The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-08-16
WEIGH MAY BUILD.
That Was Decision Of Aldermen Last
Night.
DESPITE THE AT TIMES VIOLENT
PROTESTS OF ALDERMAN ROUNDS

DESPITE THE AT TIMES VIOLENT
PROTESTS OF ALDERMAN BOUNDS
Session of Board as Usual Devoted Chiefly
to Oratorical Efforts of the Third Ward
Representative-An Order Presented
and Passed to Appoint Committee to
Examine Feasibility of City's Owning
Electric Light Plant.
| There was special meeting of the city
council last night. The TRANSACTION Of the
business occupied about ten minutes.
The rest of the two hours and half OF
the session was mainly devoted by the
members of both branches to listening to
the member from the Third ward. Alder
man Rounds has seldom been so much in
evidence as he was last evening, his ex-
citement at one stage Of the proceedings
leading him to leave his seat and cross the
room to the Mayors desk, while he
vigorously protested against the reading
of a paper by Ardon W. Coombs, ESQ.,,
who was addressing the board. The alder
man appealed to the board when the chair
declined to take his view of the matter,
but the board paid no attention. At an
| other time the gentleman from the Third
ward hung up the state election by look
| ing up the warrants in the drawer OF his
desk. Then he engaged in a passage at
arms with Alderman Mannix as to
whether the committee on new wooden
buildings had or had not authorized him
to make a report. This lead the Third
ward member to exclaim that he should
| want the gentleman's word in black and
white in the future. Mr.. Rounds made
some remarks about the application of
pressure which. in view of his recent
candidacy for the legislature, were re.
ceived with smiles. He then introduced
an order for the appointment of COM
mittee to investigate the question Of the
establishment of an electric lighting
plant by the city. All told the alderman
made the meeting very lively. He took .
prominent part in the caucus which was
held by the Republican members and
NJ. Leighton as city physician to serve
during the absence of DR.. Smith, and Of
John N. Long and E. F. Holland as
overseeis of the poor.
MR.. J. S. WEIGHS B UILDING.
The meeting was held to give hearing
on an order presented at the last meeting
by Mr.. Rounds. ALI the members of the
b oard of aldermen were present when the
Mayor raped for order and laid before
the board the matter of the revocation of
a license granted to John G. WEIGH to
erect building at $3.50 Commercial
street. 1t was this matter that the alder.
man from Three had presented on the
ground that in granting the permit the
committee had violated the ordinance.
Mr.. WEIGH has his building up and
boarded in, and the sides are partly
covered with galvanized iron. 1t has been
the practice of the city government to
grant permits for buildings SO constructed
in the fire limits. but the Eordinance is
not clear on the point. In one section it
says that the exterior walls of the build
ings erected in the fire limits shall be en-
tirely of brick, stone or iron. In another
section 1t declares that buildings the
exterior walls of which are sheathed with
stone, brick Or iron may be erected. 1t Is
under the construction Of the ordinance
made possible by the latter section that
many permits have been granted for
buildings such as that In course of con-
struction by Mr. WEIGH After the grant
ing of the permit by the committee Of
which Mr.. Rounds is chairman, he took
the ground that the permit violated the
ordinance and presented the order for its
revocation, but in the meantime work
had been going on and the structure is
now nearly finished, the contractor being
Mr.. J. G. Ward who is also the inspector
of buildings. 1t was Mr.. Ward who was
first called upon to explain matters. Mr..
Ward was telling the board how the
building was being built when Mr..
Rounds began his participation in the
proceedings.
care the exterior walls of that build
ing being built of stone, brick or iron?'
he Q6manQeu.
Mr.. Ward said that they were of wood
covered with iron. s
''Well Is that entirely of stone, brick or
iron?'' shouted the alderman as he
nounded on his desk with his fist.
81 think" Logan Mr.. Ward, when the
alderman interrupted him to exolaim, g
"YoU AMT HERE TO TELL,
what You think. You're here to tell
what you know" gool
The building inspector scored one on
his inquisitor when he said that the
building was being erected in accordance
with the permit and he wasn't responsible
If the committee had made mistake.
Mr.. Ward, then took his seat and Ardon
W. Coombs, ESQ, who represented the
owner of the building took the floor. Mr..
Co....l., xx,ae froo.1optlv tod b,,t