The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-05
LUNCHES AND DINNERS.
To Say Nothing OF Breakfast, Lun-
cheOn and Supper.
Weak Points of the ResolutiOn--viewed
With Alarm by the Jurlsts.

The resolution relative to lunches intro
duced in the Board OF Aldermen the other
evening by Alderman Richards is on the
docket for this aftern on. 1t reads as fol-
lows:
"That the city auditor be and he is
hereby directed to decline to allow, aud
the city treasurer is hereby directed not
to pay any bills for dinners or lunches for
any city officials unless such bills are or
dered paid by vote OF the City Council "
This resolution is now on tha table and
the leading attorneys and Others who are
interested in the fine technicalities of law
hope that 1t will stay there or be referred
to some special committee authorized to
consult with the city solicitor the COM
mittee on ordinances and the Supreme
Court
The resolution is most important one
and although undoubtedly introduced
with the best OF intentions II would, IL
passed in its present form, involve the
city in an endless amount OF trouble.
"Note that phraseologyo said promi-
net jurist who has been giving the matter
close attention-"for dinners or lunches"
The intent OF the bill Is to prevent
officials from eating at the city's expense
but it falls far short of its purpose. Let
us be sure of our terms, continued tAe at
torney. According to Webster whose def
nitions are good in court:
Lunch Is slight repast between break
fast and dinner.
Dinner is (1) the meal taken i'm the mid
die of the day; (2) an entertainment; t3)
feast.
These definitions you see show the limi-
tation within which Alderman Richards
resolution would be operative.
Now let us consider what he has failed
to guard the treasury against. According
to the same uthority on words as quoted
above:
Luncheon is portion of food taken at
any time except at regular meal. Break
fast Is the first meal of the day.
Supper is the evening meal, but people
who dine late eat no supper. The dinner
OF fashionables is the supper OF rustics.
Now with these definitions well fixed
in the mind let us see how far city
official might go In "doing" the city.
Take for example an Alderman from any
given ward who is chairman of some in
vestigating committee. To make the
case complete assume that he has been
down town all night and finds himself'at
Turks Head on the morning of the day
on which he 1s to call his committee to-
gether and investigate. He eats his first
meal of that day, which is breakfast, down
street, because he hasn't time to go home
and attenl to his public duties. AT I0:30
a. m, he meets taxpayer who can throw
light on the subject under investigation
and invites him TO be present at the even
ing hearing. The taxpa er is reluctant
so in the interests OF the city's welfare
the Alderman places him under obliga-
tions by an invitation to luncheon. Note
the word 49, not lunch but luncheon
for 1t is at time during tho day
other than the regular meal time.
The ingredients OF the luncheon arc
such as to increase rather than diminish
the appetite, aud after the taxpayer has
promised TO come at night and departed
the Alderman is hungry enough TO secure
FOR himself slight rerast, which, coming
between breakfast and dinner may pro-
prrly be called lunch, and that comes
under the resolution. At noon the Alder
man dimes. AT night, just before investi-
eating, supper is necessary and il muse
be secured down street, Then follows the
investigation which completes the Alder
mans working day. What are the finan-
cial results? Breakfast, SL10; luncheon,
SO cents lunch, 10 cents; dinner, 20
cents; supper, 200; total, $3.50. Thirty
cents OF that is for dinner and lunch, and
the city auditor, no matter how kindly
disposed he may be toward the Alder
men, cannot allow the bill, and the city
treasurer cannot pay for il until the
Council has authorized il. OF course the
tour dollars may be allowed and paid
upon presentation of the bill, nut that
Is only part Of what the Alderman has
paid out I'm the interests OF the muni-
cipality.
III this resolution passes our Aldermen
Will incapacitate themse YES for effective
duty by going lurchless and dinn,rless
and trying TO keep up their energy on
breakfast, luncheon and supper.
For the sake Of one precedent take the
reports OF the city Of Partiisr town,
Oregon, series Of 1893, volume VI. page
2i3. "Ihis IS, the case OF the people vs..
Board Of Aldermen. Members OF said
Board ate a meal 81 81 per plate ut three
IN nutes after midni2ht on the morning
OF July 4. 1892, and charged the same 10
the city treasurer. The city audi or re-
fused 10 low the bi.l on the ground that
under resolution s17, approved March 3,
1889, the Members OF the city government
had no right to get dinners and euppers