The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-11-26
STEINMAN'S VERY SHARP MESSAGE.
Lawton Retorts That the Mayor Has
Not Done His Duty.
The Ordinance Relating to the North
Levee Amended and Accepted
for the Company.

| The regular weekly meeting of the
Board of City Trustees was held last
night, Trustees Lawton, Wachhorst,
! Kent, Davis, Bragg, Devine, Tozer,
Leonard and Pennish being present
The following messages from the
Mayor were received:
To the Board of Trustees: 1 am in
formed that nearly a week ago an or
dinance was passed by your board
granting to the railroad company GER
tain privileges on the north levee, but
l have not yet received the ordinance.
1 cannot understand why there should
be so much delay in the transmission
of such papers to me. After an >ordi-
nance is passed by your board it should
be a simple matter for your Clerk and
President to attest the same and trans
nit at any rate during the same week
in which it was enacted. A proper ad-
ministration of the city'S affairs de-
mand that no such delays occur. Re
spectfuIly submitted,
B. u. STEINMAN, Mayor.
To the Board of Trustees: I herewith
transmit to your honorable body a pc
tition of citizens and taxpayers re-
questing the appointment of E. p. FL
| land as special policeman for the local
ity bounded by Front and Fifth, NJ and
be made it is necessary that your board
should create the position. recommend
that the position be created. Respect
fully submitted,
B. u. STEINMAN, Mayor.
Lawton said that the ordinance was
amended in several particulars, and
was given to the Clerk and the Corpor-
alton Counsel to put it in shape, and it
was only presented to him NawtOn)
,i.r6f he
self that the ordinance was as it had
passed he should sign it. The message
was intended as a direct insult to GER
tain members of the board. If he would
look back over his own official life for
the past two years he would find plenty
of his own acts to criticise. Had the
Mayor done his duty the levee north of
the city would not be in the condition
in which it now is.
He does not know one-half of what
is going on in the different depart
ments of the city" continued Lawton.
He has put in very little time in ind
ing out. / have put in three hours to
his one on the city's business, and have
many times attended to his business
for him. I had hoped to retire from
office without criticising the official
acts of any city officer, but when such
insults as this are aimed at the board
think it is time to speak. He did not
aim this at the Clerk. 1t is aimed At
me, and he knew there was no reason
for it. He has no business to send
such communications to this board.
Mayor Steinman was notified in
ample time of the danger of the break
ing of the north levee from the high
waters coming down the American
River, soon after this board took their
seats, but he took no action whatever to
prevent the break The result was the
break occurred, which it is estimated it
will cost over $4,000 to repair
Joseph Gray was granted permission
to repair his cement sidewalk, on K
street, between Fifth and Sixth, pro-
vided that he puts in brick piers to sup
port the sidewalk.
The complaints against the San Jose
Packing Company were discussed and
referred to the superintendent of
Streets, it being stated that there was
sewer at their place and that the
rotten tomatoes and other things
blocked up the catch-basin.
Leonard said that there was much
complaint from property owners below
the city that sewage is allowed to run
through the gate at Sixth street in the
Y-street canal. He had investigated
the matter and found that the gate was
partly open and the sewage flowing
through. He recommended that the
gate be kept locked and that the Street
Superintendent keep the key
The gate was ordered repaired.
A report from the Chief Engineer of
the fire department was read, saying
that he had examined the rear wall of
the International Hotel and found it
safe. The exit, however, from the up
per story is bad. He would submit an
ordinance next week to cover this and
similar cases.
A. L. Hart suggested some amend
ments to the ordinance in regard to the