The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-09-02

nat Is the matter with the finance
committee of the City Council and the
repore Oh Expert Accountant Callahan?
Is there 'ugger'' in the wood piIe2
What means all this quiet maneuveripg
by various members of the conr,itteeg
Why is the thing to he guarded so
secretly?
Is it Il matter of public interest, or
Only OF importance to one OF the com
mittces OF Council?
Are the tax payers Of Roanoke entitled
TO Know what report contains which
cost them perhaps II half thousand dol
lars?
WHY is it that the members Of counc;,
nave not been furnished with n copy of
the same rs provided Mt the last meeting
of the body?
Is there anything secret about it that
the public should not know?
Is the committee i'll charge of il afraid
for the public TO know what it contains
and have chance to analyze it?
The above questions are pertinent to
the subject from the very fact that this
report has been in the hands of the
finance committee for nearly n week.
They have held several meetings and
have had every oppoi sunity in the world
10 discuss the matter and prepare their
report. They know what il contains but
has 1T been given to the other member of
the Council? They say no, and they don't
seem to kdow exactly when they will get
1t. or course 1t will be given to the Coun-
Gil before the court convcnes for the trial
OF MIR. Noble. who figures largely in the
report AS Tuesday Is set for this trial.
it behooves the Council to push matters
little. reporter for The Times re-
ceived nm intimatlon yesterday that
meeting of the body would be called for
Friday night. Steps were ut once taken
to verify the report, and it seems that
such is the intention. The reporter saw
CLERK w. f. Thomas who stated, when
questioned about the hardness in placing
the reports in the hands of the Council,
that he had been instructed by the finance
committee to give them out on Friday
morning. This fact, coupled with the in
tention of calling meeting for that
nlEht,makes the whole thing look mighty
suspicious,as 1t does not give the average
councilman any opportunity whatever to
examine iuto the merit or details OF the
report before being called upon to act
upon it.
This manoeuvering just sim ply places
the members of the Council practically
IN the position of hearing the report read,
as most of them are business or laborino-
men and cannot take day OF to study
into the merits OF the report
The document is said TO he very extern
sive and embraces, perhaps, 80, 900 words.
1t would probably require two hours to
reau it without any time for cool study
and sober thought.
1t being matter of so grave import
ance and one that will probably effect the
liberties of Il fellow citizen. who was at
one time trusted empoye OF the city. it
seems rs If it lis matter that should
court the fullest and most Complete in
hot Gx-t
the people of Roanoke.
1t looks clearly rs If the finance COM
mittee intends to keep the report out of
the hands of the various members OF the
Council until the last possible moment.
1t looks like clear case OF '.If can't
beaU you one way, / will another The
copies OF this report should be in the
hands OF the Councilmen as intended and
they should he given an opportunity to
go over it carefully and analyze it for
themselves before being called upon TO
pass upon it In their Official capacity
Let this matter DE made public. The
people have paid for this investigation
ana are entitled to be informed as to
what the report contains. There is no
possible excuse for this diily-dallyinp
and delay of matters, .and why the com
mittee chooses to do this is matter of
much speculation and one OF the incom-
prehensible things that the ordinary in
terested observers can't determines
Inc gentlemen who have do3htless
1amiliarized themselves with the report
ana Know moro about it than anybody
else ana who seem to be so DESTROYS of
observing such suspicious secrecy are
Messrs Fox. Page, Mays, Minnahan and
Newton,as they are the members compos-
ny this important committee