The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1908-04-08
THE CITY COUNCIL.
AN UNUSUALLY SPICY MEETING HELD
LAST MIGHT.
Alderman Hartman DenounCes New
Graft Story as "a Liz"

The regular monthly meeting
was held last night by the Mayor
and Board of Aldermen, with al
members present.
The terms of Messrs. j. B. Nal
/ ty and Oscar Newton, Jr.. al
public school trustees having ex
pired and they being un willing tc
serve longer, Messrs. S. E. More
ton and Charles E. Grafton were
elected to succeed them.
The advertisement for work
ing the streets of the city by con,
tract was answered by three bids
as follows: Anderson Case fol
500 per mile; Will Lawrence for
$50, and A. Il. Carter for $55.
Pending a motion to accept Mr..
Carter's bid, it was agreed to de-
fer the question until the next ad-
journed meeting and committee
was appointed to confer with the
Board of Supervisors and see if
contract could not be made for
the county to take the city prison.
ers again.
APPLICATIONS for appointment as
city engineer we're filed by
Messrs. r. d. Moreton, S. G.
Walker, and j. H. Hoskins, of
Brookhaven; H. S. Cox, OF
Michigan land Albert 7. Wilbeck,
Iof Louisiana. The Board went
into executive session and when
the doors were opened Mr.. Viii.
beck was announced as the Sc
lection.
The usual monthly salaries and
few miscellaneous accounts were
allowed. B. f. Dunn and other
residents in the Seavey Addition
and vicinity were present to pro-
test against Ben Penn being al.
lowed to put in a cesspooI on his
premises, which it was alleged,
would contaminate the we'll water
of his neighbors. The complaint
was referred to the Sanitary
Committee.
A very warm and partly per
sonal discussion was had on Pow
er House matters. This was pre-
cipitated by Alderman Wentworth
calling for an investigation by the
Board of certain reports of alleged
graft in connection with certain
cement purchases from r. M.
Nalty for concrete work at the
power house. The Power House
Committee is composed of Alder
men Hartman, Jones and Baggett
Responding to Mr.. Wentworth's
demand, Alderman Jones stated
that it had come to his knowledge
that Superintendent Purser was
having certain concrete work done
at the power house with cement
purchased from R. M. Nalty.
which the bill showed cost 50. Is.
and which could have been Sc
cured from another dealer ir
town for $500, and that another
quality of cement, better than the
Nalty cement, could have been
obtained from G. B. Perkins fol
$2.35. He further alleged thai
some of the work for which part
of the cement was purchased, hac
not been authorized by himself
and Alderman Baggett, and that
they would not 0. k. the Nalty
bill.
Alderman Hartman here chal.
lenged Alderman Wentworth Il
go ahead and out with it all, as be
knew what he was driving at
whereupon Alderman Wentworth
responded that he would do so
and from the reports and com
plants he had heard, Nalty was
mot really known in the city as |
dealer in cement, and the cement
lin question was believed to have
come through Alderman Hart
man; though delivered by Nalty''
team.
Alderman Hartman promptly
denounced any statement that he
had acted improperly in the
matter as "a lie. = He recited
Isome experience he said he
had had once in trying to buy
some cement for the city through
Mr.. G. B. Perkins, and charged
that Perkins was now trying Il
1stir up trouble because he couldn'
lbIeed the city, or words to tha
Ieffect. He did not deny selling
lcement to Nalty himself, which b,
|said he had a perfect right to do,
and declared that NaIty had beel
dealing in cement for thre,
3years. Mr.. Nalty was not pres
lent to lie heard for himself.
The discussion. then took an
1other shoot. and Alderman Jones
moved that the Board ask fol
ESupt. Purser's resignation ant
lselect a new superintendent, as he
ibid not consider Mr.. Purser hat
1.-The necessary executive ability t,
satisfactorily direct the affairs o
1.-THE Water and Light plant AMI
| the members of the Power Housl
/ Committee didn't have the tim,
| from their private business to de
A it. This motion was seconded BIZ
4 Alderman Wentworth and q Wild
+ range of discussion followed, par
ticipated in by all members Of Chi
Board, Mayor Lanier and Supt
Purser, who stoutly defended hi
administration, and laid th
1 res ponsihility for dissatisfaction,
management Oh the board and th
Il Power House Committee. bl