Evening journal., 1893-10-12
A CAR OR A PUPPET.
City Auditor Billany Refuses
to Pay Clerk McCloskey.
ACTION OF THE ELECTION BOARD

ACTION OF THE ELECTION BOARD
Bach Said TO Hold the Leading Strings
and Buiany Jumps Mt His wnl-The
Di Mare Incident Repeated City Coun-
ell Appealed to for Relief at once.
The Department Of Elections met at
Seventh and Shipley streets last eveoing
to take action on the refusal Of City
Auditor II. Il. Blllany to pay to Clerk
Frank A. McCloskey his salary for the
last two months.
Blows Hot and Cold.
It was stated at the meeting that the
city auditor had refused to pay McClos.
key because he had been advised not
TO by the city solicitor" It was also
said that, since City Auditor Billany laid
that ground, City Solicitor Elliott had
expressed an opinion that McCloskey
should be paid
After the matter had been canvassed
from all sides and the law consulted a
communication requesting City Council
TO take proper action In the matter and
pay the clerk, was adopted. Mr.. Nc.
Closkey was instructed TO send a copy OF
IL % City Council, and IL will probably
come up in that body TO night The text
of the communication Is as follows
WILMINGTON, Oct. IL, 1898.
"The Honorable, the President and
Members Of the City Council of VIII
mington.
GENTLEMEN We regret that lt has
become necessary to call your attention
to the fact that this department is
seriously embarrassed by the failures OF
neglect Of the city government TO pay the
salary Of our clerk, Of whose regular
election at the yearly salary OF $1,000
due and proper notice was given. We
respectfully call your attention TO the
provisions OF the law which govern this
matter. which will be found at pages 9St
aud 061, vol 10. Laws o. Delaware, passed
at Dover, April 9th, 1893.
Section 8. The Department OF Elec-
tions shall have power to dismiss any
election officer, clerk, or assistant, al
any time, and supply his place witt
another person. On the FIRST day Of Jan
uary, in any year In which there Is TO b,
held general or municipal election, (enC
In the present year as soon as they deem
proper), the said Department Of Elec.
tions shall employ clerk, and at an,
time thereafter they may employ othei
assistants, as IN the judgment Of tn
members Of the said department shal
be necessary and proper for the ful
performance by the department Of tn
duties by this act imposed, provided tn
expense shall not exceed 1000 In on
1 hn 10 ufao N.r La alarfru 81.
sistants aforesaid TO be paid as othe
municipal election expenses are paid.
eve have the honor to request tina
you at once take suitable action In th
premises aud provide that our clerh
Frank A. McCloskey, shall at once b
paid the salary now long past due hin
and that hereafter his regular MONTH
salary Of fS3 33 shall be properly paid
accordance with law.
eve trust that the neglect TO pa
him has not been intentional on the par
Of any city official, but, II on investiga
tion this should prove the case, we thin
this fact should be made public and sue
steps taken that it shall not again Occur
Respectfully.
JAMES S. DOBB, Pres D. Z 4
State and City Alternate.
The last General Assembly merged th
state and city election departments I'll
State Commissioners-Me Messrs Dobb, Dou
and Thomas-were continued to serve
both capacities, the state to pay the ga
aries and expenses Of state elections an
the city those of the municipal elections
AS the elections occur in alternai
years the expense is evenly divided. II
instance, in the fall Of 1892 there was
general election and the state footed u
bill In June this year the municip
election was held and the city footed
The Election Commissioners are b
law empowered to spend 81, 500 Il
clerk hire. They have never done
They employed Mr.. McCloskey for 81
600 a year. aud he has practically dol
all the work. But little over tn
amount has been paid for clerk hi
since the department was created.
The City Solicitors Advice.
City Solicitor Elliott said to an EvEl
ING JOURNAL reporter this morniI
that he advised the finance commit
Of City Council to report in favor of pa
ing Clerk McCloskey il the Department
Elections wanted IL done In his Opinii
the department has the right to spei
81, 500 for clerk hire, and If IL wants
keep him on after the wo
d is done, City Council must p
q him. He further advised I
Z committee to ascertain whether IL W
D the desire Of the Election Departme
Z that McClosxav be maid