The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-05-22
III M. McKIEVER
r EP LIE S
art her Discussions of the Con-
liaiozls atL ighting Plant
,difor sumter Daily item: /:

4
EdItor Sumter Daily Item:
sepaying. IN part, to Mr.. Brown, the
csty Managers letter. in the Item, Of
Hay 14th, because of my letter to
eouacis regar riding conditsoEs at the
seower static wiz state that ] did
not accuse MIR Brown of being capa-
hle of operating the lighting plant
nor would accuse him of being capa-
Die of operating the water plant or
zrly other depa 1fmenI of the city. So
xar IS my knowledge of his ability he
may be able to operate any one or all
none
However. do, assert that he is en-
ployed by the city as city nnanag ger and
hs has repeatedly in official notices in
Sfhe Itern signed his name with that
txtle after has name Such being the
case It is to be supposed that the title
carried or should have carried With
general Supervision. under direc-
ttoa of council Of all the departments
affafrs ofs the city. except health
xa6 possibly the police departments.
al even touched them more or less
zssld that was his duty to see that they
s4refe operated efficiently and econom-s
icany by the managers in charge, and
his Was not being done to call it to
the sttention Of council if he could not
Ssf results so council could act.
uffter assert that it is not nee
fora successful manager to be
aE expert in even one department. or
eFen have a passing knowledge, al
zkongh Il he was an expert or had
Ssch knowIedge it would tighten his
s&bois. All that is required is that the
81 who would successfu fully fill the,
position have plenty OF common sense.
TO know whar is required and - pre-.
srent son,etlain being put OF liIl.
xasd adflity to ask quest ions, su-l -licient
5SdEasenf fo digest the Information
als ohtained to get at the facts, and
ssElilseient So to put the job over
"a 10 whom is due the blame Gf
knynnss for The poor service and the
eondi itiBns at the power plant i do
: hUx know That I have asked council
& fsssernine. When I went to the
4 plant to find out whether or not I
Should continue to- depend on power
5 rom The station or install my own
niaHh not fnding Mr. Olsen there. Z
isarEred Of dr Brown what was the
s6nlple and he told me the motor 5on
/ the circulating pump had burnt out.
lfisl not go there to examine the
Siant nor did & do so. The only thing
q was that the circulating pump
e6uisf Be operated by either steam or
Hsecf fffcify. satarally . asked why
szgte ggte ateans end was not being used. He:
EepN ia that t. vas worn out but that
hey had tried to get along with it and
IS fnally gave out about half past
hH che night before: It was while
le him that he furnished
{be nf0rmat1 that the other big eIa-
s;fie sWas IN seondition to run except;
fpY Il i6e belt being apart and that in
sYsplss TO my inquiry as to how long it,
gNssxs IN that condf ftion. he did say two:
smensh Hes did not say two or three,
as De snow claims. 5;afr. olseis
4sipee inf fornned me that It first
ez1aes loose about six weeks before and
that he had it repaired and that it
came loose again second time about
weeks before: Evidently Mr.. :
sBsow id not know this nor did he
c,EYact me- about the length OF time
when criticised it being allowed to be
six that eondi dition for two months E.yi
dent also failed to- acquire that
:EncRiedge in the course Of the gener-
Al supervision that he admits it is his
sasg ao give ss,s.Ss s3-
Tie grounds for tie charges Of in
efficiency and carelessness in my let
ter to- Council were based upon inf for- |
sson; given me by Mr.. Brown in re-
spE to my questions. If the infornna
non was correct then the charges
nfise be sustained. if they are not the
charges viii faii and EswiIl gladly re-
lact them It Easafso upon this in (
fof9niat atipn that I said 1t showed poor
mana cement I did not cnarge him or
any one else with being responsible |
Il do not now undertake to say who
WaS t0 blame. He, however, must
haye felt in some way to blame for he |
replied that he was managing the best
he knew low TO, which replied that
Retained 1t still showed poor manage
meuf 1t was then that he remarked
that he Objected to being criticised. |
He having taken my criticism person
ally, could only assert my right as
citizen and taxpayer to tell him Il
would critieise him or any one else
when believed had a just cause.
ar. Brown is correct as to it be;ag
Necessary to leave one lap of, the belt
urcelnented until put in place on the
engine. When this information was
given had not seen where tie belt
had to pass under and over the cv-
mented floor and as consequence
was misiead into making charge
that have since told Mr.. Olsen wasi
.,..1.,...xaiosc eond ,x,6II 90 foll Co,,nc IL