The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-01-03
City Fathers Quarrel With q
RecreAnt Committee.
Claims and Accounts Members
Try to Dodge Responsibility.
TO REPORT.
iOw They viii Be Given Another
Chance.
More Deaths Than Births Shown
Last Month.

The committee on claims and ac-
counts of the city council came In for
lively tilt from certain members OF the
council Monday night.
In the monthly meeting of the COM
nittee on last Friday evening several
bills which were presented were passed
over for action upon by the council
without any sort of recommendation.
The committee was in a ouandary as to
/ the authority in certain departments to
contract certain debts and in another
case was unable to judge as to tNe
merits of a claim presented against the
city. The discussion first was brought
about by the claim of S. F. Savage who
said the city owed him 81 for the de-
struction of a stop box attached to a
water main in his yard. He stated that
the street commissioners men had de-
stroyed the stop box while pavements
We're being placed. The street commits
sioner denied that his department was
responsible for the destruction of the
/ stop box. The committee on claims
and accounts was unable to decide
upon the merits of the claim and turn
ed the claim over to the council with
out any recommendation. Councilman
Swendson took issue with Chairman
Nellis of the committee on making such
a report. He claimed that the commit
/ tee had no right to turn back bill to
the council for action without the COM
mittees having been made some recon-
mendat1On upon the bill or claim. He
wanted therefore to move that the
7 claim be referred back to the commit
tee. Councilman Nellis then arose and
replied that they had been unable to
/ decide and that they felt that body OF
II men could decide better than three
Mayor Bergundthal upheld the latter's
4 contention. Councilman Ryder sided in
n al IN mo
I ton introduced by Councilman Crjley
the claim was voted down.
The same character of discussion
arose when another of the cOmmtttee'S
4 bills was brought up without any rec
! ommendation. The next claim was one
of City Physician Storrs for 50 for vac
to pay the rs cents for vaccination the
city physician charged the same up To
the city. The committee had no know
ledge of any authority granted to
Storrs for making such a charge but at
the same time they felt that the claim
/ was a just one. They were in a dilemma
and instead of grasping it by the horns
let 1t go over for the council to decide
Councilman Ryder Immediately rose
and stated: L think that the commit
tee should logk after such claims. II
they don't know of any authority ex-
listing which permits the presentation
of such a claim, why, vote it down.
You haven't any business granting
claim unless you know that authority
| exists for making it,
I Councilman Nellis replied; I'VE had
no knowledge that any authority exist
ed for DR.. Storrs claim. We knew it
I was just claim and ought to be paid
( but we knew of no authority and we
\ won't act unless we know where the
authority exists" The councilman
/ form the Fourth ward became emphat-
ic and thumped his desk
/ Councilman Swendson then said: Il
think that the committee should make
some definite report to the council. I
i don't rnnCi1nr that E11Ch action ig a
port. believe that is still in the hands
of the committee and that the council
has no right to act in the matter what
SOeVer until report is made. be-
lieve that a claim ought to be definite
j ly considered in the committee. Let the
discussion raising the point take place
/ in the committee"
/ Councilman Green backed up the lat
| ter view and said, Il think Mr. SWend-
| son is right and that the committee
should either report favorably or un-
| favorably."
Mayor Bergundthal said in defense Of
| the committee. I have served on the
/ committee of claims and accounts and
1 know just what 1t is like think
| Mr.. Nellis is right. If the council re-
ferred a claim back to me would leave
it stick in the box until the council
should ask for it
on vote the committee lost out, sew
! en- members of the council voting TO
refer Storrs' bill back to the commit
tee. Similar action was taken with ref
| erence to the claims of DR.. G. B. Van
Horn of 1850, Davis Mercantile COM
pany of 1882 and r. W. Estop Of IS.
Jacob Hatton, who had a. leg broken
by falling from wagon belonging to
/ the street commissioners department.
presented a proposition to the city
council whereby he offered to dismiss
/ any claim he might hold against the
city if the council would grant him
half pay for the months of December,
1904 and January and February,
1905. The half pay amounted to
5000. The council allowed the half
pay, thinking it wiser than to enter
into any possibility of a lawsuit.
The city weighmaster made a
monthly report of $34.30 collected.
The license collector turned into the
city treasury $495. The city treasurer
submitted a monthly report showing
Sill, 100 in the city's possession.
According to the monthly report Of
the sanitary sergeant there We're more
deaths than births in the city and
suburbs by 26. The total deaths re-
ported were 35 in the city and 18
outside, while the number of births
were similarly divided as follows. "a
inside the city's limits and 3 outside.
! of scarlet fever during the month re-
ported; of these IA have been new
land 10 of these are still under quar-
4 antfne OF diphtheria 40 cases ex-
| isted, 80 new and the same number
released. Nine cases of smallpox. 3
/ belonging to this month and re-
LEASED Chickenpox had IT cases, IS
tof these being new and II released
| from quarantine OF measles there
were two cases existing. one old and
the other of this month, neither OF
which have been released