brumby's denial of the allie
cations made by me is very mislead-
ing, and some of his statements are
wholly incorrect.
In my former letter, l made the
following allegations
/. That the Water Board at meet
ing in January admitted that they
were in financial straights.
2. That the Board at the same meet
ing admitted that the City was prac-
tically dependent on the one well
opposite the plant of The McNeel
Marble Company for its water sup
ply.
3. That the present Board has ma
terially increased water rates.
4. That since the present Board has
been in control, the fire insurance
rates have been increased some eight
or ten thousand dollars per year.
desire to amend this by saying that
this increase took place since Mr..
Brumby went into the office of Mayor.
l make the following further al
legations:
5. That the Board of Lights and
Water Works have employed three
expert engineers for advice on its
water supply. Contrary to this expert
advice, the present Board has con-
tinued to dig wells.
6. That the water is impure and
is now being treated with chemicals.
7. That the water from our wells
is surface water.
8. That when the Government es-
tablished a. camp at Blackjack, they
condemned the water and prohibited
their men drinking it until it was
boiled or treated with chemicals. That
Mr.. Brumby knew this but did not
give the people of Marietta any warn
ing.
9. That the water from the new well
opposite the plant of The McNeel
Marble Company is draining bed of
peat, which is decayed vegetation, -
feet below the surface of the ground.
That the water from this well is
pumped direct into the mains.
10. That the we'll on Cole Street
is located within few feet of
filthy stream.
Ii. That thousands of dollars have
been spent by this Administration in
digging wells that were abandoned.
~. That the experts referred to
saw that deep we'll water supply for
Marietta is temporary. That within
a reasonably short time the wells must
be abandoned, entailing loss OF
thousands of dollars to our City.
10. That when Mr.. Brumby as
sumed office as Mayor, the City's In
debtedness was $12,O00.00. That the
City on the first day of January last
had outstanding obligations unpaid to
the total of over $109,000.00.
Ia. That in addition to the above,
the City of Marietta is now defen-
dant in damage suit for some $751;
10000 or $30,000.0O
/ make the above allegations and
stand ready to prove them. If they
are true, the City's affairs are in
deplorable condition. If not true,
have done Mr.. Brumby an injustice,
and am due him an apology, which
| stand ready to make through the
public press of Marietta.
In order to ascertain the correct
ness or incorrectness of these allega-
tons, l make the following poposi-
ton:
That an investigation be made by
committee consisting of our three
bank presidents. mention the bank
presidents for. two reasons: First, be-
cause they are thoroughly conversant
with audits, and matters financial.
Second, because practically every tax
payer in Marietta is doing business
through one or another of these bank
ing institutions.
If for any reason Mr.. Brumby OBJ
iects to this committee, / propose
that he name a representative; that
| name one, and that these two name
third, who will form committee to
make the investigation. The findings
of the committee selected to be pub
lished in full in the Marietta papers.
Respectfully submitted,
H. L. MCNEIL.