The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1902-11-18


gency. One particular illustration
was made In which a tax payer stopp.
ed the payment of fee, the case be.
ing similar to that of this city, be.
cause the work was not that of the
council in body. The council voted
the allowance down because it was il.
legal to allow it and because one tax.
payer had interfered. He stated fur.
theT that Judge Pryor should have in.
vestigated the authority of the may.
or and committee in asking the opin.
ion and because he did not, he laid
himself liable to lose the fee.
Councilman Fowler stated that the
elections were then close at hand and
that he considered the case an emer.
gency; that the action was taken by
the mayor and committee, thinking il
would be beneficial to the city, and
that no disposition was apparent to
throw the city back into the third
class, as the suit was at first inter.
preted. He also cited instances where
the city had employed counsel in de-
Tending suits against the city, the
lawyers bill amounting to s4Oo, whe n
Judge Lightfoot was employed.
Councilman Hannah stated that il
Solicitor Worten had employed such
counsel as Councilman Fowler claimed
he did, then would it not be Just in
making him, worten, pay for the same
knowing 1t was illegally done. He
continued that no did not think the
opinion was secured for any personal
matter and did not doubt that every
member thought it was being done
for the welfare of the city.
Solicitor worten here explained
that when he had recommended that
counsel be secured in defending the
suits, he was Q new man in the office
and knew nothing Of the suits; tina t
Lightfoot did, having drawn up his
defense and outlined his fight for the
city. This he declared would come
under the clause where such an action
was permissible on account Of emer-
gencies, the suit being on the verge Of
a trial at the time counsel wss en-
ployed.
Councilman Hummel did not sp-
prove of Solicitor worten's stand, al
legIng that he took two sides and he
should remain on one side Of the
fence"
To this Solicitor worten replied
that $50, 900 was involved in his cases
where nothing at all was involved in
the case under discussion.
Councilman Fowler thought that
all the salaries Of the city officers
amounted to something more than
nothing and this was all concerned in
the opinion.
President Reed made a short talk in
which he stated that he was sorry
that the matter had terminated in
such . squsbble and had caused so
much i'll feeling. II was present at
the private meeting when it was de-
cided to ask the opinion" he stated,
land we thought we were doing what
would be beneficial to the city. I
know we had no authority to do so, but
thought the act would be sanctioned
by the board Of council. AS il was
not, and realizing that the act was
illegal, / will have to vote against al.
lowing the fee"
The question was called and the
motion TO pay the fee of $500 to
the attorneys was lost by = vote of
to 6, CounciImen Fowler, ellison,
Hummel, Neihsus, Taylor and Wool.
folk voting yea, and Councilmen
Brooks, Hannah, jackson, johnson,
Potter and Reed voting nay.
Councilman Fowler presented the
report fiom Messrs. ]. II. Ashcraft,
Henry Peter and 3. A. Fowler, the
delegates from Paducah to the Ohio
Valley Improvement Association con.
vention at Parkersburg, Va, last
week, which was received, filed and
in. With the report was
the recommen dstion to appropriate
$50 for improvements to the Ohio
river that amount to be placed with
The appropriations from other cities.
Councilman johnson Of the ordinance
presented the ordinance
providing for repairs to an alley be-