The daily sentinel., 1906-07-20
WHAT DID COLES MEAN.
Informed City Council They Could
Defer Reading of Water Or
dinances-Changcs His
Mind After Ii Is
Done.

DoIit
At this time when City Attorne,
Coles is making the bold assertion
that the election to vote on noun
tain water proposition will be illeg
al and the issuance of the bonds will
be Illegal on the grounds that sufie
lent time from the day that the Or
diuance went into effect until the da,
of the election will not elapse for q
full and legal publication of the call
Tor eection, it might be well to con
slider a somewhat mysterious action
of the city attorney at a meeting Of
the council some weeks ago.
! If the SDecial election will he ill
legal and ii the issuance of the bonds
will be illegal ON thc grounds. il the
city attorney is right in his conten-
tion and but few believe that he is,
then the man who will be mainly re-
sponsiblc for their iIlegnlity will be
Attorney Coles himself.
At the meeting of the city conn
Gil held prior to the last one, the mat
ter of reading the ordinance granting
an extension of time To George smith
the promoter of the electric street
railway, and the reading of the Or
dmance providing for the issuance
Of 100000 in bonds and for the
special election, were brought up in
the regular order of business. These
two ordinances were ready for their
last reading and for final action
by the council.
Alderman Lutes who had introduce
ed the ordinance providing for the ex-
tension of the electric railroad fran
chise, was asked IL he objected to de-
ferring the reading of that ortlin-
Lutes stated that he had no obiec-
tions, the reading was then passed
over.
City Clerk ConIcy then asked If
he should read the mountain water or
dinance. One of the aldermen sug-
gested that the reading of that ordin-
ance be deferred until the next meet
ing of the council.
Pres. o. Boyle turned TO City At
torney Coles and propounded this
questions:
"Mr. Coles, if we postpone the final
reading of this ordinance until the
next regular meeting will we then
have sufficient time TO give the or
dinance its last publication and to
publish the call for the speciaI cleo
tion the length of time required by
Iaw?"
4h'ihbtTN VI tiit tpHnCIi ana OtilefS
who were present heard this ques-
lion propounded to the city attorney
by the mayor and heard Mr.. Coles re-
ply as near as can be recalled in these
words:. "CertainIy, You will have
plenty of time to do all that If the or
hinance is not passed till the next
After being thus advised by the
,ity attorney Pres. O'5oyIe then al
owed the reading of the ordinance
o go over till the next regular meet
n.g
At the next regular meeting of the
'ity council the ordinance was given
It's final reading and passed. immed-
ately afterwards City Attorney Coles
arose and eXultantly declared that
The transaction was Illegal for the
reason that sufficient time would not
be given to legally publish the or
IIinance and the call for the special
The city attorney had suddenly
front. he had changed his
mind as to whether there would be
sufficient time for the publication of
the ordinance and call If II was de-
ferred to the last regular session of
he council
Members of the council and others
W no WERE ldllllidT WIN lnt action
Of the city attorney in the matter
are putting these questions to them
selves and 1t might be well for the
people to weigh the same questions:
Was City Attorney Coles absolute
~ ignorant as to whether there would
be sufficient time to publish the or
finance and call when he answered
Pres. O'Boyle yet led the council to
-hink that he knew what he was talk
ing about and assured them that
here would be plenty of time, or did
he city attorney wilfully mislead the
,ity council, for whom he is supposed
o act in the capacity of legal advls-
sr. in >order to further strengthen
himself in his announced efforts to
iefeat the mountain water PROPOSE
ion?
If there is any question as to the
of the election who is res
Donsible in view of these facts? Sure
y the city attorney and no other