The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, February 19, 1918, Page TWO, Image 2
i Established 1844.
r The Press and Banner
| . V ABBEVILLE, S. 0.
Wm. P. GREENE, Editor.
| The Press and Banner Co.
| Published Every Tuesday and Friday
R Telephone No. 10.
r Entered as second-class mail mat[
tv at post office in Abbeville, S. C.
raj - J- Term* of Subscription:
^1 One year $1.50
K|;.' Six months .75
Three months .50
Payable invariably in advance. __
^ Tuesday, Feb. 19, 1918.
[ COMMISSIONERS OF
j PUBLIC /WORKS?
1 Last week we discussed some of;
Lfjf''. the imperfections and irergularities 1
ia the matter of the City Govern- 1
I" ment and undertook to point out, (
as we saw it, these irregularities 1
to make some suggestions in (
K# Ike interest of economy and bet- j1
. tar government. We said then j *
we would have something fur-j
. fter to say concerning the public i'
[" afffities in the City of Abbeville. *
F While we spoke, and while the legis-1 *
Pfv. - fcfcrve session in Columbia was in 1
Sv;' its last days, the powers that . be 1
^ were busy having the management!8
<rar public utilities taken bodily, 2
Mrtr of the hands of the City Coun-1 v
5V-_. ?fl by legislative enactment, and F
paced nr the hands of Commission-! *
of" Ftrfjfiir Works. j *
tbe Public Been Consulted ? ^
*^"s change fn the management n
otb" public utilities has not been
|1. ^gitatexT By the public in Abbeville;
t;. there has Been certainly no public
^ dfemand that any such change be n
so far as we cart now learn. ^
f;; It may bei of interest, therefore,
those who sought and who are
fej^poBsfble for this change, at this gr
Iv j ftne, to' come forward'and give ^
^ fteir names and explain to the peo- &]
'off Abbeville why It is sought to .fc
W- 'mix the change. Is the change to w
be made at the suggestion of the
Council, after it has satisfied
& Itself that the water works and elec- ^
?gi* plants are not being pro- c
KufrfcTy mnnrifrrf or is the change g?
BP^-p^de at the suggestion of the re- kj
RjS,v tiring mayor and of his associate
gp? statesmen? At whosoever sugges- D
I tion: so quiet and so quick a change ^
fit to be made, it will be of great |
interest to know whether it was
made for the purpose of getting
rid of the present management of ^
tftese public utilities, or for ' per- a'
jjptaatmg it in office. If it is made ai
fc; the purpose of getting rid of ^
|fr. Anderson, it may be effectual. S(
ff it is made for the purpose of w
keeping him in office, by the elec- hi
of one' man favorable to him fi
for a term of two years; of an- tl
flier of his friends for four years, b;
and of another of his friends for h
bz years, it is apparent that the P
fK job "will- be nailed down for at least tl
jj^.-lour years to come, unless plans *1
miscarry. tl
Are the People Restless?
It may be, and doubtless is, a c
n fact that the people of this City, or J1
"" ~e Vioiro trrnwn some- f'
h some Ui U1CUI) ut*? v j,*
what restless under the present v
[&: . management of these plants, worth C
P:. now perhaps $150,000.00, bought b
.1'; mnd paid for by the money of the
|p>' tax-payers of the City of Abbeville, s
F about whose management the public t
t;- knows little, hears little, and seem-j r
|r:. ingly has been little concerned. ItM"
fc may be that this is true because the 11
plants are well managed. If so, no t
change in their management should j
? be made at this time, so as to make
E-j them the foot-balls of politics, nor .
f- beds of ease for retiring and worn-! \
? ;' out politicians. It is however, cus- ^
pK tomary for the affairs of a big i
business enterprise, such as these j
ft?" plants are, that they be examined i;
by competent auditors at least once!(
or twice a year; that the books be <,
; v
carefully scrutinized and balanced, ;
and that a report be made to the
stockholders or owners of the eny:
terprise, showing in detail the trans
' actions of the enterprise during tne
last period. The stockholders and'
owners of these business enterprises
(t. arc the tax-payers of the City of;
Abbeville. They would, perhaps, be.
interested to know all of the details,
including income, expenditures,
expenses and the nature
thereof, incurred in operating thesG
plants, but so far as we know there
has been no attempt to have the
books of the water and electric light
plants audited by a competent auditor
for a number of years. This
does not mean that the books are
not correctly kept, nor does it mean
that they are, but it does mean
that the affairs of these town-owned
business enterprises are not being
run, managed, end safeguarded bn
the business principles upon which
other business enterprises of like
importance are run. The plants are
not being supervised by the City
as the Federal Government and'the
State Government supervise banking
corporations run under their
licensc.
