Kansas City daily journal., 1897-02-02
RIGHT In With The ANGELS.
ONE ALDERMAN, At LEAST. SAYS HE
Is COCK SURE OF HIS ABODE.
The Upper House of the Council Lis
tens to Report Written i'm the
Latest Comedy Vein and an
Explosion Follows.

Alderman Morgan says he will be singing
| in heaven when Aldermen Brown, Seddon
! and Morrison are forgotten. This, among
| other declarations, was called forth by a
! report submitted at the board meeting last
| night by those three gentlemen on an or
| dinance Of Mr. Morgan's providing for the
| transfer of clerks from one department 10
another in the event of rush If business
in one department. The ordinance pro-
vided that the board of public works should
inquire into the fitness of the clerks to be
transferred. The intent of the measure was
TO save hiring extra men for one depart
ment when clerks in other departments
could be spared. Aldermen Brown, Sed-
don and Munson, the committee to whom
the ordinance was referred, made the fol-
lowing report:
We recommend that the ordinance he
lndehnltely postponed It's caption is mis-
leading. 1t must have been drawn in order
to suppress business in the different city
departments
What would the author of the ordinance
nave Would he endeavor to remove. a
driver from the garbage department and
place him in the draughting department in
the city engineers office? Or would he have
an assistant city physician serve as cashier
IN the city treaSurer's otrce?
he heads of the various departments
give bonds for the faithful performance of
thelr duties, and should be allowed to make
5helr own appointments of subordinates.
ShoCld this ordinance become law, how
ions would 1t be before a nurse in the city
hospital would be expected to qualify for
the position of chief deputy in the comp
troller s office? The ordinance in its char
acter is Utopian dream, and not practi-
cal We recommend its indefinite post
poncment."
:, Alderman Morgan gave a very fair rendi-
ton of the role of the sphinx while the re-
port was being read. Then he began in his
own impressive but enthusiastic manner:
Mr.. President, ] will leave it to any set
OF business men in the country whether
that ordinance is not a wise and useful
measure. drew it to save the city money
and not for any boy play. l never heard
anything 50 nonsensical as this report and
know the peanut-headed alderman (NIr
HOW'D who drew it up. This report is like
goes. l shall be singing with the angels IL
heaven, sir, when this report and the men
who signed 1t are forgotten. 1t will be re-
membered against them when they run for
office again.
Mr.. Morgan's prophecy as TO the pres
ence in which he would exercise his well
kEcWn musical talents was greeted with
shameful irreverence by the lobby The
ordnance was defeated by vote of 6 TO 4.
Messrs II, Morgan, Munson, Johnston and
Another breeze was created when Alder
man Munson sent TO the clerks desk and
had read a letter from F. ]. Fetter, an
applicant for electrical inspector. At the
last meeting of the council the house, on
motion of Mr.. Morgan, referred the ap-
potEtment to committee consisting of
superintendent of Buildings Love and Elec-
tricians Z. r. Weeks and j. NJ. Kent, who
were TO examine all applicants for appoint
mcnt.
To this arrangement Mr.. Fetter took Sc
r!ous objection. In bis letter he said:
1T appears that the committee was
named by member of your body after
several weeks preparation. Since Mr.. Nor
gan has a protege who is an applicant for
this position, 1t is about the same as if he
had named the committee himself. This
would be sufficient, even If not so inteded.
To prevent any other applicant from taking
the risk of being blackballed by "A ma
jority of a committee appointed in this OBJ
jeCtionabie manner.
Concerning one member of the commit
tee will state that 1t recently became my
duty as electrical inspector to condemn de-
Iects IN some OIL ms speclfcatlons. Another
member OF the committee is a gentleman
who does not claim TO have any special
knowledge in this direction. If the othertwo
members disagree this gentleman will act
as umpire. No reasonable person would
expect me to submit to an examination by
a committee so named by my opponent. As |
my opponent has named one member. 1t
may not be out of place for me TO name |
one, and l suggest Professor Blake. Mr.. |
Weeks is an electrician of high standing, !
and a certificate from these two men would |
carry the Endorsement of the public"
The house took umbrage at the tone of |
the letter and Mr.. Fetter does not at this |
writing stand very highly with the mem
bers. Before the reading of the letter was |
Il motion was made by Mr.. Jew |
ell to refer 1t back TO the writer, but this |
was withdrawn out of courtesy TO Mr.. !
Munson.
Alderman Morgan resented the imputa-
tons in the letter and said he had no |
protege. young man named Morgan, |
who was no relative OF his, was an appli-
can't but he (the alderman had not known
Of 1t until very recently. He had been I
committed to Mr.. Fetter If 1t was shown
hat he was competent, but he considered
that the letter just read absolved him from
i'll obligations to vote for him.
Superintendent of Buildings Love said
that after such q letter he could not pass
lpon Mr.. Fetters qualifications impartial
y, especially as he had had some ex-
oerienCe with Mr.. Fetter's qualifications
nittee
The annual leases on the fire engine house |
II lh25 Main street and on the fire patrol
luiding on Eleventh street, just west of
Baltimore avenue, were renewed at a re-
iuctton in the monthly rents of ST in the
lrst case and SIS in the second. The city
vii pay SIS and $50 per month respectively
The monthly appropriation ordinance was
'asSed without change.