The herald., 1897-01-01
THE CHARTER ELECTION
II Has Been Called for
January 10th
WILL Be SEVENTY.TW0 PRECINCTS
Final Payment on the New City
Jail Passed
ASSIGNED TO CREDITORS
ASSIGNED TO CREDITORS
Finance Comm ttee Repor's on the Bonds
Of City 0fficers.Eleci
Four Of the Eight Are Defective and Will
Have to Be Corrected
The Matter of the Mateo Street Electric
Franchise Again Brought up to Cor
rect an Error and Finally Referred
to the Incoming Council

to the Incoming Council
The city council met in adjourned
session yesterday afternoon for the pur-
pose of passing upon the official bonds
of the city officers elect, and for the
transaction of such other business as
needed attention. AS usual for the past
several months, the members were very
slow about meeting. The hour set was
o'clock. but it was fully half an hour
later before quorum was secured Then
1t was discovered that no business could
be transacted, for the reason that the
bonds had not been investigated, and
for the further reason that the charter
election ordinance was not in proper
shape. In drawing up the draft of the
ordinance, the city attorney had evident
ly overlooked the fact that the Great
Register had been superseded by pre-
cinct registers, and no attention had
been paid to precinct lines in reducing
the number of precincts in the city. At
the last election the city was divided
into seventy-five precincts. and in the
reduced to twenty-five. But in doing
this the precinct lines had been over
looked, and in some instances one or
more of the smaller precincts had been
cut in half and placed in different pre-
cincts under the new division. This
would of course have left one-half of the
precinct without register. In conse-
quence, the whole ordinance had to be
re-drafted, descriptions changed and
election officers filled in. This was a
long and tedious job. 1t was taken in
hand by City Clerk Luckenbach, and,
although that efficient official worked
hard. it was 445 before the work was
completed.
AS soon.as Mr.. Luckenbach appeared in
the chamber with the ordinance, Presi-
dent Teed called the council to order.
All the members responded to their
names on the roll call except Councilman
Snyder the mayor-elect, who had not
returned from San Francisco.
The ordinance provides for calling a
special election on the proposed amend
ments to the city charter on January 20,
1897 The city is divided into twenty
two precincts two of which are in each
ward with the exception of the Second,
Fourth. Sixth and Seventh, in which
there are three each, and election officers
are named for the same. The ordinance
as read passed by unanimous vote, and
was at once sent to the mayor for his
approval. there being no time to lose.
On the recommendation of the land
committee, the mayor was instructed to
sign q quit-claim on behalf of the city
to G. w. Stimson, for a certain lot on
Ninth street, part of which was taken
for the widening of that thoroughfare to
the west city limits. Only five feet of
the lot was taken, but in making out the
deed the whole lot was included.
THE REBMAN DEMAND
A communication was read from the
acting city auditor. stating that he re-
turned without his approval the demand
of John Rebman for SS407, on the ground
that 1t had not been indorsed by the
finance committee of the council as re-
quired by the charter. This demand
is the final payment on the new city
Jail, which has been hanging fire for
some weeks past, and which finally pass
ed last week.
Mr.. Bordwell, Rebman's attorney, and
committee of the creditors, We're in
the chamber. and the former. and John
Goss, on behalf of the creditors, made
statements. 1t was stated that Rebman
had gone broke" on the contract, and
tina. even with this demand, which the
contractor had assigned to his creditors,
The material men would receive but 60
cents on the dollar of their claims. The
money was honestly earned, and they
thought that it should be paid.
Councilman Stockwell of the finance
committee, stated that the reason he
had declined to sign the demand was be-
cause there was penalty clause in the
contract, and he thought this should be
enforced, at least to the extent of max
ing the city good on the amount of rent
paid on the old Jail property while wait
ing for the completion of the new struc-
ture. However, to bring the matter be-
Iore the council. he signed the demand
PRESIDENT Teed and Councilman Nun
son briefly addressed the council, saying
that while they formerly thought as Mr.
Stockwell did, in view of the facts. es-
peciaily when it was question whether
the penalty clause could be enforced in
view of the changes ordered in the struc-
ture by the council, they thought the
claim should be paid.
A vote was then taken and the de-
mand was approved, Mr.. Stockwell say
ing that while he voted for it he was still
Votlng against his best judgment.
OFFICIAL BONDS
In the matter Of the official bonds Of
tne city officers elect, the finance COM
mittee reported that they had compared
the same with the assessment rolls and
recommended as follows:
That the bond of T. E. Nichols as city
auditor, with Henry vanderleck, James
gunner, Andrew Nichols and Thomas
Goss as sureties, each in the sum of
$4,000, be approved.
That the bond of w. E. Dunn as citv
attorney, with Thomas Goss and Charles
e. Day as sureties, each in the sum of
$4,000, be approved.
That the bond of ]. H. Dockweiler as
city engineer, with Margaretha Dock.
weller as surety in the sum of $4,000. F
G. Schumacher, Charles Forman. l.. A
Grant, Simon Maier and James w He'll
man in the sum of $2500, be approved
That the bond of John H. Gish. with
George H. Bonebrake and r. C. Howas.
each in the sum of $25,OO0, Joe Maier in
the sum of $15,000 H. w Stoll in the sum
of $4,000, Conrad Scherer in the sum Of
$10,000 George P. McLain in the sum OF
$4,000, c. w. Pendleton and W. G. Fur
rey in the sum of $4,000. l. w. Phelps in
the sum of $4,000, Charles Gollmer in The
sum of $4,000, Frederick Eaton in the
sum of $4,000, Thomas Goss in the sum
of $4,000, Simon Maier in the sum of
e600o Wesley Clark and e. p. Bryan in
the sum of $250O. D. w. Field in the sum