The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-11
SELMA CITY COUNCIL
TRANsACTs ITS BUSINESS IN Ex-
 ECUTIvE SESSION.
The Members Decline to Tell What Was Done in Regard to Matter of .
 Paid Fire Department.
dvartisar p,,raau

Advertiser Bureau,
 Selma, Jan. 10.
 So important are the deliberations of Selmas City Councilmen that they do not regard it safe and to the best in terests of all concerned to let the pub lie see and hear. The public expected the Council to take some action last night on the paid fire department prop osition, on the question of purchasing the water plant and on other matters of more than usual concern to the city. They took action but they went into executive session to do it.
 At It's regular monthly meeting last night the Council transacted routine business and disposed of one or two in teresting matters, for instance, defeat ing the measure of raising salaries of policemen and creating the office of Sergeant of Police, but when the more important matters, those on which the future welfare of Selma hang, came up several of the Councilmen and May or Atkins moved for the exclusion of spectators and representatives of the press.
 Mayor Atkins said this morning that he could give out absolutely nothing about the deliberations of the Council on those propositions. Both the Mayor and the majority of the Aldermen re- gard publicity of their plans antagonis- tic to the consummation thereof. The Mayor will not discuss any phase of the situation now.
 It is not believed that the city fath- CTS assumed a definite stand on the paid fire department question for the reason that the committee of three nominated for the purpose of conferring with the Southeastern Tariff Association at Att lanta, Ga, in regard to insurance rates under better fire protection, has not been to Atlanta and asked further time at the general meeting.
 In this matter, as in the other two most important questions that are con- fronting the councilmen, viz: purchase of the water plant and securing at least temporary relief from the city's bonded indebtedness, they are going slow The two first go hand in hand and 1t is thought to be the purpose of the city to acquire the .waterworks de- partment at the same time the paid fire department becomes an institu- | ton. paid fire department is sure to come and the time is not far distant. The Council is deeply interested in 1t as | is the Commercial and Industrial As sociation which might be called the | former body's auxiliary. The Council l is saving money and saying little while the Commercial and Industrial Associ- atlon Is doing the agitating,
 Even if Councilman Berry didn't win the fight led by Smith and Elder to pay patrolmen $65 per month, a raise | VI eOs anu tO dppoihl d 6Sdht OL " lice, he sounded a keynote that the | Council listened to.
 Tt appears to me-" began MT. Berry one of the most energetic and conscien- | tious men of the body in his character | istic manner, that Selma is village no longer. that 1t has become a great | city. as it were, and think this body should depart from the customs of oui | forefathers. We cannot afford to any longer regard Selma as town of lit | tie significance and work on that pre- l sumption. We must compare our grow l ing city with other cities.
 Montgomery. There are as many bur | glaries and as much crime in Selma as | in Montgomery" he said, and yet we have not near the police force Mont gomery has nor do we pay our patrol | The Councilmen then talked of the | onerous duties Of patrolmen and what | they deserved.
 | The Mayor. whom Councilman Elder | said. promised to recommend the in-- l crease of salaries and the sergeant's | office. declared that he was not in favor l of the increase. nor the institution oi 1 the sergeants position. We have po- lice captain now." said the Mayor. ''whc Is non-entity, and police sergeant l would be much more of a superfluity.' The measure was killed. the report | from the committee on fees and sala- ries being on motion of MT. Agee, re- | ceived and non-concurred in.
 Daniel Partridge appeared before the | Council with petition from Miles Mar | tin and w. H. Edwards. the negro | butchers who were not granted admit tance into the new market house and | who instituted a mandamuS suit | against the city.
 The petition averred that the peti- | tioners applied for license from mar ket clerk Cothran January ?, and asked | for space in the market to conduct their business. The license to sell meat in the city of Selma was refused. says | the petition, and the butchers consider | their business damaged to a great eX- tent. The petition prayed the Coun- l ell to instruct said Cothran to issue license to the petitioners.
 Tho Council disposed of routine mat ters as follows:
 Reports of City Treasurer. City Clerk Chief of Police. Street Superintendent Market Clerk and City Sexton. read and ! adopted.
 MT. Kornegay's report from the au- | diting committee on motion of Mir Phillips received and concurred in. Finance Committed. MT. Phillips granted further time on matter of can cellation of coupons on city bonds. Report from fire department, MT | Phillips gave loss of hose at last big | fire as 1000 feet, and a contract with a New York hose company for 1000 feet at $500 was on motion of Mir. Agee | received and concurred in.
 At Mayors suggestion streets and | lights committee was empowered to act l in the matter of transferring arc light from old Council Chamber place to new | City Hall place.
 Motion of MT. Kornegay to buy two carloads of chirt for corner of Broad and Water Streets, carried.
 Report of Chief of Fire Department read and adopted.
 On motion of Mir Quinn, bill for avn | ings not paid for.
 MT. Phillips read petition of Ala. | ha Street reSidantc {rht