The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1904-04-29
Norman S
+ utile Effort to Rid
Payroll of Political
Parasites

The city council met in regular
weekly session last gh, the follow
ing members being present: Walker.
Moorman, Peterson, Douglas, Barker,
Capers. Portwood.
Tn council was called 20 order at
$3.50 o'clock following caucus held
IN the mayors office.
The matter Of he Katy" railroad
closing UP Second street came up
again last night, A petition signed By
a number OF citizens and tax payers
of he Fifth ward asking the council
TO investigate the matter of re opening
Second street to traffic was read The
mayor sa d that the matter had been
explained at a previous NEE ing and
that It was not in the power Of the
council to open the rect as the
council had given the railroad the
vested right and that the ra lroad
owned the terminal privileges on
First. Second and Third streets AL.
derman Collar and Alderman Perkins
spoke in behalf of he property own.
ers aad tax payers, Perkins asserting
that if The council has a right to pass
an ordinance, It has the equal righ.
to repeal an ordinance. 1t was sug-
gested. then, that a committee of
seven, to be composed of lawyers and
citizens, be appointed TO advise the
council as to the legal atus of the
matter Alderman Walker favored an
amendent that the committee con-
sist Of FIVE persons and a motion by
Alderman Brown, that committee Of
three lawyers be appointed prevailed.
The mayor announced the appoint
ment of Judge Strang. ]. H. Cote
and A. H. Huston as such committee.
A petition signed by G. A. wnsor
and A. j. Mabray asking thai the
council grant them the northeast cor.
ner of Highland park for the purpose
Of cultivating The lard and for pastur-
ing and grazing purposes was read
and referred to the committee on
parks.
w T. Kimbally presented a bin for
damages against the CITY, asserting
that by his horse running into an open
ditch on one Of the streets of the city
he had sustained damages to the
amount Of $2O5 which account was
itemized as follows; Horse. $3.50;
buggy, s45. harness so.
Upon motion of Alderman Walker
the city collector was instructed to
make settlement with all wholesale
liquor dealers for all back dues at
the rate of SIS per quarter and with
Insurance companies now doing busi-
ness in the city at the rate of So per
annum for the current year.
Alderman Moorman reported that
the repainting of the Second street
bridge would not cost over So and the
streets and alleys committee was in
5 ructed to repair the bridge at cost
not TO exceed $40
Moorman HurIs a Thunderbolt.
Decidedly the feature of the other.
wise featureless meeting was the
&C ion OF Alderman Moorman OF the
Fourth ward, who. n the closing min
utes of the meeting gained possession
OF the floor and after a ringing speech
presented a motion that the offices
of dog catcher, health officer and
sidewalk inspector be temporarily
abolished, the same to be in effect
after May l. The presentation Of the
motion came as a thunderbolt from a
clear sky ana at once the alderman
had the closest attention from the
holders of the offices that would be
affected. the spectators and the mem
bers Of the council In presenting the
motion he said
I'VE have no money TO pay the Ills
Of this city. We can not scrape up
enough money to pay our officers. We
should have 81 400 to pay our bills
with at the next meeting when we
have not got a cent. think those
three offices could easily be dispensed
with The office of the dog catcher
Is Of the greatest expense 10 the city,
/ think we could fall to some other
plan whereby the street commissioner
could do the work of the sidewalk
/ inspector What we want to do now
\ Is to cut our expenses down. We
have not a dollar Of money in the
treasury to go ahead with, even the
work Of repairing the Second street
bridge | therefore ask that my mo
ton that these three Offices be dis
pensed with after May ] prevail"
Mayor Barnes. shrewd politician thaI
he essays to be, produced a bunch o'
figures which tended somewhat tC
clear The afmoqnhoro Of desmond