The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-05-12
..raa,.on Park theater opens today.
TACOMA BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS
II. Il. Mullen Appointed To succeed
David l.. Uemore%t.

Tacoma May I-Special-Mayor UT
,oaav ansalnte~d r. H. Mullen, a promln-
emf citizen q the north end, TO the posi-
ton on the board OF public NorKs nta1e
vacant hy the expiration OF David =. Dem
arrests term. lie forwarded AIR. Mullen
sane 70 the council this afternoon with
a request that the matter of confirmation
be Immediately taken up, as there were
many important matters coming before
the board.
The charter provides that all appoint
fnents lay over for one week unless an
emergency exists. An attempt was mace
IN the council to have an emergency de-
ciared. but the Fopulists demurred In or
der 10 give time TO caucus. ana the mo
ton 10 have an emergency declared faiied
of passage on a tie vote. Now the APP
po.ntment will go over for week
unlneky City Clerk Smyth, who every
now and then gets Into trouble, paced
himself ia a position during The meeting
from which he will have trouble extFicat-
ing himself Councilman Burger asked
late in the session whether or not any
communication had been received from
the board OF public works or an indiVid-
.,al member thereof I'm relation to the
mayors attempt 10 remove d. l.. Demon
est from the board during the week. Clerk
Smyth replied:
"a letter Of that sort was handed me
addtessei TO me personally. and was
oouehed in Language not respectful 10 the
administration, 40 concluded u would be
improper "a read Il. The letter Is HOW
in the hands Of the mayor"
This ended the incident. Later the Post
intellgencer correspondent secured pos
session OF a letter-preEs copy of the let
ter. IL IL addressed plainly and distinctly
ia the city council. Smyth's name or title
nowhere appearing. IL sets forth that
on May the writer. Demorcst. went 20
the Office OF City Attorney WickeTsham.
at the iatteF's request. he took with him
tho contract with Dickinson a Co for
the extension OF the water plant. Wicker
sham asked him TO 40 to Councilman
Lavender and tell that gentleman the
reason ne, Wlckershan. was Withholding
hla approval of tho contract was because
he had doubts of the boards power 10
make the contract. and that political APP
pointments or political Issues had moth
Ing 20 do with his action. Dcmorest says
be considered the matter untu Tuesday
morning. when ne went TO WickcTsham's
oftco and told him he would make no
such statement 10 Lavender. that he did
not believe politics had nothing 10 do
with Wlckersham's refusal 90 approve.
that he dld not approve Of that rotten
way Of doing business" and that there
had been too much OF Il during the past
year"
An hour later. the letter continues.
ncmorcst went 20 his own ONCE and there
found letter from the mayor notifying
him he was removed. his term of Office
having expired. and that he must turn
over All property tn his possession 20 tho
other members OF the hoard. remorest
here quotes a letter written by him IN re-
ply IN whkh he states he Is anxious 90
set out hccause az lack 81 harmony with
the admluistra ton. but that he can not
turn over the property until his SUCCESSOR
has been appointed
\ city official Is authority for the state
ment thar ncrnorvNt gave his letter "a
CLERK Smvth. scaled 81 an envelope and
with Instructions not % open r. until It
came up IA the regular order ~ communi-
cations According 10 Smvth's Statement,
70 Eas opened and suppressed As Smyth
persisted g. thc council that hc had not
the letter the council ana not hear II.
contents.
pnrlng the meeting letter was reCeivct
from the mayor notifying the council fha'
Do had removed nemorest This was .a}ac
"a on nlc after an attempt 20 have th'
mayors actions Endorsed bad failed al
passage.