The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-10-07


ton of the Utah Power Company
For Il Franchise-The Ritter Suit
Reports OF City Omcers-MisceIIn-
neous Matters.
The city council had a stormy ses-
sion last night. City Attorney Mckay
came in for good share of unmerci-
ful scoring for clubbing County Audi
tor Fisher an incompetent official.
Then there was the plumbing inspector
matter, which resulted in a bad snub
for Councilman Stewart, who was
given to understand that as chairman
OF the sanitary committee he has
hotnlnS 10 say as to who shall or shall
not be employed in the health depart
lhent. and then there were other mat
lerS OF Importance which precipitated
debate that developed into personali-
tles until the chamber at times threat
ehed TO assume the aspect of a Re
puDican convention in full progress.
The matter which brought a heap of
abuse on the city attorneys head was
a report relative to securing from the
county auditor a statement of the
amount due the city from the county
on account of tax sale redemptions.
me letter was directed to the council.
and read:
Gentiemen-Referring to my commune
lcdtion, OF the 22nd inst in reference to
moneys MONEYS uue to the city by the county on
account OF redemptions from tax sales
respectfully recommend thar a COM
peteHt accountant be employed by the CITY
70 make the necessary computations in
the county auditors office The auditor
ter n.
9eaVor to secure him such assistance
Inns matter has been in the hands of the
SouIty commissioners and the auditor for
more tlan seven months: and 11nlaes theI,
make better progress in the fIItura tbo11
IN the past 1t will in all proba bilitv take
seven months more to finish it, There arc
DeuMeeh l,zo and 1890 sales to be ac-
counted for. The entries have been rnada
ana the total amount of money received
IN each case noted in book kept for thar
purpose, so that about all thai is necae
so 70 De done is TO ascertain what
amount OF these several totals is due the
Guy and what amount is due the county
a coInpetene accountant ought to be able
10 calculate this in one week. The
pc postponed until after the November
eiecuon, to which proposition | declined
10 agree / am decidedly of the oninion
that me county auditors office as now
deal with this work Very respectfuIIy
yours, WILLIAM NJ7KSY uiiS
city Attorney.
me city attorney supplemented this
report by saying that he had been af
the county auditors office and that If
would be impossible for the attorneys
once to ascertain the amount due the
city. He intimated very pointedly that
.ne county auditor was not competent
To- perform the duties of this office.
y Meara moved to strike out that
portion Ia Gif
slatlng the county auditor was incom-
petent to do the work properly. He
then proceeded to score the city attor-
ney for making such a remark 1t was
d dlfect slap at the governor who an
pointed him. No man had better re-
Communications than Mr. Fisher and it
was not within the province of the city
attorney to come before the city coun-
Gil with report that was nothing
more or less than a campaign docu-
ment. Such matter should not be
tolerated. The city attorney had no /
right TO come into the council and say |
any official not connected with the CITY /
was incapable of doing his /
work.
Wiscomb said it was not often he
agreed with O'Meara, but in this in
stance he would unqualfiedly endorse }
what the latter had said. Personally /
he knew Mr.. Fisher was competent and .
the attorneys statement was all
balderdash, or words to that effect.
Dale also raised his voice against the /
-epcrt. 1t was Republican row pro-
badly.
O'NGeara-But are you not in favor
Of fairness?
Dale responded that as a Democrat
he always was fair, and at this time
he thought all that part relating to
auditor Fishers alleged incompetency
should be stricken out.
Callister thought nothing could be
stricken out of a report, and a general
discussion followed. during which
0'Meara took occasion to insist that a
precedent should be established as a
warming to all officials and particularly
the city attorney not to bring in any
public reports criticizing public Of
fcials.
Buckle said it appeared that the city
attorney had exhausted his stock of
criticisms or all city officials and now
ne had gone to the county end of the
building. Mr.. Fisher would not have
been appointed had he not been COM
oetent.
A motion by Wiscomb to table the
attorneys report failed by a vote Of
, 20 6.
O'Meara then moved that the re-
port be returned TO it's author, and that
he finance committee be instructed to
employ an auditor to do the work.
This carried by vote of 8 to 4, Dale,
3omney, A1ulvey and Norris voting
against it, and so the attorney will
get his report to put away in the
lrchives.
TO AUDIT THE AUDITOR.