The Buying Ptj?er.
The buying power of these plants :
has been, as we understand it, \yjth j
the consent of the City Council, in- .
the hands of one man and. if all
reports are true, he is ever willing
to buyi, It is talked that complaints
have been made against the exerlise
of his power, but whether
there has been in fact any cause for
;omplaint against him, as a buyer,
sve do not know. The fact, how-j
;ver, that he buys from year to11
pear, handles the money of the pub-! a
ic, and no public account is made j x
<> the people who pay the bills of j t
lis transactions, whether his trans-! j
ictions be scrupulously right or j t
lot, means that complaints and j D
uspicions will inevitably arise ^
igainst him. There is nothing c
rhich keeps down complaints against
niKlis. mi- whinh .satisfies ^
he public in regard to the truth or
alsity of these complaints so well ^
s publicity in all matters pertaining
o their operation. This we have ^
ot had. p
Mending the Holes. ^
Now it may be that the parties ^
^sponsible for this change in the q
lanagement of our public utilities y
ad in mind these weak spots in 0
ich management, and sought to f
>rrect them, and sought at the ^
ime time to put these business af- ^
lirs of the City on a more correct ^
ad business-like basis. But, if so,
seems strange that no such move C(
as made, or even suggested, in -c
le good days when Dr. Neuffer was
member of the City Council, and
le Kaiser of the Water Works ^
ommittee of the City Council. It ^
iems strange that nothing of this
ind has suggested itself hereto>re,
during all of the years that ^
r. Gambrell has been the mayor je
F the City. ? ^
It is All Speculation. w
It may be that it; has seemed to ol
iese gentlemen that they were th
ale, out of their abundant ability, E
id transcendent knowledge of pubc
affairs, during the time they
;rved the City, to safeguard the ^
elfare of the City in the old way, pj
at now that the tenure of their of- aj
ce is about passed, they feel Ti
lat some means must be devised a]
y which they may lengthen their ^
old on the people's affairs for tne j ^
ublic good. Perhaps, they feel ^
iat it will not be safe to permit ^
lese great business matters, which ^
!iey have managed so well, to fall '
ito the hands of inexperienced
ouncilmen of jinferior business
udgment to themselves, and there- w
ore, they have envolved a plan a,
thereby the management of the ^
lity's Water and Light plants may js
e made safe for the City and it*> ^
nhalutants?in their hands. The j.
eerecy and v.*ant of public agita- ^
ion, which ha? been shown in the j gl
nanner in which the change hosjn
>ecn made would seem 1o indicate;
hat something of the latter sugges-'
icn may be true. i_
Other Queries. | \
Or, perhaps, they believe that Mr. t
Anderson should he turned cut n? c
he management of the City's af- t
fairs, and they are unwilling to s
Lrust the job to the next .election. t
Or, perhaps, they want to keep c
Mr. Anderson in office and they re-,*
mil how near he has come to re-1
ceiving his walking papers on sever-'
al occasions in the past, and they ]
seek by this legislation to make his; ^
position more secure, ; <
Or, perhaps, they have found it,l
difficult to manage a council com-li
posed of two representatives from i ]
each ward and they figure that three j j
commsisioners selected from the j
city at large in an election in which ;
' ' '''
they would be able to split the up- p
town vote and carry the cotton rflill n
vote in a solid mass, would enatfte .c
them and Mr. Anderson to tiecomo ii
the 'Pan-German-military-autocrats a
of the public affairs of the City of a
Abbeville, a
Or, mayhap they seek only the t
public good, believing that the pub- r
lie is unable to devise the best me- f
thods for the management of its t
own affairs. f
Wiggles in and Wiggles Out. . 1
We cannot read men's motives,
nor know the whys and wherefores
of their acts unless we are advised.
