The record-union., 1898-11-15
CLERK SHOCKS SUSPENSION.
TRUSTEES QUESTION THE May
OR'S POWER.
Board Suspends Him for Ten Days
for Neg1ecting His
Duties.

The City Board Of Trustees met last
night IN regular session, Trustees Nc
Kay, Tebbets, Douglas, Paine, Kent,
Brown, Deyine, Bentley and Dolan be-
ang present, and Trustees Bentley pre-
siding.
Mayor Land sent in message say
ing: I hereby notify your honorable
Dody that I have this day suspended
Frank G. Shook, Clerk of the Police
Court, for the period of thirty days
from date, for absenting himself from
MS duties as such clerk without per-
mission as required by the charter, and
Tor conduct unbecoming a city official. ;"
Trustee Mckay thought the Mayor
mad no right to suspend Mr.. Shook. He
had merely been off a few days cleo
uoneering for his friends He might
nave taken a few too many drinks, but
the speaker did not think the Mayor
mad any right to suspend him.
w. A. Anderson said the Mayor has
no authority to suspend any officer Of
the city except member of the police
force. He had no power of arbitrary
suspension or removal in this case.
Under the charter it was his duty to re-
port any derelection in office to the City
Attorney. He read from the charter
and said that Mr.. Shook could only be
removed or suspended by seven votes
of the Board of Trustees. If Mr. Shook
had done wrong charges could be made
against him.
s. Luke Howe. the Mayors Clerk,
asked permission of the board to with
draw the message for a few minutes,
which was granted and the time was
passed in allowing claims
The bill Of w. F. Drew for repairing
the pumps at the Water Works was
not signed by the Auditing Committee
as IT thought part of the work should
have been done by the Chief Engineer
Trustee Douglas said the work had
been done and moved that the bill be
allowed
Trustee Bentley said it was a matter
of principle. 1t was the same thing
the board had been kicking over for
several months.
The motion to allow the claim was
carried, Trustees Bentley, Dolan, Paine
and Mckay voting no.
A bill for repairing sprinkling wagons
for four months was referred to the
Street Committee.
The Mayor returned the message un-
changed and Trustee Paine said he
thought it might be just as we'll to take
1t up now. The first part of the mes
sage the board should act on, as it
related to Mr.. Shook having absented
himself from his duties, but the latter
part it has nothing to do with He
moved that Mr.. Shook be suspended by
the board for ten days from the date
of his suspension.
Trustee Brown thought the matter of
the Mayors power should be referred
to the Corporation Counsel, the board s
legal adviser.
Chairman Bentley said that as the
board acknowledges the power of the
Mayor to suspend, he should rule the
motion out Of order. Charges have
been made in the message.
Trustee Dolan said the Mayor could
not suspend for a certain time and
name the time.
w. A. Anderson said Mr. Shook would
plead guilty to having neglected his
duties and it was in the power of the
board to designate the time of his sus-
pension.
The motion Of Trustee Paine was then
carried.
The question of employment of teams
to sprinkle the streets was discussed
the funds being very low ana it was
referred to the Superintendent of
Streets, $3.50 being transferred to the
sprinkling fund and $3.50 each to the
street and sewer funds.
G.. Gugliani & Co were granted a
saloon license at 101 K street.
The board then adjourned