The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-05-09
| ROASTING NIGHT.
Aldermen Severely Condemn the
Fire Department.
UNAUTHORIZED BOOK EXPERTS.
The Accounts Of the Municipal Court In
Confusion-Diseovery OF . soli-
tary Smallpox Case.

The board Of aldermen did some lively
talking last night and some Of the depart
ments came in for . good deal Of what is
called roasting" Alderman Daulton.
who is usually very good tempered. burst
out into one Of those torrents Of invective
OF which he is master, the board generally
condemned the Unauthorized employment
of experts and Mayor Miller eauterized
the condition Of the books in the munich
pal court. The FIRST outburst took place
when the salary ordinance was produced.
Alderman Daulton. as chairman of the
finance committee, asked the comptroller
for an explanation of the names of Douglas
Young and John Grunkranz on the pay
roll at $40 day each.
Comptroller Carson said the names came
In to him in the regular manner without
any explanation; that was why the
amounts were stricken out.
Mr.. Daulton said it seemed to him that
anybody could go out and hire men. The
council had tried to stop that business,
but it seemed they could not.
Mr.. Carson said if there was an emery
ency the ordinance required that the
council be notified. The auditing COM
mittee did not feel itself justified in pass
ing the item. and referred it to the council.
Mayor Miller asked the aldermen to pass
the salary ordinance, as the house was
waiting to adjourn, and unless the bill was
passed now the employees could not be
paid on the 10Th. The Objectionable items
were not included.
The finance committee. through Alder
man Daulton, said it would make all pos.
sible speed, but 1t would probably take
half an hour to examine the bills. The
house paid the board the compliment of
visiting the latter in . body. The ordi-
nance was passed, except the items for
Young and Grunkranz.
Later in the session Alderman Daulton
moved that the chairman Of the commit
tee on water department (Stocks) be in
structed to ascertain who authorized the
employment of two experts ON the water
departments books at $40 day. One of
them, he said, was employed last year at
IS day. He moved also that any person
who violated the ordinance forbidding
the mourning of indebtedness be deemed
guilty of INSTRUMENTATION and be removed
from office.
After some discussion tho first part of
the motion was adopted.
At previous meeting the board APP
pointed q committee to test the new Wa
ferrous fire engine on its arrival, but SUBJ
stituted the name Of J. NJ. Colman tor
Peterson, Of engine No. L. The house
refused to concur and replaced Peterson.
Alderman Daulton objected to this and
maintained that Colman should be asked
to serve. He said his reason was that
there was not q man in the department
who understood . fire engine. There
was q fire on Sunday night, he
said, which two experienced hremen
should have extinguished. The whole
department had been called out and then
could not do it. He declared that the city
was going from bad to worse and it was
time something was done. He repeated
that there wasn't fireman in the depart
ment who knew a fire engine. He also
denounced the employment of a book
keeper in spite Of the refusal of the council
to authorize it.
After some discussion Alderman Ingram
moved to concur in the houses action and
replace Peterson. The motion did not
carry, and as q conference committee had
already been appointed, it looked like
block.
Alderman Jordan said it was a strange
thing that there should be any objection
to Mr.. COlman. who was called to correct
an engine when all others had failed. Tho
speaker understood that they wanted
competent man to test the engine. Why
object 10 Mr.. Colman?
On motion Of Alderman Sweeney, a new
conference committee was appointed to
confer with the house, consisting of Jor-
dan, Daulton and Ingram.
Alderman Daulton most positively de-
clined to act, Miller. Ingram and Cram all
asking to be excused. Sweeney suggested
a ballot, which resulted in the selection of
Stocks, Daulton and Miller.
Mayor Miller then invited the finance
committee to examine the books of the
municipal court. He said an excellent
system had been devised, but as sample
only one entry had been made in January.
He had, with the consent of the comp.
troller, appointed Andrew Blackstone to
go through the books. lie hoped and be.
Eeyed there was no shortage, but he could
see there had been great laxity.
A petition for the grading of William
street was unfavorabiy reported because il
is a long street and the petition is only for
two blocks. Alderman Sweeney said he
did not think ii wise to issue bonds for
two blocks. Alderman Stocks said they
were to get road from Fremont to La
tona and these two blocks formed q part of
the system. DIR. Sweeney believed that
the city would have to pay these bonds in
the end: he objected 10 it on that ground,
and also because the petition was improp-
erly prepared. One serious objection TO
this piece meal grading was that the easi-
est parts are picked out and the heavy
parts left to a few property owners.
Alderman Stocks explained that there
was great need of through road and ex-
cept for the portions 10 be graded there
was no traffic
Alderman ingram said il would be IN
wise to issue ten-year bonds tor $50 or
$500; if the people would agree to the i'm
mediate payment plan he would vote for
the Improvement
Alderman Jordan said the mistake was
that man TOO often after election imagined
himself the state. The question was not
what any member wanted but what the
people wanted. The law says nothing
about short streets or long streets. II the
people want this grade the council should
give il to them. The people will pay for
it: it's for them 10 say how i. shall be done.
Alderman Cram said il is very difficult
for mos; people 10 pay for such improve
ments just now, and il might be wise 10
allow the other system rather than block
very much needed improvement.
The petition was rejected through 8 par
hameutary tangle, but will SO back 10 be
correctly prepared.
Alderman Sweeney introduced bill to
amend the plumbing ordinance. He said