The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-06-06
THEY WANT
MORE LIGHT
WILL HIRE CONSUL TING ATTORNEY
Councilman Armbruster's Request
for Additional Talent i'm NUM-
cipal Question Granted.

The municipal ownership scheme
being fostered by a few who still
hope to see it become a living reality
is very like Banquo's ghost; it re-
fuses to down" with a persistency
that is astonishing. 1t came up in
the meeting of the city council Mon
day night, and was the occasion for
some very interesting remarks OH
both sides Of the question.
Councilman Armbruster started
the fun by introducing a resolution
giving the municipal ownership COM
mittee authority to engage the SER,
ices If an additional attorney, to con-
sui With the city attorney in getting
around the legal obstacles that are
or might be in the way of the sche ne.
Councilman Thompson was up in an
instant with strenuous objection.
He thought the hiring of another at
torney to help the city attorney in
the matter was an unnecessary ex-
pense that should not be incurred.
The city attorney, he said, was am
ply able to attend to all the duties
that were required of an attorney
which consisted of passing upon legal
points exclusively. If Mr.. Forsythe
needed help he was ready and will
ing to aid him. and his services would
not cost the city anything.
Mr.. Armbruster calmly remarked
that the committee had no intention
Of employing "a North Coast attor-
ney." Thompson laughed at the in
situation, and said he wished he
could see color, for he had been
accused of being a North Coast al
torney and Northwest Light and
Water attorney for SO long that he
thought he was entitled to be on the
payroll of one or the other.
At this point the city attorney rose
to remark that the request for add
tional help did not emanate from his
office: that he had not asked for it.
and that it was not at his sugges-
ton or with is knowledge that the
request was made.
Mr.. Armbruster insisted that the
committee were entitled to have their
request granted. There had been nc
kick, he said, when the city engineer
wanted an expert to consult with him
in regard to plans for the sewer sys.
tenn, or on the probability Of having
to pay the expert at the rate of $4,000
year. He admitted that he had not
obtained any great amount of infor.
nation or advice from the city at.
torney, who is supposed to supply
the legal knowledge necessary in sucn
matters, and said he had consulted
him very little. His motion was
then put and carried.
Mr.. Thompson then rose to a point
OF order, claiming the majority by
which the motion carried-3 to q
was insufficient under the law, where
the expenditure of the city's funds
were concerned. The mayor de-
clined to consider the point of order
raised, and coolly told Mr.. Thompson
that he had better wait until any
money was spent before making his
protest. Thompson then offered a
resolution providing that no attor-
ney be hired for the purpose stated
until the council approved the propo-
sition by ordinance. After an ami
mated discussion the motion to adopt
the resolution was declared lost.
Then Mr.. Thompson wanted to en-
gage Mr.. Snively as consulting attor-
ney, but Mr.. Armbruster reminded
him with chilling dignity that the
matter rested with the committee
and it evidently does. Mr.. Armbrus-