The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-15
TEMPORARY
 CLERK NAMED James C. Cowan Sue ceeds Late J.J. Farley RESIGNATION FLED AT ONCE Rumors Fly Thick as to Permanent
 Successor. Known That Power. To Be offered of- flee To W. F. Black Ana othess
 --Abolishes city Tax Inc
 spection.
RESIGNATION FLED AT ONCE

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 James c. Cowen, city license inspec- tor, who was appointed acting citS clerk during the illness of the tate J. !. Farley, was unanimously elected city clerk of Montgomery at the coun- ell meeting Monday night. 4
 Immediately after President Gunner called the council to- order, Alderman Ruth moved that the council proceed to at once elect a clerk. Alderman Moritx arose. and after few intro- ductory remarks. placed Mir. J. O. Cowau's name in nomination. which was seconded by Alderman Brassell. No other name was put up, and Mr. Cowan was unanimously elected by q recorded vote.
 1t ia understood that MT. Cowan does not want the position and has only accepted 1t untfl the council shall de- eide on the man they want His resignation has already been placed in the hands. of the president of the eounr ell to be acted upon at the council wish.
 gaisqualiflede fer, the position by fhe death of MT. Farley, he having been appointed to the position only to fill if during MT. ,Farley's illness. There is no provision in the new municipal code which provides for such a sttua- tion. and therefore the action of the council Monday night was necessary.
 The question of city clerk is stih q very live topic with the aldermen and the council was oecalled to ordsT Monday night until almost an hour after the scheduled time. Up to Mon day morning the questioAs was thought settled. twelve of the aldermen hav- ing decided on W. F. Black, secretary of the late ". F. Vandiver The lprcposition was put to Mir. Black and he had it under consideration, but re- tnorts say the Vandiver interests brought certain pressure to bear and Afr. Black decided not to accept the position if it was offered him.
 The name of Cyrus Brown, one of the staff of the Secretary of State is also under consideration and also lothars. but with the clerkship com 1 pefkntiy filled temporarily by Mr, Cowan. the aldermen are net in . hur- ry to settle the question.
 Surprise is Sprung.
 Mayor Teague sprung aesurprise on the council, not so much In his veto or the creation of the office of City Tax Insuector, but in his reason why. In the communication the mayer said. a the ordinances for the creation Of tht office was arranged, if would place a. the disposal Of the official an. incons which would range from $z5,000 te s5o. 600 annually. in that the oFdinanee provided that the new official would receive 25 per cent of all overdue taxes and licenses sfncludfng delinquent taxes The mayor showed that most of the taxes and licenses were delinquent every year and that under the pro. visions of the ordinance the official would be entitled to % per cent ol these moneys.
 The ordinance was put before the aldermen and unanimously stamped out of existence. It is understood tns orgfnance will be redrawn and so af' ranged that the compensatton- for tnt work will be less lucrative and mors in keeping with the amount of wori . reuufred, and also less apt to- diver one-fourth of the clty's resources t' a private pocket, a salary as great a' that of the President of the Unite' States.
 The ordinance providing for stree tax did not come up at the meeting.
 Through the mayor a communicates was received from the city engineer wherein several propositions iron property owners on High Street wer read fin which the owners of propert! on that part Of the street that m city wishes to widen were made. Tn matter was referred to the street com mittee.
 4 An ordinance was introduced b. Aldermen Kennedy providing for tn payment to the Memphis Asphalt an Paving Company of $2Os. for the main tenance of the asphalt on HUI S'ree for the period of five years. The oTdi nance was paased. An ordinance t nrovide nay for the officials of tn bond issue election was also passed. President GunteF announced tha there would be a meeting of the Counci igruevday night at o'clock to canvas 'the returns from the bond election A .thiR meeting also will be considered number of smaller ordinances and reso .lutions which were read at the meetin Monday night.
 Clerk Cowan was instructed to ar range for the making of hts bond be fore Mayor Teague today. It is under stood that the bond made when he va appointed acting city clerk will D transferred to cover his present posi- tion.
 who employs many of the city's con victs, to excuse him from paying for tn hire of several conE1cts who have es caped from his stockade. was emphat ically turned down.
 An ordinance to pave Forest Avenu from Highland Avenue to the city linn its with asphalt, bitulithic, brick anything in which wheels won't sinl was turned over to the Committee O Finance and Streets.
 Alderman Kennedy introduced an or dinance providing for the approprta ton of $5,750 from the amount set asid for roads and bridges, to be paid fo work done on roads and bridges latel! The question of the appropriation wa carried on to be discussed at the meet ing tonight.
 Alderman Saul Introduced an ordir ance which provided that the City PhS stefan should most thoroughly inspe' the mode of operation, condition an products of all dairles in the city an sending their wares to the city. TheI is an ordinance providing for this wor and Alderman Saul's new ordinanC simply provided for the spirit of tf previous ordinance being carried oui Alderman Saul also proposed an ordiI ance which instructed the Mayor take steps toward the collection of tk headage tax, as provided in the schet Q uie. being carried out an once. FaVo' able action was taken on both matters
 A petition from the Montgomery Tai q a department store. asking that they . allowed to connect their building wit the fire department headquarters b wire. was granted.
 Alderman Johnson moved that c employees of the city be paid all money due them for services rendered up { December 2i, in order to prepare fc