Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-01-18
A MEETING
Of the City Council tuesday Eve.
ming IN Spite Of the Glove Contest.

1t looked for a time Tuesday even
ing in the Council chamber as IL there
would be no quorum, but finally enough
of the members OF that body showed
up t. have a quorum and one to spare.
Messrs. Lambert, Blume, Cochlan,
Marsch, Lofland, Wittlig, Trautman,
and Wood were present. However,
Wood was not present at the opening
and Lambert was called to the chair
to preside.
He called the meeting to order at
7;O5 standard time and proceeded to
business.
Building permits we're granted to
William Mathers, on Harmar street;
Margaret Rudig on Eighth, between
Washington and Warren, and to G. w.
Rife on Sixth, between Wooster and
Washington. ;
The necessity resolution for the new
bridge drawn up by the City Solicitor
was read and passed over for another
week for debate.
Cochlan spoke of the Hancock mat
ter, which is something like this: Mr..
Hancock has been doing the work of
Janitor and Electrician of the city
building for something like eight years
and in the first place when he was del
egated to do the work for the city it
was under proposition made by him
to do certain things which were to be
done at that time and the proposition
covered the period of year. Since
that,tlme he has peen doing such,work
as has been necessary about the city
building and has been drawing his
salary without the formality of the
monthly salary bills being presented to
the Finace committee for them to pass
upon before being paid. The City
Clerk has been paying his salary
monthly as accustomed to doing, but
in reality he has no right to draw a
salary unless he was regularly ap-
pointed and the routine steps had been
taken for his appointment.
The matter was called to the atten-
ton of City Clerk Becker by the So
licitor and others and on the presen-
tatiOn of Mr. Hancocks bill for De-
cember salary payment was refused by
the Clerk and as there had been no
regular meeting of the Council since
that time until last evening, it had not
had any attention from that body.
AS before stated Mr.. Cochlan called
the attention of the Council 10 the
matter and Mr.. Blume moved that the
matter be referred to the Finance
committee to, report at the next meet
ing Mr~Cochlan said that to refer 1t |
to that committee would not help mat
fers out any. He thought that it would |
be good idea for them to take some
action on the matter at the present
time. He asked the Solicitor if it
would not do. to pass an ordinance to
lie effect that the position that Mr..
Hancock is filling is an Office of the
city and to have Mr.. Hancock regular
ly appointed. af"H. 4
Blume stated that he and Mr.. Bach
man had giventhe matter some atten- |
ton last week anu he did not think |
that it would be wrong to have the |
matter referred to the Finance COM
mittee. The Solicitor sta,ed that the
trouble grows out of the fact that |
there are persons who are drawing |
salaries from the city without the form
Of a contract. That the matter does
not apply to Hancock's case alone,
but there are others. But it may have |
been running longer in Hancock's
case than in others and it is time to
have the thing Strengthened up. He
said that Mr.. Hancock assumes to
perform the duties of a city officer and
as there Is no ordinance or resolution
On the file of the city creating such an
office 1t is not right to pay such salar-
es without some form of contract and
'or that reason he instructed the City
Clerk to refuse to pay salaries to per-
sons with whom lne city had no con-
ract.
After considerable discussion of the
natter, Mr.. Trautman suggested that
here be an ordinance drawn up but
hat 1t should include not only the po-
ltion of Mr. HancocK, but that it
hould include AL the positions about
he clty building which are of a like
ature. He therefore moved that the
residant appoint a committee to re-
Use an ordinance or Vet up an Qrdin-
nee TO regulate the pay of employees
bout the city building and that the
olicitor be included in the committee
The motion was changed somewhat,
ut made only very little different
nd carried. Messrs. Trautman, Wit
ig and Wood were appointed on the
and the Solicitor instructed
act with them.
Mr. Trautman stated that Mr.. Cor
an, who owns property on Court
rect near Races addiuon, is now
illing to come into the city on the ),
me terms that were made to Mr..
ace, and Trautman wished to hear y
e expression of Council on the mat =
+. Mr.. Wittlig said that he did not :
ink it necessary to come to that mat =
r now, as Mr.. German has not sub y
tilted plat and at the time he was "
king of the mattar hefnrn hn stnt =