The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-02-09
A CARD.

city Of Raleigh, in which Mr.. John Z.
Drawry, one of the aldermen, is reported
as having made the following statement
MIR. Drewry stated that the for
mer city attorney, Mr.. j. y. H0ld-
ing had been paid $3.50 to codlfy the
ordinances Of the city. Even tine
printing bill has been paid, and yet
the board can't get them. inc
work has never been compIeteu
though the codifcatiOn was ordered
three years ago. 1t was further st9t-
ed that Mr.. Holding had represent
ed that he had finished the WORK
and turned it over to the printer
when the money was pald nlHi'
can't believe Mr.. Drewry made the
statement as it is reported. 1t ls not
only unfair and unjust to me- but the
inference necessarily drawn from such
statement is not true.
In February, or March, 1897, 70
norted TO the Board of Aldermen the
,.odifod ordinances in full mp to that
date. and, under n resolution OF the
Board. Mayor Russ placed the contract
for printing. and handed the printer the
copv Of the codifed ordinances prepar-
ed by me. This copy remained in the
out any action ON his part.
In May, 1897, after / had ceased to be
citv attorney. the BOnrd Of Aldermen
PASSED about forty pages Of type written
health ordinances, and the Mayor re-
uuested me to incorporate these IN the
rodifed ordinances then in the hands Of
the PRINTER. Upon investigation, | found
that these health ordinances had repeat
ed many sections Of the eodifcd Ordin-
ances. and had changed the provisions
of many other sections, by Omnibus"
clauses without any reference to the
sections so repealed or changed. This,
it became necessary to re-cOdify the on
tire lot of ordinances, and renumber the
sections and change the captions of the
various chapters. / also found that
there were no less than sixty or seventy
provisions IN said health ordinances In
direct conflict with the decisions Of the
! Supreme court.
reported these facts to the Mayor,
and he requested me TO re-dTaft thu
health ordinances and put them in prop
er shape to bc Incorporated in the other
ordinances. This | did, although it was
no part of my work or duty to do so,
and early in June, 1897, the entire lot of
livered to the printer, with the urgent
request of the Mayor that the printing
| be done at once. This request, however,
was not regarded, and the printing was
not done until September, as | now re-
collect. At the September meeting of
| the board, | think it was, and while the
board was in session, the printer brought
| to me the printed ordinances, mot in
pamphlet form but lin the rOugh,) and
| | immeditely handed the same to Mr.
| Busbee, the present city attorney. anil
| suggested to him that owing to certain
! changes which had made i'll the health
! ordinances it would be necessary for the
! Board to re-adopt the entire set Of or
! dinances. Mr.. Busbee gave the ordin-
/ ances to Mr.. John G. Drewry, who of
| fered them for adoption by the board.
After their adoption 1 requested Mr..
! Drewry to have the board allow me
! such compensation us the board thought
! proper for my work. This was abso-
| lutely the only conversation that ever
! took place between Mr.. Drewry and my
self about the ordinances, and my re-
| quest was the full extent of any state
| ment made by me to him.
ne board referred the amount of my
| compensation to the Finance commit
| tee, and made out my bill and asked
| the committee to approve it, and they
| did so. Both the committee, i'll APPROX
| ing the bill, and the Mayor, in issuing
| the warrant therefor, knew that the in
! dex TO the ordinances had not been pre-
| pared, for | could not prepare the in
! dCX until the printer put the ordinances
/ in page form and supplied me with Il
| coDy for making the index.
Mayor Russ we'll knows that tried to
| get this copy for over month, and he
! aided me in getting it after long wait
| ing, but it was not until during the
, term of October Superior court. Imme-
! diately after court / began to prepare
| the index, and | furnished the printer
| with copy faster than i could get him
| to print it.
| Seeing that there was gong 20 be
much delay in printing the index, and
knowing that / would have to be absent
| from Raleigh much of the time after
| January LIST, 1898. ] urged the printer
! to do faster work on the index, and fail
! ing to get favorable response | asked
! Mayor Russ, and City Clerk Smith to
! insist upon the printing being done fas-
| ter, or else get some one else to print
| the index.
| They did so insist, but all to no avail
and | was forced by business engage
ments to leave Raleigh before the index
was completed.
: not only had to furnish the copy for
| the index, but owing to many errors
that found in the proof of the first few
pages of the printed index l was forced
| to do the proof reading.
| The delays were not caused by me,
| nor did / make any such representations
as Mr.. DreWry is reported to have stat
ed | hope Mr.. Drewry did not make
! the statement as it was reported, and
| must again say that the reported state
ment is not only unfair and unjust to
me. but it is not true either as to the
facts stated or the inference necessarily
! drawn therefrOm.
J. n. HOLDING.