Bisbee daily review., 1905-11-12
THE CITY GOVERNMENT AND ITS CONDITION.

The resignation of J. s. Taylor a
 Mayor of Bisbee which iU is reported
 las been placed in the hands of thu
 City Clerk to be presented at the nex
 meeting of the City Council, brings
 he administration of the city's sf
 tairs to a climax, towards which il
 has been rushing with utter abandon
 and total disregard for consequences
 for several months. For the past two
 Fears Bisbee has not had an effective
 administration of its municipal af-
 fairs. There has been a lack of system,
 8 display of unpardonable ignorance,
 Leglect of important matters, and a
 general haphazzard, hit or miss con-
 3iIiCn which has eliminated in the
 resignation of the legal adviser of the
 City, and that resignation has now
 been followed by the Mayor.
 The resignation of thse two off cials, coming just on the heels of the closing of the townsite patent mat tars, gives ground for the assertion that both were at the public crib so long as the fees connected with the issuing of deeds continued and when these perquisites ceased, the welfare Of the city governmeDt, the efficient administration of public affairs, the welfare of the community, was no longer concern of theirs and they seek to retire to private life. several. thousand dollars richer by the trans action. but leaving behind them a tan gle and a snarl. a depleted treasury, a illegal tax rate, an unequalled
 assessment roll. all of which must I5Il upon another's shoulders.
 The Bisbee Ship of State has been r1e a ,storm-tdssed vessel without captain, chart or log book
 Mayor Taylor in handing in his res lSnation, even at this late day. has done the city great good. Nothing can save the complete wrecking of the city government upon the shoal of in- competency, neglect and ignorance. but new Mayor, advised and coun- Eeled by a new city attorney with some display of knowledge of the law. The Mayor has made it easier for the people to right a great mistake by tOluntarily stepping aside, and after | the advice given the Mayor and the l Council. by the late City Attorney, | whereby that body levied an addi- uonal illegal levy of four mills upon | tne people, the only thing remaining for him was his resignation.
 The Council has IabOred under dif-l ticuItes. The total incompetence of tae recognized head of the city gov ernment. coupled at times with faulty legal advice, has made the meetings | assemble anything else other than a careful, painstaking. deliberatve body, proceeding with it's work with conf | cence in itself and the respect of their constituents.
 The Mayor has given out the offi- cial statement that the Copper Queen | company demands all of his time. | It will be noticed by goodly number of the people of Bisbee, however. that Copper Queen affairs were not of such pressing nature while the Mayor vas signing deeds at five dollars per. Allowing that this is the reason for I the Mayors action, there are many more good and sufficient reasons why | he should resign. The Mayor has come to the realization of the fact, | of which the public has long been cognizaut. that as the Mayor of Bis bee, he has been 1 failure. That the city government, with himself at thel head, has been a joke, that only | prompt and vigorous action at this I time caa save it from disruption. a 1 condition which has been brought sbout by the lack of decision on the part of the Mayor. an attempt to car. ry water ou both shoulders, an utter | failure on his part to grasp the duties Of Mayor or to take the initiative ip sny important public matter. His most laborious duty has been presiding over unnecessary and repeated spe- rial meetings of the Council and with great precision, and careful consider arion, putting the question"
 The Review believes in speaking plainly and to tke point when the occa- zion demands. The members of the Council owe it to themsei yes and to their constituents. to accept the resig- nation of Mayor Taylor, and with new leader. attempt to bring order out of chaos. Four months more of his