The changes made may be in the
o
interest of economy and good government.
If so, we say that tha
people of the City, who bought and a
paid for the water, light and sew- P
. . _ _ _ 4.
erage plants of this City, should be v
taken into the confidence of the v
people who know," and should at '
least have a voice of acquiescence 5
in the settlement of their own af- p
i
fairs. The water plant was, some ?
twelve or fourteen years ago, in the *!
lands of a Board of Commissioners, [ s'
vhich spent large sums of money I s<
md was unable to operate the plant; P
;xcept at great loss to the city. On'ir
hat account the Board of Commis-j P1
tioners was abolished at the re-1 ^
luest of its members by an Act oj^, tc
he Legislature, after a full discus- al
ion by the Council and after the r(
natter was canvassed and a solu- 81
ion of the problem of the city's M
osses sought and the plant was, on pi
hat account, turned over to the
nanagement of the City Council.
Vhen the electric plant was pur- al
hased from private owners, the ?J
lurchase was made by the City
Council, the plant was put in its ^
resent improved condition through 111
he efforts of the City Council, and
t has all along remained in the 111
ands of the City Council. These m
ublic utilities have so < remained
uring all of the period when D>. ^
rambrell has been mayor of the ec
!ity, and during" the whole four
ears Senator NTekles has held the1
ffice of senator, and during the P*
our years that Representative
feuffer was a member of the coun- a*
3, and the last t\fo years, when he ^
as been in legislature: The people, to
lerefore, give themselves some con
jrn that while the "Old" tfine Relig- Ie
m has been good enougfr for Paul e^
rrcf Silas", up to the en<f of the
irms of all of these gentlemen, at
ie very end of these terms, when 80
iese office-holders no longer seel;:
jblic approval by asking for reectttro,
as it is said, an Act of thiii.
nd should be hurried through the
gislature, without consulting the *1C
iople who own the property, those ^
ho pay the taxes. At least a wotdl
: explanation is due the public an b<!
tis extraordinary procedure. ^
ternal Vigilance, the Price of Lib- m<
erty.
In the meanwhile the people of TI
lis city should realize that we are ;C
lying directly by property taxes,
id indirectly by water rents, light
snts, meter rents, profits on globes
id all electric fixtures, by license
ixes, privilege taxes, and in num- co
srless others ways, hundreds and th<
lousands of dollars into the city \ CI
easury of the City of Abbeville, t sp
il of which is annually spent with t ad
o detailed information offered the[ CI
eople of the city from year to year
5 to the amounts of the bills made, se
ho makes them, what made for, th
tid so on. If the people would take ho
lought to see that all of this money of
; properly and economically spent ur
ley must first cease to have an ar
iterest in the personal ambition of
liis and the other man to have a
eat in the City Council, and de- th
land that competent men take a ui
a. 1.U- ? I t_ _
art in tne management ui uit* tity, m
ee that business methods are em-!df
iloyed in the affairs of the city, j ci
Ve say this without reference to|tli
he members of the present Coun-j
il, who perhaps are as representa-' a<
ive citizens as are to be had. We j a(
peak generally on the subject. Of,p<
he matter of councilmen, mayoi%'h;
? - . . i
:tc., we will have more to say in j
mother article. ! sf
We Invite Inquiry.
It is our purpose only to state' m
facts as to what is being done and ir
,vhat is in the air, to suggest in-' p
luiry and investigation and to in-!
lerest the people in the manage-; C
nent of their own property. The tl
people should investigate. If there N
is truth in the charge that a slate
is to be put through to handle the
affairs of the City's water and light c
-? .
* . i
A Fresh Lot of
-V*V /' /. * :
Hare Ari
" > w 'i . ?
1 . fc
I
lant, while oirtensibly turning the
natter < over the voters of the
ity, let the peoifle who pay taxes
n the City of Abbeville get together
rid' see that this is ribt done. The
ihility to get people to the* polls,
md to vote them in accordance with
he dictates of other men, should
lot be made the means ofv taking
rom the tax-payers of Abbeville
he management of the t property
or which they have paid, are payng,
and will continue to pay.
Tell Us the Truth.
