Evening journal., 1890-09-26
MR.. DILLON'S SALARY.
couNciLMEN SAY HE is NEGLIGENT
BUT ALLOW HIM THE MONEY.

buI ALLOW HIM The MONEY.
The Law Committee Had Postponed Con
sideration OF His Alleged Negligence.
The City Solicitors TeIephone-ml
Beale's Ordinance.
The weekly session of City Council las
night was less than an hour in length
but 1t was full of breeziness.
This began when Mr.. Lawson OBJ
lected to paying Building Inspector Pat.
rick Dillon his months salary of 1925
and ended in disclosing a queer state o
affairs In relation to telephone for tn,
city solicitor.
Rough ON the Building Inspector.
City Council had no official notice o.
Building Inspector Dillons negligence
and by party vote refused to withhold
his salary. Evidence was not wanting
and the Council was not far from censur-
ing Mr.. Dillon, and the speeches of mem
bers showed the feeling.
BY the merest chance proposed ac-
tion of the Law Committee had not bsen
consum mated. or the vote would have
been different The Law Committee held
] its regular meeting Wednesday night.
Chairman Magee was unable TO attend,
but the other members, Messrs Beale.
McKenney. Sharkey and Cotton, were
present City Solicitor w. T. LYMAN
consulted with the committee and had
prepared report in which Building In
| spector Dillon received all the attention.
Mr.. Sharkey withdrew before the com
mittee was ready to hear the paper.
The city solicitor was about to present
the report for the Law Committee To
| sign, when Messrs McKenney and Beale
departed. They left hastily, although
It may have been by chance. Mr.. Cotton.
the only Republican on the committee
was left with City Solicitor Lyman and
the report, and it was neither read nor
signed.
MIR. billions Salary.
Mr.. Baugh, chairman of the Finance
Committee, presented the miscellaneous
payroll of 81, SAT II at last night's
meeting of City Council, and moved its
adoption.
Mr.. Lawson asked if the name of
Patrick Dillon, building inspector. was
on the roll. President Farra found the
pame and the salary was stated as 1926
Tor the month. Mr.. Lawson objected to
paying the person mentioned while he
continued to neglect the duties required
OF him. He was employed by Council to
do certain things. but had not done them
and there seemed no way to get him to
do them except by stopping his pay. He
| moved that Mr.. Dillon's name be stricken
from the roll. Mr.. Perkins seconded the
motion.
Mr. Baugh opposed it, saying. ut is
not fair to the building inspector to stop
his pay. He may be doing wrong or he
may be doing right, we do not know.
He is supposed to be doing his duty and
we have no official knowledge of nerli-
gence. | think it is wrong to withhold
payment this or any other month
Mr.. Lawson alluded to Mr.. Dillon's
neglect to number South Wilmington
houses.
Mr.. Perkins explained why he seconded
the motion. Postmaster Stewards com.
munication had been referred to the New
Map Committee. Mr.. Curren, a member
Of this committee, lived in south Will
mington, and told the committee that
Building Inspector Dillon had received
official notice of the ordinance requiring
him TO number the streets there, but had
never numbered them. The New Map
Committee had not intended to bring the
matter up until the next meeting. but
he, Mr.. Perkins, had seconded the motion
to get it before the meeting. he also
referred to Mr. Dillon's action, or mac
ton, concerning the frame building on
West Fourth street and thought he
should be brought to account.
He Was Negligent.
Mr. Curren said "The building inspec-
tor has neglected to perform his duties in
respect to numbering the South VIII
mington streets. When the ordinance
was changed, so that the duty was taken
out of the hands of the street commits.
sioner and placed in those Of the build.
ing inspector, copy was sent to Mr.
Dillon.
About five months after that, Mr.
Davis then q member OF Council. pre-
sented a resolution directing the building
inspector to number the houses at once
The resolution was carried and a certified
copy sent TO Mr.. Dillon. He never
seemed to bother his head about it, for
the houses are still without numbers
Mr.. Baugh again spoke against Mr..
Lawson's motion to strike Mr.. Dillon's
name from the list. and it was lost by the
following vote: Aye-Lawson, Perkins
Cotton and Hawkins-4; nay-Baugh,
Mckenney, Beale, Curren and Farra-5.
What of the Telephone4
The city solicitors telephone was heard
from when Mr.. Curren introduced a reso.
luton that the Public Buildings Commit.
tee be authorized to put a telephone in
the city solicitors Office
Mr.. Mchenney, who is chairman Of the
committee mentioned, said that he guessed
there was no necessity Of giving the com.
mittee authority TO do that because n
already had the power.
Mr.. Currens statement in explanation
Of his resolution brought look Of sur
prise to the faces Of the city fathers. He
said that the city was now paying for a
telephone for the city solicitor, but he
did not have the telephone
This brought Mr.. Lawson TO his feet
and he remarked ironically that ii was
about time the telephone was received.
and that payment for it indicated fault
on the part of some one in charge of the
Frances. Chairman Baugh of the Fire
Committee murmured that the fault was
with not it..
Mr.. McKenney called for the question
and two members voted for Mr. Curren's
resolution. Nobody voted against IL.
President Farra said that the small vote
was irregular and called for full vote.
The question was reopened and Mr..
Curren explained that the telephone was
in the Office of Judge ]. Frank Ball and
ex City Solicitor Turner, and that City
Solicitor Lyman was in different build