The morning news., 1897-01-01
1T WOULD BE BINDING.
The New Commissioners Would Have |
to stand by the Action of the Old.

The New Commissioners Would Have
to stand by the Action of the Old.
IL may be that the city council was un-
der some mistaken impression when it Ia
bled the ordinance providing for the paw
ing for President and York streets, be-
tween Bun and Drayton.
The ordinance, it appears, was tabled
on motion of Alderman Tiedeman becf Use
in his opinion and in the opinion Of ma
jority Of the members of council, the res
olution passed by the county commits
sioners agreeing to pay its proportion of
the amount assessed when in funds, would
not be binding on the incoming board.
Chairman J. J. Dale. the only member
of the board who voted against the res
olution to pay the bill when the county is
in funds, was seen about the matter yes
terday, and though he did not care to ex-
press himself upon the matter OF the city
councils action, he said in his opinion
any resolution or order passed by the
present board would be binding upon the
incoming board, and that it would be just
as much obligated to pay the bill when
the county is in funds, as would the pres
sent board. He thought, however, that
the main objection made was to the tact
that the commissioners expressly stipu-
lated that they would pay the amount
when the county was in funds, and the
board being the judges of the condition
of the countys treasury, and having the
right to say whether or not it Is IN FUNDS,
might indefinitely postpone the payment
of the debt
Chairman Dale thinks the streets around
the court house ought to be paved, but ne
voted against the resolution because OF
the fact that there is at present no money
in the treasury with which to do the work,
or pay the countys proportion. As soon
as the county has the money to do it, he
says he believes it should be done.
Commissioner ]. A. G. Carson. speaking
OF the matter, said there is no doubt in his
mind that every action of the present
board is binding on the incoming board.
Especially IS this true, he said, in the
matter of contracts made with other par
ties, and this resolution he considered was
a contract with the city government on
the part Of the county, being an agree
ment that the county would pay its pro-
portion of the cost of the paving when
it is in funds. Every warrant drawn by
the commissioners on the county treasurer
reads when in funds, he said, and there
should be no more objection to that feat
ure of the resolution than there is to
warrants issued by the commissioners for
the payment Of amounts due by the
county
That action" he said, was undoubted-
ly in the nature of a contract, and l
should consider it binding on our success
sors. Not only that, but 1 think the in
coming board could be held for the amount
whether it wanted to pay it or not. The
item might be put in the next county bud
get as a special appropriation for that
purpose, or it might come in under some
such head as roads and bridges account.
If it were put in under some such general
account the county commissioners could
readily secure the amount for the pur-
pose in the next budget. 1 think The
paving should be done. 1 do not know.
however, whether or not anything will be
done at the coming meeting of the board
with regard to it,.