Let us know something about
hese commissioners. When are
hey to be elected? Has the Act
mending the present law beeti signd
by the governor, and' is it rtow
law, and is it the purpose of th$
arties responsible for the change
0 have these managers of public
forks elected at the election to be
eld within the next thirty days, or
ix weeks? If so, why are the peole
not taken into the confidence
f those responsible for the law?
3 the silence in the interest of the
late? Are these commissioners to
jrve without salary, or are we to
ay for three more salaried offices
1 the City of Abbeville? If .the
ublic is to be called upon to pay
iree more salaried men, what is
> be the amount of the salaries,!
id what are to be the dutiea and
:sponsibilities of these commisonei*s,
and how is the public to be
tfeguarded? Who is to have the
lrchasing' power of the water and
jht plants in the future? Are the
3oks to be audited in the future,
re supplies to be bought in the
jen market, or are Duyersi ro go
i distant towns in response to telerams,
the -expenses of the trip beg
paid as it is said by the sellers?
the public to know anything more
!' the future abotat the manag5ent
of the city's property than
has known in the past? When
le affairs of these plants are plac1
into the hands of three men, who
>ld office for an average term of
inr years, or longer, or shorter
niod, will tftey manage the plants
wording to flieir own judgment
td will, and without reference to
v City Council, to the people, or
" anyone else.
Tf a public benefit has been conrued
on the Citfy at even a belat1
period the tajcpayers should
iow it, and the men bearing this
eatf gift to the city shouf<T not be
modest, as to conceal their fights. ,
it should acknowledge that they
,ve been the public benefactors
the community. Tfj on the other^
nd, self-seeking and shrewd poii- g
:al practices are at tfie bottom of ,
I
is latest legislative1 undiertaldng,
; the real authors of the change ^
discovered, and let the put>lic
informed. And let us Have mr ?
- * fj
>re secret "diplomacy.
*E SOUTHERN FRESlTYTERrAIT fl
IHURCH'S $3,000,000.00 CART- P
PAIGN FORT BENEVOLENCES P
?: i
WBat It rt?
This Campaign is a united amT C
nstructive program, seeKhg- tfmr 3"
e organized" channels of the'
lurch to intensify the* growing^ b
irit of Stewardship and' to provide; c
equately for every cause of the! v
lurch. 16
In the fear of God this- campaign1
eks to accept the challenge which j
is present critical' amd decisive^
ur offers, to enter the open doors j
' desperate need and to meet the, (
iparalleled emergencies at home
id abroad..
Why Is Itr j t
It is to teach men to put God and c
e Church first. Self, home,, pleas- s
e and business with most people v
A T/> wMfavsA fKa nr_ T
ive nrst piciuc. icwxov i/n^ va_i
;r and to establish as a life prin-, \
pie God and the Church first in r
tought and action. ! f
To teach men to recognize and I
iknowledge God's ownership, and i
Iminister as good stewards the
)ssespions God has placed in their t
inds; 1 c
To teach men that God has a r
andard of giving as well as living.) i
To teach them that giving is as j
luch an act of worship as the sing-J 1
ig of hymns and offering lip of {
rayers.
The fundamental object oi' the (
ampaign is not for money, but for
le man. Not the gift, but the grver, i
rot the possessed, but the possessor. .
How It It?
This Campaign endeavors to pro- \
ure reliable evidence of the accom- 1
See Me Befori
?-* p cr s?'/ S
\
'
T. P. McKI
"The Mule,
Economy Your
Purity Your Stan
. ' J
' I
Your Unci? Sam wants you to be as sai
of Food, but there is not a citizen of thes<
he wanst to g? hungry.
In the matter of Conservation of food, r
the longest way. You cannot economize by
J 1 _LJ LI*.. V*? , 1.1 ? ? ? ?
uucis oDiainaDJie; mgmy nourcsnmg jooa <
the cheapest in ?fte long rurr.
Feed, your family from our store. We
out for the best from every viewpoint. I
and at the same tiimr highly nourishing, w<
way to economize!
