The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-03-05
TALK LEGISLATIVE BILLS.
ALDERMEN OPPOSE TWo NOW BEFORE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,.

Alderman Homan Says Board Might as
 We'll Cease Meeting if These Are
 Passed--One Bill Gives Permanent
 Pavement Commission Great Powers
 Second Proposes to Give Board of
 Health Power to Select Hospital Site
 No Quorum-City Business Not
 Taken Up.
 Owing to the illness of Alderman Woodford the republican members of the board of aldermen were unable to obtain quorum last night and no bus mess was transacted. With the excep- tion of Alderman Woodford all the re- publicans on the board were present in the aldermanic chamber at the time appointed by the mayor for the regular monthly meeting. There were no dem- ocrats present. When 1t was seen that quorum could not be secured the members of the board present resolved themselves into a sort of social session and discussed informally for more than an hour two bills. involving the inter- ests of this city, which are pending be- fore the general assembly.
 This was done out of courtesy to AL derman Franklin L. Homan, who is a member of the senate and who asked the members to remain and give him some expression of their opinion on these matters. One of these bills has to do with the powers of the perma- nent paving commission and the other with the location of contagious dis ease hospital The bill before the as- sembly proposes to give the permanent paving commission power to say what streets shall be paved and to deter- mine the order in which they shall be taken up. This bill, if passed, will be direct usurpaton of the powers which the board of aldermen holds at present With it's present powers the paving commission can oly say as to the kind of pavement that shall be laid. When the hearing was held before the legls- lative committee only two appeared ir
 
 were Senator Homan and Henry Don- ovan, of this city. It was favored by Colonel I. M. Ullman, Major Tilson anC others.
 After a long discussion of the ques. | ton it was voted, on motion of Alder man McKerness, that it was the sense of the members present that the bill should be opposed. Alderman Curtis' created considerable comment among his fellow aldermen by advocating thu provisions of the bill. He further stat ed that he was of the opinion that tht business of the city might be done tC | better advantage if the board of alder | men was abolished, He said that h' was in favor of one-man power and re sponsibility. He argued that a com mission like the permanent paving com mission could work with greater con tinuity than the board of aldermen ant | thus render better service. He sai( that the city's method of conducting business could be improved upon, an, that the city was not keeping up witt the progress of the times. He wa supported in this attitude by Alderman Henry Fl. Townshend, who said that hi experience with the board of aldermen showed that it's work in such thing was unsatisfactory in it's results.
 With regard to the bill wSaich, if pass ed, will place the task of the selection of the site for the hospital in the hand of the board of health, there was strong sentiment that this should no be done. Alderman Loos said that tn board could not allow tais power to ge out of it's hands.
 Alderman Homan remarked that the permanent paving commission re ceived the power which 1t is propose to give it, and the matter of the selec ton of a hospital site be left with tn health board, the aldermen might a well shut up shop and go home Tn passage of these two bills would be tn beginning of the end of the powers 0 the board.
 It was finally voted to request Alder man Homan to oppose the bill wit