The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-02-17
City Hall Documents Mislaid
In a Most Mysterious and
Peculiar Manner.
City Engineer Keene Borrowed
the Ordinance From City Clerk
CrawfOrd's Office.
FORGOTTEN AMONG HIS PAPERS.
Citizens are Dumfounded at the Peculiar
Revelations That are Taking Place In Regards
to This Office-Notes About the City.

The peculiar work practiced at the City
Hall is gradually coming to light. How
many ordinances and resolutions have
been "mislaid" during the past few years,
or since the first city government was in
augurated it would be hard to tell? The
latest find or resurrection of the ordinance
regulating the expenditure of money in
the City Engineers Office Is one of the most
peculiar affairs yet heard of in the history
of the peculiar officials of the City Hall.
Men occupying the Office Of city
clerk, in other cities, upon entering
the office throw aside their politics and en-
deavor to administer the duties of the
Office in a non-partizan spirit.
Here is an ordinance passed year ago,
yet it is not printed, nor is there at this
Late day any attempt made to have 1t
printed. The ordinance confers on the
Mayor power to regulate the expenditures
of all money in the City Engineers de-
partment. Now, the Mayor being Dem
ocrat, it wonld never do to allow him to
have SO much power, 80 the committee,
presumably, has orders to hold it back
meeting in an amended form. 1t looks to
the citizens as II the politicians who are
running the City Hall political machine
would like to divest the Mayor of every
particle of power. 1t is good deal like
the boy whose both arms were tied behind
his back and another boy gave him a
sound thrashing.
Il e.. To ~ IL
feat the doctor let US make life miserable
for him, even il We have to resort to shady
methods.
Councilman Washburn is considered to
be one of the fairest men in the City Coun-
Gil, aud when the proposition Of Civil En-
gineer Sweet came befor the council he
began to examine into the workings of the
department. Looking over the records
he found this ordinance, aud IL 10 said
there was stormy interview between him
and City Clerk Crawford. The latter, II
is said, very conveniently forgot all about
the ordinance, and according to reports
the blame is left upon City Engineer
Keene. 1t is said that City Engineer
Keene borrowed the ordinance from the
city clerks Office, and forgot to return it.
In fact, it has been lying among his papers
ever since the time it was acted upon by
the City Council.
The t, linking citizens, however, fail to
see why City Clerk Crawford is blameless
in the matter. They are asking why the
City Clerk allowed an!important document
to GO out of his possession. If, they
think, he was anxious to do his sworn
duty, and protect the documents of the
city he would exercise more care in per-
forming the duties of his Office. 1t was
only the matter of stepping from one
room into the other to inquire about the
document, yet the City Clerk failed to
demand its return. II the city officials
are careless in transacting the city's busi-
ness it is time to give them vacation for
the benefit of their memory. Taken as
whole somebody at the city hall needs
to do lot of explaining before the citi-
zens are satisfied that things are as they
should be.