Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-29
Mr. ENSEEN ANSWER THESE
Here's More Hard Work For
You.
ANXIOUS INQUIRER" AGAIN
He Comes This Time With the Famous
Gravel DEAL How About Discount
ing taborers' Wages2

Mr.. Enslen, your explanation of the
gravel dealsis not full and satisfactory.
is 1t not fact that this identical gravel
Dill was made. an issue by you in the
mayoralty campaign two years ago? Did
you not proclaim publicly in that cam
paign that the city had been swindled in
TINS gravel deal?" Did you not promise
II elected alderman to sift the gravel
dear to the bottom? Did you not sub
sequently become the owner of the claim ?
After you were elected alderman and this
gravel bill became your property, did
you not at once o. K. the bill
and have it allowed? Were you
not accosted on the street by citi-
zen who expressed surprise that you had
ordered this bill paid so soon, in the face
OF the fact that you had denounced it as
monstrous steal'' during the cam
paign? Did you not say to the citizen,
"Oh, that was all politics?" At what
for h,403.53? Were the merits of this
claim passed upon in open board or were
they referred to the street committee?
Were you not chairman of the street COM
mittee? Did you call meeting of the
street committee to investigate the merits
of this gravel deal?" If So at what time
and place? Were any members of the
committee besides yourself present? If
so, who?
Do you not remember that this same
gravel dear was a subject of cartoon
In the parade of the reform party" (0 in
their procession just before your cleo
ton? What was the basis of your sus-
p1clon that the city had been swindled
before election and what caused you to
change your opinion so soon after cleo
ton?
You refer to the law prohibiting the
city treasurer from dealing in claims
against the city. Don't you know the
gravel bilP'swas a claim against the city
and that tits unlawful for an alderman
as well as the treasurer to deal in city
Mr.. Enslep, you stated in an interview
several days ago that you did not want
the citys deposits in your bank. Is it
not a fact that at one time when the
city treasurer drew check on your bank
for 100000 in favor of another bank of
this city, did you not refuse to pay the
check and protest against giving up the
$4,000 to the other bank? And did not
the city treasurer have to threaten to
have the check protested before your
bank would disgorge?
Mr.. Enslen, Anxious Enquirer begs
to state that he hopes you have answer
ed truthfully majority of the questions,
but some of them are undoubtedly in
correct For instance, your statement
that while the teachers were compelled
to wait for their hard earned salaries,
you also had to wait for your rent on the
high school building. This is not true,
as shown by the public records of the
city, which are open to all persons. The
fact is that you drew your 500 each
month with startling regularity and sig
nal ability, as follows:
January 2, 1895, warrant No. 1857. 800
February q 1885, warrant No. 24O1 -. 100
March 2, 1895, warrant No. 2495 ...... 100
April l, 1895, warrant No. 1876. ...,... 100
The above dates covered the period
during which time the teachers had to
wait for their pay, and the time that you
claimed to have waited for yours.
Your statement that there was a sep
arate school fund at the time that the
city failed to pay the teachers, and when
the famous gravel bill" was paid, is not
true. The act changing the law by which
a separate school fund was set aside for
the city Of Birmingham was affirmed
February, 1895, by the way, just one
month after the payment Of the gravel
bill. and the records show that the rent
on high school building was paid out of
the general fund until April /, at least.
PreviQps to the time that said act went
into effect the salaries Of school teach
ers and rent on the high school build
ing as well as gravel bills We're paid out
of the general fund.
repeat the question propOunded sew
eral days ago and which you. from some
cause, failed to answer: DO you discount
orders at 20 per cent. for cash at your
please" viz, your commissary?
The election of mayor is also an cleo
ton to the office of chairman of the board
of education. AS such chairman would
you expect the teachers and other en-
ployes of the board to trade where they
please" viz, your commissary?
If the teachers or other employees
shoHld need money advanced on their
salaries before pay day, would you
charge them 20 per cent. discount. the
same that you charge other laboring peo-
pie in the employ OF the city?
If you stateAthat you would charge the
employees of the board of education more
or less discount than other laboring per-
sons holding orders on your commssary
why would you make the difference?
If school teacher or other employe Of
the school board should trade with your
store or commissary. would that fact eff
feet your vote either in employing such
person or in fixing the amount of compen-
sation?
You state in your answer to questions
that you do not run a commissary. Do
you deny that you receive hundreds of
dollars in orders or checks at your store
given by employers In payment for la
Dor? Don't you give such employers 10
per cent. discount when such orders are
taken up and paid?
How does your store differ from other
stores called commissaries?
ANXIOUS INQUIRER.