The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-05-19
City Manager
Browns Statement
Reply to Criticisms Contained In
Letter of Mr.. J. w.
Nc Kiever

Editor Sumter Daily Item:
Inasmuch as Mr. J. w. Mckievcr
has seen fit TO address a letter to the
City Council, which appears to re-
nece upon me- and the same having
been published in your paper, | wish
to make the following reply:
When i was appointed city manag-
cr. the city did not own the lighting
plant. and. of course mono of the Or
dances prescribing the duties OF the
city manager mentioned the lighting
plant. It should be we'll understood
by everybody that to manage an elec-
trio light plant requires great techn1-
cal skill, both in steam and electrical
engineering For this reason the old
company employed Mr.. Eugene Mos
es. and for this reason the City of Sum
ter has. employed Mr.. W. c. Olsen as
the manager Of the entire lighting and
ice-mahins plant Mr.. Olsen IS an
expert at this business and is paid a
handsome salary, which I think he
well deserves The City Council has
ruled that Mr.. Olsen can make any
purchases necessary, which do not
exceed the sum Of 500 in any one
month. and if necessary to purchase
any equipment or material in excess
Of this amount, the matter is taken
up directly with Council, and not with
me. The fact in the case. therefore, is
that Mr. Olsen is the manager OF. the
lighting plant. and l have only such
supervision in a general way as may
exercise, in attempting to see that the
best is done under the circumstances
that can be done I would feel that
I was usurping authority to go into
the plant and ,ttenp+ TO dictate what
should be done with -'e2ce to mat
ters which require sKillful education
and training to even understand. and,
/ presume, it is for this reason that
the Council hired an expert to look
after this particular plant.
On the occasion which Mr.. McKiev-
err mentioned I was down there look
ing over the plant in general way.
attempting to see how the repairs
proceeding, and while I did not object.
and never do object. to Mr.. McKiever.
or any. one else criticising me for any
thing for which I am responsible /
did object to Mr. McKiever blaming
me for matters that were entirely be
yond my control, and for which / was
in no way responsible. It is generally
kaown that the lighting plant was
very much run down at the time the
city purchased it. II this had not
he oft Nar an
now be engaged in building a new
plant and purchasing new machinery,
almost complete I think the man
ager Of the lighting plant has done
the best he could under the circum-
stances, with the old and worn out
machinery to keep the plant going.
even as we'll as he has.
am informed that the steam pump
which Mr.. McKiever referred to. was
worn out before the city purchased
the plant, and the electric motor
which pulls the circulating g pump for
the turbine was installed for that rea-
SON It was certainlT no part Of my
duties to have the steam pump over
hauled, nor was it ny duty To have
any part of the lighting plant replaced
with new parts. That rested entirely
in the hands of Council and the man
ager of the plant. Mr.. McKiever
might have pointed out numberless
other things that are needed. and 1t
is for this reason that new plant is
l,eing built. If Council undertook to
replace every part Of the old plant
which needs replacing, it would re-
quire practically rev pant; and that
is what they are now building for the
City as rapidly as it can be done.
Now, as to the belt, Mr.. McKiever
stated that he had been informed that
when, similar accident happened TO
the belt when the plant was under
private management, the belt was SEN.
to Charlotte in a truck. III the first
place. | did not tell Mr.. Mcnejver that
The belt had been broken some two
months ago. but told him it had been
broken about two or three weeks. and
that Mr.. Olsen had been trying con-
Stantly to get man who could ce
ment the belt back on the engine. !
am told that when the belt was sent TO
Charlotte by the old company. it was
not to have the cement joints fixed.
but the belt :tself was broken in two
and had to be mended. and l am in
formed that even on that OCCASION
after having had it mended in Char
lotte it was necessary to have an eX-
pert cement the belt together at the
Joint after the same was placed upon
the engine here in Sumter. The belt
is such that it cannot be placed upon
the engine while it is whole. but must
be placed upon the engine and. then
cemented together al the joint, and
this is the job which required an eX-
pert to be on the spot.
Before I had any intimation of Mr..
McKiever's letter. I had already ten
tiered my resignation to the city
clerk and ,hreasurer to be presented to
Council at the next meeting. My
friends know that my health has not
been good for sometime, and it was
for this reason that I felt it my duty