Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-06-17
WILL PAY
THE BUCHTEL
But There We're Long and Spicy
Arguments.
A Great. Big, Lengthy Meeting Of Council,
With Little Business Done.

such luxuries. Mr.. Gauthier believes,
and he said so, that the soldiers are
allowed sufficient substance each day
to keep them alive and vigorous, and
that If the city of Akron had been
inveigled into putting up extra for
them, it had been imposed upon, and
should not permit itself to suffer the
consequences.
Mr.. Wilhelm did not pretend to ex-
plain the duties and regulations of
the soldiers, but as lawyer and a
citizen he jerked the riot officials over
the Goals numerically. "They had no
authority to issue such ORDERS" he
said, "and this thing of everybody be-
| ing in authority to spend the city's
money indiscrlminately should be
stopped. l notice in this payroll items
for the pay of several lawyers. There
is entirely too much of this. The city
has regularly employed attorney,
and why should it be spending money
for others? 1t seems sometimes as If
the city hires lawyers so it can law
with itself, if other antagonists don't
show up to require money. l was
told that some time ago the salary of
an assistant City Clerk was increased.
Council refused to allow the increase Sc,
but the Commissioners fixed it up, and
| went on paying it. as IL they had a
perfect right to do so."
| When Mr.. Piske arose it was to de-
clare that the bill was contracted for
properly, and should be paid. ut is
shame said he, Ito keep the Buchtel
hotel out of its money. 1t acted in
good faith in furnishing food to these
soldiers, and the city guaranteed that
the bill would be paid. And | shall
vote in favor of paying the bill"
City Clerk Isbell, who also knows
! great deal about the situation, asked
permission to say a few words. He
was granted the permission, and re-
marked that the city had sold bonds
to take care of it's floating indebted
ness, and that the bill of the Buchtel
2, hotel had been included in the payroll
at the time the city desired to sell
bonds amounting to $16S, ZOO, and was
also included in the estimates for the
recent bond issue. 1T is just as legal
as any bill in this payroll. We are
not allowed to make any contracts
unless there is money in the treasury
to pay them, but where would we have
been during the past year or so, If we
had been held strictly to this law?
What could we have done? This high.
flown talk about never contra citing
bills, until they are discussed for a
long time, applies very poorly to the
riot question. Wouldn't it have look
ed nice had we told the soldiers to
wait until after we had advertised
10 days for bids for the contracts to
feed them? This bill for 5000 is the
city's share in bearing the expenses
of a special arrangement made to keep
the city from being placed under
martial law. You cannot collect it from
the State, as the State has already
paid its share. This bill has been
discussed until the public is sick and
tired of it, and those who deny that
the city should pay it are very few.
Why not pay it, and quit kicking? If
you mean to conduct every minor de
tail upon strict basis of legality, you
might as well shut up shop. Council
grumbles and kicks about nearly ey.
erything the other city officials do
This doubtless looks well in print, but
it is so utterly impractical that ii
scarcely merits attention"
At this juncture, Mr.. Wilhelm asked