The morning journal-courier., 1908-03-13
BRETHAUER WILL
RECEIVE HIS PAY
Board of Finance Votes to Ap.
prove Bill as Submitted
and Let Rowe Out
of Liability.
C0HEE PAY ALSO APPROVED
Majority Report of Police Commission.
ers Ratified-School Board Gels
Money 10 Buy School PEN
ellis and Pads.

Although the session of the Board
OF Finance last night was an excep-
tionally short one. the entire meet
ing not lasting over an hour and a
half, yet in some respects the delib-
erations of the board were as import
ant as any heldrthus far this wear.
Besides the APPROVAL of the weekly
bills and those for the month of Feb
ruary not received in time to be pass
ed upon at last weeks meeting. the
Cohee pay question, the Brethauer
situation, the question of furnishing
pads and pencils to school children.
and the Greene street school cornice
matter were all discussed and in ev-
cry case action taken.
The first matter taken up was that
of Cohees pay. Police Commission
ers Ullman and Maxwell and Chief of
Police Cowles were present Later
Commissioner Kelly also appeared.
Both Mr.. Ullman and Mr. Maxwell
said they were in favor of paving
Cohee. They stated the facts in the
case, said they had made thorough
investigation of them and had exam
ined Officer Cohee.
In brief. il seems that Officer CO.
hce. after going OFF duty and remov-
Ing his uniform on election day. 1907,
went to a restaurant on State street
II is claimed that liquor was being
sold in this place. which had no IL
cense Illegally from two standpoints.
the place not being licensed. and be-
ing sold on election day. Founders
in the place, taking Cohee for n plain
clothes man, assaulted him. injuring
him very seriously. The two COM
missioners both stated that Cohee's
record in his twelve years of service.
was of the best. and that the board
of police commissioners voted to pay
Cohee for the 1877 days he was off
duty.
Commissioner d. f. Kelly later ap-
peared before the board. The latter
was opposed to paying Cohee, first,
because he believed Cohee had COM
menced the fracas that resulted In
the officer being put out of commits
sion. Secondly, that the hoard Of
finance deciding to pay Cohee would
establish a precedent. Mr.. Kelly
said that II the board took favorable
action in the Cohee matter, the next
thing they would have to do. would
be to pay Cohce's hospital bill,
amounting to $50.
When the question was taken up
for final action. Mayor Martin said
he was in favor of paying of1cer
Cohee, since the police commissioners
by a five to one vote approved it. He
did not think it would establish a
precedent. The matter was not put
to vote, but what was equivalent
the members of the board signed the
payroll. which will give Patrolman
/ Cohee 137 days pay.
4 The next matter that came up was
the question of paying Mr.. Brethauer
City Clerk Devine read a communica-
1 tion from the secretary Of the civil ser
vice commission containing an enclos-
ure from the attorneys for Patrick NC
Govern. Director of Public Works F
w. Foley was present and the mayor
asked him to state his side of the con-
/ troversy. Mr.. Foley said: Mr.. Basset'
is the clerk of the department of pubic
works The first of January he became
/ Ill and I took the most available man
who it happened was Mr.. Brethauer. II
to help me Mr.. Bassett returned to his
work about January 10, and had work
ed for four or five days, when his phy
sician asked me to grant him month
vacation. I did so. As for Mr.. McGov'
ern, he was never a clerk in the publi'
works department. but was doing cler
icsl work for the superintendent o
streets. The latter also had a stem
ographer The charter does not allow
the streets superintendent any clerk
or stenographers so | dismissed them
Mr. Brethauer is not an appointee
for there is no vacancy i'm my depart
ment to which | could appoint any one
.
illness and has not returned and ha
sent no word, so two weeks ago I tool
his name Oft the payroll 1t is custom
ary to pay those who have served tn
city a long tiIse. when they are out 70
illness. and l have but followed prece
dent. | can let Clerk Bassett go. ap
point a temporary clerk. and then asl
!. the civil service board to hold an ex
4amination to secure an eligibility lis
for the vacancy created. Contrary 4
general belief, there is no eligibility lis
for the class of work required in m.
department"
At this point the mayor remarke
that Director Foley MAS unfortunate i
taking up his work in a department
which had so many crippled employees
and that he did not believe the civ
Continued on Second Page.)