, 1890-02-13
A FIsrIo ENCOUNTER.
The Mayor Of Cwur d'Aiene Meets
tho Editor Of the Times.

CGUR p'ALEsE, Idaho, Fen G.-Con-
siderable excitement was occasioned this
| afternoon by tistic encounter between
| the chairman OF the city council and the
editor of the Times. That paper has
| lately attempted n crusade against Ger
tain alleged Irregularities in the present
city administration. and this morning S
| issue contained certain structures upon
/ the action OF ftheauthorities The mayor
was greatly incensed, aud ON meet NJ
| the editor inquired II he was responsible
/ for tho article and on reIciying an
affirmative answer struck out from the
/ shoulder, evidently intending to blot
| him from the face of the earth. The
newspaper man was too agile. He
didn't blot. After few moments OF
rough and tumble. the bclligerents We're
separated, neither being perceptibly
damaged. Public opinion seems to be
with the press.
TIiE ARTICLE.
Following is the article that was the
origin oil the difficulty. 1t WAS headed
Criminal lgnorance'
The laws of Washington and Idaho
are iuimical, An ordinance or line OF
policy that will answer Tor Spokane Will
not do for CWur d Alcue City. To ini-
tate the government OF Spokane, as our
council has done, is not only to work
hardships on our citizens, hut to com
nit acts which in themselves are
illegal
Last fall the city council let q contract
for grading Lakeside avenue. The law
requires that thirty days notice shall be
given property owners OF the inten tlon
to have such work performed, and that
unless otherwise provided for the city
will do the work and assess the property
benefited No such notice was given i
the contract was awarded ut once and
the property assessed. The stipulated
price for the lob was 81, 2jO-about three
times as much as It should have been.
The work compivted, the contractor
naturally wanted his pay. The lot
owners were called upon to diyy; but
the alacrity with which they didu't re-
spond was astonishing, Instead they
virtually told the council to 20 to-
knowing that the whole transaction had
been Illegal and against the wishes of
the majority, Consequently, some other
means must be devised for remuneraiing
the contractor. The opportunity for
relieving him finally presented ITSELF
About two weeks ago there were $50
in the current expense fund, Contrary
to law, the council created road fund,
and borrowed or took the $500 in the
current expense fund and paid the town
warrants previously issued the contrac-
tor. Ii this transaction had been
legal It would have been unjust,
for there were at that time
warrants of two years standing that
should have been given preference. As
matter of fact, no authority exists for
creating such fund; the city has no
legal right to road fund, and II has
/ been so decided by the supreme court.
IL our city officers are not aware Of
their duties IN such simple una tiers as the
case here cited, there is no telling what
may happen. A heavy responsibility
rests somewhere. We do not wish To
/ impugn the motives OF the treasurer-he
/ probably thought an order from the
council sutiicient-but as he is under
bonds he should not have recognized the
mandate without knowing for Ger
tainty that 1t was vested right TO So
order.
There is liable to be change in busi-
ness all around this spring.
A Thousand Men Out of Employment
McuSr CARMEL, Penn, Feb. The
Alaska shaft OF the Philadelphia &
Reading Coal and Iron Company's larg-
est colliery WAS closed indefinitely to-