Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-05-04
City Now Has Two superinten'
dents Of Streets.
There 10 Also One More Commissioner
Than the Law Allows and Ne One
and Ladd the New
Sien.

was begun Monday afternoon, con.
tinued Tuesday. even crowdins upon
event In such rapidity that II was diff
hcult to keep in line with affairs and
as Il result the city now has two sup
Of streets and two street
commissioners for one such office. The
two commissioners are Clarence Hicks
and d. r. Ladd and the two superin-
tendents arc y. w. G. Clapp and Peter
Sheeran. Just where the matter will
end II is impossible to say for all the
men declare they will fight to hold
their offices and as but two Of them
can remain. legal battle of some
duration is expected.
COUNCIL OPENED QUIETLY.
The day opened with a meeting Of
the city council at nine o'clock at the
council chamber The excitement so |
noticeable the previous evening had |
abated somewhat but it was st,ll |
smouldering and needed only a. spark |
Of opposition to stir 1t into a flame
That spark was applied by Alderman
Taft and from that time on the fire
Of controversy blazed fercely. the
scene varying from the office of the
city clerk to the market grounds. and
wherever the dispute was hottest there
the mayor was sure TO be found.
ALDERMAN TAFT OBJECTS.
The meeting Of the council opened
calmly enough and when nominations
for street commissioner were called
for 60 til. ~ 80
y. +. Ladd was presented by Alderman
Meagher. There were no other NOM
| nations and a vote was about 70 he
| taken when Alderman Taft announced
that he objected to the meeting on the
ground that it was illegal and uncon-
stitutional. He said the board OF al
dermcn had no right to put Mr.. Hicks
out Of Office as they did the evening
previous.
He referred to the reasons stated in
the resolution. He took up the last
reason FIRST. saying that it was no rea-
son at all. He said that in appoint
ing Mr.. Clapp superintendent. Mr..
Hicks might have made an error in
judgment but that he could not be
turned out of office on that ground
any more than an assessor could be
put out Of office by making an error
in fixing the value OF a piece Of prop
erty.
With reference to the claim that Mr..
Hicks had been out of the city so much
Alderman Taft said that was no reason
for discharging him unless he had
neglected his duties. He said there
was nothing to show that Mr.. Hicks
had neglected his duties. Mr.. Taft said
l. = 10. Af
without having an opportunity to de-
fend himself and In support Of his
claim read an opinion submitted a year
or more ago by City Attorney r. e.
Brown when an effort was made by
Mayor Burke to vacate the office held
by Commissioners Brown and votey.
Mr.. Taft wanted to know why Hicks
was singled out as one who was away
from the city when another official
r. o. Sinclair. was away much more
than Mr. Hicks had been.
Mayor Burke replied to Alderman
Taft. saying that he had looked into
the matter carefully and thought he
had right to act as he did. He sal
the board Of aldermen was Judge as tc
whether city official was incompe'
tent or not and that the matter OF
lnotlIN lHS aicUi VI WdN q ii'i'
matter OF courtesy to be extended oil
not as the board saw fit
CHARGES OF BRIBERY MADE.
Veerng from the legal question
Mayor Burke took a tack in the dircc
ton OF Mr. Clapp. He said that thu
democratic members OF the boar'
stood ready to prove that Clapp wa
p an unfit person to be superintendent o
D streets. The mayor said that an offc
. of money had been made to him to us
Z his influence to advance the interest
0 of Clapp and that he stood ready &
: go on to the witness stand and SO ties
ltify under oath.
o Returning to the subject OF the alb
Z scnce Of Mr.. Hicks from the city Al
d dcrman Taft asked the mayor to speci
= fy the time that Mr.. Hicks was away
3 saying that the board had no defnit
r information to act upon The mayo
: started to reply. but made no defnit
d assertions He was interrupted by Al
Z derman Taft. who said that II IN
mayor could not tell him facts so tina
they could be used he did not want +
hear anything. This statement wa
followed by heated argument, III
~ mayor finally closing by saying INA
q MIR. Hicks told him Monday that n
. was obliged to be away so much tina
y he was going to resign as street com
% missioner, hut that he would not re
" sign until Clapp had been elected
~ At this point Alderman MeaGher look
70 hand in affairs and said it would be
good thing to get Hicks out of the CIT
:. government.
y. A ballot was called for upon the eiectio
=, |of u street commissioner. Alderman Ia
80 called for an aye and nay vote nut u
mayor said a ballot had been called II
and that the vote would be taken in mi
lway. Aldermen Courtney and Reeve
were appointed tellers and while tho
were at work the mayor said that
p Monday evening Alderman TAFT told hi
st personally that il was n disgrace to ha'
r such a man as Clapp in ONCE. lie call'
I'm upon Alderman Taft to deny the stat
o. lment and Mr.. Taft said he would not q
i'll ter into personalities. He did say, nov
nc ever, that Hicks had been put out OF q
or flee because of spite.
n When the result of the ballot was ma
Is known Mr.. I.add was declared electe
TO The vote was as follows;
NJ whole number cast ...........'.'''''.'''.
se Necessary for choice. ...,.,". ............,