The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1926-02-05
MAYOR McCABE THINKS
HE IS THE REAL HORSE
But The Public Utilities Commission Finds Its
Rights in The City Charter-One Can
Find Almost Anything in Charter

ytnlng III NNdrler
As forecast in this newspaper
last week. there was no deal
between the Board of Alder
men and the Virginia Electric
& Power Go. Monday night.
And Elizabeh City will not
make any contract with the
Virginia supcr-powcr system
unless the Board Of Aldermen
and the Public Utilities Board
get together.
/ Mayor McCabe rushed into print
last week to protest against the
article in this newspaper. entitled
The Cart Attempts tO Run Away
With The Horse" in which this
mewpapcr declared that the Mayor
had shown too much enterprise in
, dealing with the super power folk
! To please the Public Utilities Board.
Mayor McCabe insists that the
Board Of Aldermen alone have the
puwcr 10 deal with the Supcr-powcr
concern. The Mayor also insists
that this newspapers statement
that he hal ignored the Public
Utilities Board is groundleSs.
/ As for the Mayors last statement.
This newspaper has only the word OF
Or. 4. l.. Pendlet0n chairman or
the Public Utilities Board who in
siStS that his board has been ingor-
cd and that he bad no official notice
CT what waS going OH until the
Mayor and Aldermen had gone far
into their chickering's with the Fir-
ginians.
As for the Mayors declaration
that this newspaper WIS wrong as
10 The authority invested in the Pub
lie Utilities Board. The ihlcpcn-
dent can only quote from the City
! Charter itself. us follows:
Sec. l2S. The said public
utilities conimissian g. l.. PEN
T ileton, NJ. p. Gaii0p and 3. H.
JohnsOn) is hereby given full
authority and control over the
aforesaid electric light, water
and sewerage systems). and
such other public utilities as
the Board of Aldermen may
designate.
Sec. 1?9. That all contracts.
obligations, acts and doings Of
said public utilities commits
sion. within the scope of their
duty. or authority. shall be and
are hereby declared to ir obi.
cations of and be in law con.
sidercd as If done by the cor
! pOrati0n of the city Of Eiiz-
abcth City: said commission
shall exercise full authority and
control over the lands, real
estate, rights, franchises AMI
property of any kind now owned
by the city or hereafter COIL
structed. installed. purchased or
acquired. for the purpose OF
i maintaining and operating such
system of public utilities or any
of them. and with the consent
and approval of the Board OF
Aldermen may acquire or con.
strurt such additional property.
improvements or extensions
thereof as may be deemed ncces-
sary.
There i provision however thai
thr utilities commission may max"
no cxpcnditurr in excess Of Sl.1n
without the approval of the Board
OF Aldermen.
The Charter an Involved Mess.
On the other hand the BOard "
Aldermen claim to find in the CITY
Charter full authority t0 do any
thing they choose 10 do. with or
without the approval Of the utilities
commission. The City Charter il
Il loosely drawn and involved dOciI-
mcui that has been rewritten and
amended - many times. that you
can find almost anything In il. IL
gives authority io everybody and
nobody. The particular nobody Is
lIc City Manager, who has about aS
mich authority under the charter
rs stray hound from the country
in II pack of city dogs.
NOi The Best Contract
In iic meantime the utilities com.
mission has been looking into the
&,.pcr-powcr proposition and claims
TO have found that the Virginia
Electric & Power Go. is offering
better proposition 10 the city "i
Rocky Mount Than it, is offering
EIiZahrth City and the commission
will demand that Elizabeth City get
HS good n contract as any DINER
city. The power people want Eiiz-
abcih city To pay Il heavy carriage
charge for the 10 miles or more oi
power line To connect with the city.
whereas the same company. 1t l.
said. is Offering current 70 Rocky
Mount on 10 mile line to be bulit
without Il carriage charge Oh IocIy
Mount.