The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-06-21
COUNCIL HAD
BUSY SESSION
The Aldermen Transacted
Much Business.
WORKED UNTIL MIDNIGHT
Many Matters Handed Back
to Committee.
Charges of w. A. Henderson Agains,
City Engineer Ford Were CLOSED
Over--PIain Talk About
Fire Insurance.

meeting last night one of the busiest
sessions of the year. The hands of the
big clock in the Council Chamber mark
ed the hour of midnight when the city
lawmakers adjourned.
They quit work then not because
they had disposed of everything on the
table but because they were tired and
sleepy.
divided between work and talk IL
there was any difference, talk had the
advantage of work.
The session was marked by discus
sions as hot as the weather Nearly
every matter that came up was sufi-
Client to divide the Aldermen.
feature of the meeting was the
cavalier way in which the Council
treated the reports of Committees.
There was nothing sacred about a
Committee report. Under a conserva-
tive estimate half the reports were
handed back to the Committees with
thing over again and do better next
time.
The following Aldermen were pres
emit: President Mcintyre, Messrs Grif-
fifth, Roemer. Forbes, Kohn, league.
jackson, Ryan. Coins, Ruth, Strauss,
Gunter, Sullivan and Maddox.
The Mayor forwarded to the Council
a communication from Police Chief, A..
1tTdLu, nOtlIylHA MIN IndI he naQ SuS-
pended Patrolmen j. A Thorn for be-
ing asleep while on duty. The COM
muntcation was received and filed.
Committee ExxOncrates Ford.
The committee on finance through
Chairman Kohn submitted its report on
the communication of w. A. Hender-
son, in reference to the awarding of
the city's contract for hay. Mr.. Hen
derson in his communication intimated
that the hay contract had been award
I'd a Il ttati ,,an a
that he had not been given a fair
showing In the awarding of the con-
tract. He stated that the specifications
for the hay had been changed by City
Engineer Ford detrimental to his,
Mr.. Hendersons bid.
The report of the Finance Commit
tee did not sustain the charges of Mr..
Henderson and the report stated that
the communication charged first that
Mr.. Henderson had not been given a
fair showing in the awarding of the
hay contract and second that he had
been Disseminated against. Tho
Council record in the hay contract
matter was quoted to sustain the COM
mittee,s report. It was stated that Mr..
Henderson's bid was not the lowest
bid submitted. The Committee report
ed that City Engineer Ford had not
done anything blamable.
Alderman Roemer on the floor OBJ
jected to the adoption of the report.
THE city only needs baled hay for
the fire department. said alderman
Roiemer. yet it is buying nearly al
it's hay in bales. The city Is paying $4
more a ton for baled hay than'it would
have to pay for looTe hay, when loose
hay would do as well. We can save
between SIS and $500 month on LAS
single item of hay"
II move that this communication be
referred back to the Streets Commit
tee with instructions to examine the
boks of the City Clerk and the CITY
Treasurer and ascertain If the city
had been paying too much for its nay:
"I am satisfied that this commit
tees report only does simple justice ITO
the City Engineer" said Alderman Sui
livan, II have hot-shotted the city En-
| gineer several times as has the other
man from Ward 4. But do not see
that he has done anything wrong
here. The City Engineer is ex-ofhcio
Superintendent of the City Stables and
his duties have been so largely in
creased recently tat 1 am sure "a
will be pleased to be relieved of the
| supervision of the city's stables. | am
| opposd to throwing this matter bacIs
into the face of the Finance ~Imtnll'
| tee"
Mr.. Roemer withdrew his first mo-
| ton and moved that a special commit
| tee be appointed TO investigate the
| books of the city officials as. TO the
amount the city was paying for nay.
This motion was lost by tie vote
| six ayes and six nays.
| The Finance Committee report was
finally adopted by a vote of TO o.
Aldermen Laughed at Report.
| Chairman Roemer of the Streets Com
mittee reported back to the 'Councll the
| communication of a Boguehomme mer-
| chant complaining that one OF the city :
| iaborers had contracted for groceries
and had failed to pay the bill. The re-
| port read:
'"rhe committee recommends that al
| city employees be required TO pay tneil
The Aldermen laughed and adopted
| the report.
The Street Committee reported ia
| vorably upon the petition of the Mont
gomery Hotel Company for permission
| to build a stairway from tue sldewalt
/ on Montgomery Street to the basement
of the new hotel building, which VIII
be started on October LIST. The Coun'
Gil hesitated about granting the re-
quest of the company until dehnlte spe-
| cifcations of the stairway had beer
submitted. The matter was then re-
ferred back to the Streets Committee.
| The Streets Committee asked for and
| obtained further time on the Mayor
letter in reference to improvements or
South Court Street from Jefferson Da-
Wis Avenue to the Shenetta ditch,
| The same committee reported the res
olution requiring the street railway
| companies to sprinkle their tracks or
all streets of the city not paved, with
| out recommendation. The Council re-
| fused to receive such report and pass
ed the resolution back to the commit
| tee.
Chairman Sullivan of the Fire Com
| mittee presented a resolution as a re-
port of a committee, which sprung an
animated but brief debate.
! The reported resolution recommended
| that all bids for fire apparatus submit
ted under the advertisement by the
| City Treasurer for fire apparatus be re-
| iected and that the City Treasurer be
| Instructed to insert an advertisement
for new bids to be submitted Gy Au-
| gust /.
In submitting the resolution. Alder
man Sullivan explained that the bids
| had been asked for to meet the demands
of the Southeastern Tariff Association,
| The committee had carefully considered
| the bids which had been submitted and
had decided TO ask the Council to adver-
tise for new bids. He mentioned incl
| dentally that the price of the appara-
! tus which it was proposed to buy was
decreasing daily
tion. He evidenced some surprise that
the Committee had come before the
Council with such a resolution. He
was unfamiliar with the bids submit
ted. He did not know who had sub
mitted the lowest bids. He did know
that the city had asked for bids and In
| compliance with that advertisement
certain parties had submitted bids. He
| thought the Council TO act in good
faith should accept the lowest bid sub
| mitted. He was willing to recede from
his position if the Committee would
state that the apparatus was not need
ed by the Fire Department.
Sullivan LOsea Confidence.
Alderman Sullivan said that the Fire
| Department did need the apparatus
The specifications were Incomplete
however. and the Committee after care
| fully considering the matter had de-