The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-16
MAYOR WOULDN'T APPROVE 1T.
FIRE COMMISSION sTENOGRAPH-
ER's BILL REMAINS UNPAID.

:
StenOErapher Dreyer May Have to
Look 10 the Commissioners As In
dfvfduaIs for His $3.50 Fee The
Matter in the Hands of the City At
torney 10 Determine the CIty's LA
biIity.
The question as to who shall pay the
fees OF the stenOgrapher VINO served the
FIRE commissioners during the inyestiga-
ton Of the charges against Fire Chief
Mcguire has arisen and is at the present
in the hands of City Attorney Adams for
his opinion.
At the conclusion OF the investi-
cation Of the charges against the fire chief.
the bill OF the stenographer, Mr.. J. VI.
Dreyer. who took a verbatim report of the
proceedings before the fire commits
sioners. and which ball amounted to about
$50 was sent to council, by the usual re-
QUESTION which is drawn in such cases.
Before any amount for which the commits
sions may issue a requisition, IS paid
by the city treasurer. it is first required
that it shall have the official Endorsement
of the mayor, together with that OF the
committee on accounts. 1t is then trans
mitted to the treasurer's office, W ere the
account is paid to the person TO whom it
is due.
When the requisition Of the
fire commissioners, for the amount due
Mr.. Dreyer. was sent to council and reach
ed the mayor for his signature, he declin-
ed to sign the reQuisition, simply writing
across it that It was respectfully referred
to the city attorney for his opinion as to
whether the city was liable for the ac-
count or not The bill was sent TO the
city attorney and is now in his Office pend
ing an investigation of the citys liability.
Just when Mr. Adams will make his re-
port, which will have the effect Of set
ting an important question in connection
with the right of the fire commissioners
to employ legal counsel, stenographers and
other services from the public funds in
carrying on the contention with council,
is not known, nor has Mr. Adams made
any statement as TO when he will render
his opinion 10 the mayor and aldermen.
When seen by a Morning News reporter
about the matter Mayor Meldrim simply
stated that the bill for the services of the
stenographer had been presented to him
for his Endorsement, and that he had re-
ferred the matter to the city attorney for
his opinion with reference to the liability
of the city to pay the account The mayor
was not inclined to discuss the matter, CIV
ing the reporter to understand that the bill
was in the hands of the city attorney, and
that nothing would be done until report
was made from that official.
Chairman w. 1. Grayson, of the fire com
missioners was also seen, but stated that
while he knew the matter had gone to the
city attorney at the instance of the mayor,
for an opinion as TO the city's liability for
the account he had heard nothing
which would indicate that the account
would not be paid in due time. He said
that the commissioners had employed ste
nographers before in connection with in
vestigations, and that their claims had
been paid. The work which was done by
Mr.. Dreyer, he said, was simply the con-
tinuation of~the work which had been
commenced by Mr.. John S. Harrison, and
no objection whatever was made to the
payment of the account of Mr.. Harrison.
Chairman GFayson further stated that the
commissioners had employed the stenogra-
pher at the suggestion of a member of
council, whom they consulted in such a
matter before going ahead.
The liability of the city for the counsel
fees which the fire commissioners have
incurred in the prohibitory writ proceed
ings has been talked of to a great ex-
tent, and II is probable that the opinion
of City Attorney Adams, as to the re-
sponsibility of the city for the stenograph-
ers fees, will also throw some light on
the question as to whom the fire COM
missioners' counsel will have to look for
their remuneration.
II is understood that the point upon
which the matter has been held in abey,
ance has been that the services of a
stenographer do not come within the
scope of the requirements of the mainte-
nance of the fire department. 1t is claim
ed however, by some of the commits
sioners that they anticipated just such Il
contingency and consulted the proper au-
thority in council before engaging the SER
vice. They say that after doing this they
felt themselves perfectly warranted in
proceeding and never apprehended any OBJ
lection to the payment of the account
when the requisition for it was drawn on
council.