San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-09-24
SHORT STOPS.
What the People are Saying.


What the People are Saying.
Perhaps it makes little difference to
the tax burdened citizen what becomes OF
the twelve hundred dollars annual APP
preparation known as the Mayors con-
tingent fund"
The money has to be spent and whether
IL goes TO charity abroad or at home is OF
little consequence 10 the man who has to
pay the bill.
The expenditure of s., 1875 to take city
census when the U. s. government was
performing the same work, looks like
very high handed piece of work, especial
ly as it was without authority from the
city council.
The doing away with an efficient and
inexpensive volunteer fire department.
and the substitution of an expensive paid
department at time when economy
should have been the watchword OF
faithful city administration, only caused
temporary ripple of discomfort. The
tax payer of San Antonio is as patient an
animal as the Mexican buro.
The fact that by mismanagement or
lack of ability to conduct municipal I'M
dertaking of any magnitude at all, the
new city hall is to cost $4,000 more than
the original contract price, only falls into
line with the long array of municipal
blunders to call them by the mildest
| terms.
But we are supposed to be running cur
| city government under a charter from the
state, which charter gives to the city
officials all the power, latitude and emol-
umentS they can exercise or are entitled
| to.
The city council is entrusted with the
entire legislation necessary to run the
city. If they abuse the wide authority
entrusted to them the people are to blame
for electing such men. But line had to
be drawn somewhere for the protection of
the people against the cupidity of mem
berS of the city legislature. in order that
they might not be influenced by motives
of personal interest or gain in dispensing
the public money.
The city charter (section 246,) prohibits
every member OF the city council from
| holding any office or employment from
the city while he is a nember of the
council. In the face of this direct prohi
bition, the city council voted at its last
meeting $3.50 out of the peoples money to
recompenSe Alderman Weber for his SER
vice as temporary chief the fire depart
| ment.
The people are not so callous to all
sense of injury, so Indifferent to all
phases of municipal crookedness, but that
such an incident should pass unnoticed.
1t was the last tamale Shuck laid on the
wilt.
| Alderman Weber, no doubt, simply I'M
dertook the task OF chief of the fire de-
| partment to please Mayor Callaghan, un-
til his highnesS could find some entirely
unknown man, entirely innocent of any
connection or sympathy with the old,
faithful volunteer department, to nil the
place.
Alderman Weser never expected to
serve so long, and in fact the duties Of
| the chief were largely performed by chiefs
| of the different ire companies. But 1T
was hard to find just the right kind of a
man to suit the mayor and his right-h hand
| bower, Alderman Lockwood.
The trip to Europe interviewed, months
passed away, the mayor return ed and
after an intermsSion of six months, His
| Honor again occupied the city throne
| Weber was relieved, the mayor had
found his beau ideal of a chief. Nobody
knows anything about him, he had never
been connected with the San Antonio vol
unteer department, was an American,
and no doubt fills the Callaghan- Lock-
WOOD bill of particulars.
|
Weber deserved something for his SER
vices in holding the position down until
Callaghan found his man. Cold thanks
was not enough, so resolution TO pay
him $3.50 was introduced but did not
| carry.
At the next meeting it was again
brought up and carried. The city char
ter may as well be thrown into the fire.
If Weber was entitled to anything he
was entitled to the full salary.
it looks very much as if the whole city
council is in the same boat with Weber,
and dare not enforce the prohibition of
the city charter, or have become entirely
reckless OF their Obligations to the people
they represent.
Scanning the arch of municipal eXtrav-
agance, recklesSneSS, mismanagement,
personal government and political cor
ruptiOn erected under the present admin
istratiOn, the people must conclude that
it only required the little $3.50 aldermanic
keystone TO make il complete.