The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-10-28
TURNED DOWN BY COUNCIL
Lower Branch Of City Government
Speaks Plainly.
WOULD NOT VOTE TO TRANSFER
$3.50 TO CONTINGENT FUND.

Intimates That Some Of Coun cilmcn
Are Not Gent1emen-Why the Commit
tee of Which He Is Chairman Con-
tracted for Grading Chestnut Street
Lot Before Common Council Had Au-
tborized Work to Be Done.
Usually the mayor and board of alder
men receive all of the press notices and
get all of the free advertising but last
night the common council came in for the
notoriety and some Of the aldermen,
greatly vexed bscause the council were
monopolizing the public attention for
once, Immediately proceeded to abuse one
another and the members of the lower
board collectively and individually. The
meeting of thu city council last night was
called to pass an order transferring an ap-
preparation of 81, $50 originally made to
place granite columns at the Portland
street entrance Of behring's Oaks, but
which will not be used this year by the
park commissioners, to the appropri alton
for contingent The orc or originated in
the upper board some weeks ago. There
1t received an unanimous passage and
was sent to the lower board. The COM
mon council voted to non-concur with the
aldermen in this matter and sent notice
of the fact to the aldermen. but when the
message reached that body it was found
that the aldermen had hastily adjourned
without notifying the council of its in
tention TO do so.
The objection to the passage of this
order in the council is two fold. In the
first place many of the gentlemen who
voted against the transfer being made
last night believe that great deal Of
money allotted to the contingent fund
which this transfer is to replenish has
been expended without authority and the
other objection is that while an order
voting a sum of money for the grading Of
a lot on Chestnut street was pending In
the common council, the committee on
unimproved real estate, without waiting
for action on the part of the common
council, went to work and contracted for
this work and had it done. In an effort
to show that the common council is not
to be trif1ed with and to show their disap-
prevail of the action of the committee on
unimproved real estate the council last
night voted to turn down the oroer OF
transfer.
In the common council last night
President Gerrish was in the chair and
Councilmen Drisooll Connolly, Smith,
.Josselyn and Phillips were absent. The
council took advantage of the aldermen
being in session to notify that body that
the council had voted to non-concur in
the order transferring So $50 from Deer
ings Oaks special to the contingent fund
asked for COMMITTEES of conference and
appointed on that committee on part Of
the lower board, Messrs. Milliksn, John.
son and Burke.
The board of aldermen granted the re-
Quest for committee of conference and
sent Aldermen Mannix and Rounds to
represent that body. After brief time
the committee on the part OF the council
returned and reported that it would rec
ommend that the council recede from it's
former action and pass the order in ques-
ton.
On motion OF Councilman Lefavor the
report of the committee WAS accepted. The
order was then placed before the council
for debate. Councilman Milliken said
that there were bills outstanding against
the city charged to the contingent fund
which must be paid and as the contingent
fund had been over run by Sal it was nee.
essary that it should be replenished In
order to pay these bills He referred to
the many necessary expenses which the
city had incurred as u result of the late
war, all of which had been charged to
this fund He told Of how the city had
been Obliged to feed some soldiers who
had been ordered to Portland to be mus.
tired out and who had not been provided
for In any way by the state, pending their
being mustered out OF the service. He
said that the Mayor had done the proper
think in feeding thess men for the few
DAYS that they were obliged to stay here
and this was only one of the many neces-
sary bills which had been forced into
the contingent fund.
Mr.. Milliken said that 1t would be
time enough to act upon the Chestnut
street school matter when the order au.
thoriziug the appropriation came down
to the common council. The money the
order in question authorized to be trans
ferred to the contingent fund had nothing
TO do with this Chestnut street bill and
probably would not be SO used. He closed
by saying: "Let us act like men in this
matter and not like parcel Of boys.
move the order have passage.
Councilman Pierce said that the first OF
the year there had been l5,0O0 approprl-
ated for the contingent fund. The first
two months there were many approprla-
tions made to be taken from this fund.
He was surprised at the way the original
appropriation stood these demands made
mon it and because it had lasted SO long.
There came a time when it was exhausted
and then the council was asked to trans
fer a 600 to this fund from some other
contemplation. 81 voted for this transfer
orr certain reasons" continued Mi.
Pierce. tbut l don't think l should vote
for it again. Now this $4,000 has been
emu ryn by sai. We are now asked to
transfer So, $50 to it and I for one shall
not vote for it, We laid the order author
i nJy the grading of the Chestnut street
lot on the table in this board but re.
of this the COMMITTEES dnna went ahead
contractor has bill against the commit