W. D. Bar
TTi.T. ? i>?i 11 r +-U a maomn) rt-4* Iiaima i Vmti
li^uxu^uio vi tuc guopu aw auiuc
nd abroad. . \ L butche
To educate the Church of the own is
ver growing task committed to u? the mi
y our risen Lord. of ft i
T? persuade the peoplev to> accept fates '
be1 principles of Christian Steward- mulatc
hip and unceasingly urge the adop- ^ gg
ion of a standard of giving'by-each
iemfiw. "made
To offer a Church-widb opportun- apireaI
iy of applying these- Stewardship j- ^
rincipies through a thoroughly pre- ^ ^
aretf and faihtfully- carried' out gy^y
Tvery Member Canvass. amf ac|
To provide by April tlie- first $3,- ffns> ^
00,000.00 for all ffenevofent ob- saved
ects at home and: abroad1. adVant
There is a place for every mem- j- sa
er at every congregafiron- iir this ^y ^
ampaign. Find yours and' go to- cjjan ^
' il rv fx i_ - - _1' ? T\
romc. Lion i De ai aiacK-eci. yvruir <jown ,
it- ; tually
Ask God?"List'cov?Act. 0ff j
ECONOMY IN THE KITCHEN. "*
ferenc
a day
By Florence Taft Eaton, in Good ^Qr
Housekeeping.) t
Let us in our kitchens emulate . U
he spirit of a young officer in one ^ ^ ,
if our nearby camps, who said: ~Ijjove(j
hould be ashamed to wear my own ^ cq
rarm coat if my men were cold." sorejy
jet us be ashamed to cook dainties en|jste
vhile our men and our Allies are in g0j^je,
leed of necessities which our super-'
iuities could abundantly supplyV
_ i AMCJ
..et us be proud to offer family and
:riends only simple food. , ___
When it comes to saving in a lit,le
ways., I found, to my surprise. 1 q;v)
:ould pare potatoes and apples even seejs
nore thinly; I could bake potatoes;
11 their jackets, and make these j qj.^
ackets edible by first scrubbing!
I ftc1,
;hem thoroughly and then rubbing. ^ c
;hem over with a bit of suet so that .,
Grocei
xfter baking the skins are both ten-j9_1{._2
ler and delicious in flavor.
I am cuting the bread on the ta-i Don
)le; not a scrap is wasted. Crumbs p]ay j
ire priceless in cookery. | night.
I am serving butter in smaller |
jails. The old size will make two of Bak
ie new. < fry le
\
< ? >" A
*
:
Fine Mules
-.
. '. Y
' 1 :
. V :
. 1
ived.
I?v?.
. ' :
Buying.
' ' J
. . , '
i ' . '
LLLAR
V -J! '.)V
tvlan."
*iik,
A , j
Watchword
,*? j , -v
dard
r, " j. ,vi ' ' . vv-ki
' \: ;-i '
. , .
,' ??V9
ing as possible in the matter
w'. !V': * v \* ' , '
good old United States that*
. * . sy zj
em ember this: The Best goes
'
using the cheapest food prbromes
higher in price and is'
"
are constantly on the watch
f it is pure and wholesome
s have it Tis the very best
. ' ' '
. ' * r.
...
ksdale
? ? .* r i
i ? -X1
. . "?
ry scrap of trimming that the
r used to be allowed as his
5 now carefully wrapped with
?at I bay, and every particle
s used, r use batter aubstlwhen
not enough fat is accord
in this way.
ve the smallest portions of
er vegetables, meat, bones,
dishes,"" soups. They must all
' again in new disguise.
it cold water in the container
ich cereal is cooked, scraping,
particle off later, then drain
fd it to the next morning mufin
appreciable amount is thus
in a week and to the great
age of the muffins.
ve coal in my kitchen range *
2ping the fire never higher
Ire lining. I never rake it
except when a hot oven is ac- >
needed. And, finally, j. snut
is closely as possible when not
I find there is easily a dife
of half a hod or more coal
when this care is taken.
e than anything, I plan to
ime, for in these days we
give every minute possible
a supply our own dearly besoldiers
and our Allies with
mforts nad necessities they so ,
need. And, finally, I have
d the whole family as Kitchen
rs, too.
S B. MORE CO'S. LOCALS
T
are unloading a car of coal.
s us a call for garden and field
Our line is complete.
have the agency for the Wm.
rer Plow?the best on the marb
omplete line of Hardware and
ries.
t. AMOS B. MORSE CO.
1't forget the High School
it the Opera House Thursday
Prices 15, 25 and 35 cents.
e more, broil more boil more;
ss.
.