The daily sentinel., 1909-04-14
COUNCIL REFUSES
TO RENEW LICENSES
tContinued from page 3D.

CONTINUED from page CD
renewal of the licenses. Alderman
Matthews, the third member OF the
license committee. declined to so re-
port. There was L moments delay
and then Mayor Wentworth asked
that action be taken. Alderman
Hudson made motion that the re-
port of the license committee be ac-
cepted and the licenses be granted.
Alderman Hertz seconded the motion
Mayor Wentworth was determined
not to put the motion TO II vote until
Tie legal status of the action had
been outlined by City Attorney Roz-
zelle. The mayor remarked that 1t
was unusual for a council to grant a
saloon license extending beyond its
term of office and he wanted TO have
the opinion of the city attorney. Mr..
Rozzelle stated that he had looked
into the matter to some extent and
he believed that as the present Ii
censes expire during the life of the
present administration renewals
could be granted. He believed that
the matter was entirely optionary
with the council and that either the
granting of the licenses or refusal
to do so would be legal.
There was no further discussion.
The question was called. 1t was
really quite a dramatic moment, that
moment of the roll call on this final
phase of bitter local fight. Abso-
lutte quiet reigned among the spec
tators as City Clerk Conley in clear
voice called each alderman's name,
requiring him to go on record in the
matter The vote was as follows:
For the licenses-Hcrtz, Flynn,
Davies and Hudson, 4.
Against the liccnses-Plank, Mat
thews, Drew and Boyer, 4.
mir. Mayor, IL is tie vote" an
nounccd the city clerk. That meant
that 1t was up to the vote of Mayor
| Wentworth to decide the issue. With
out moments hesitation Mayor
| wentworth announced. ''rhen the
motion is lost, Mr.. Clerk, l vote no."
A vigorous storm of applause broke
out in the council chamber. lasting
over minute and only the emphatic
| rapping of the gaYel by the mayor
restored quietness.
The last hope of the saloon men TO
secure IA renewal of licenses from the
present council had vanished. They
had fought to the last ditch, as any
men whose property interests are at
stake would be expected to do. and
they lost They must close their
places of business on Saturday, April
II.
Mayor Wentworth voted against
the renewal of licenses because he
did not believe that the renewal
could be legally granted by the pres
ent council and his opinion is shared
in by the great majority of the cit
izens who have looked into the law
in the matter. Mayor Wentworth
and the four aldermen voting NO.
shared the same opinion in the mat
ter and they voted conscientiously.
| = The four aldermen voting Yes
believed that the licenses could be
legally renewed by the present coun-
ell and that the saloon men should be
given a reasonable period of time to
arrange their business affairs SO as
to sustain loss less than that which
| they must sustain by having to quit
business on such short notice
The council then listened to the
reading of the official results of the
! recent election.
Resolutions were then adopted
regarding the perfecting of certain
titles to property in the southern
part of town.
The proposition of refunding $780,
600 in water bonds was then taken
up and an offer from Mr.. Orson
Adams, offering to take the bond
issue at par and pay bonus of about
| S25S.00 was read. A certified check
of 81 900 accompanied the offer. By
resolution the council decided to ac-
cept the offer and the legal steps to
issue the bonds, which issue was APP
proved at the recent election, to call
in the old bonds, etc, will be taken
at once.
Mayor Wentworth then announced
that it would be in order for the
council TO adjourn until April 18th
at which time the new council will
organize. He stated that the present
| council desired to close up all the
business of the present administra-
tion as thoroughly as possible and to
turn over the city in good shape to
the incoming council.
The council then adjourned at
| 1905 O'CLOCK.
Aayor-elect j. ii. Lee was an in
terestcu spectator at the meeting last
night. He and number of the other
newly elected officials were there to
get an idea of the methods of pro-
cedure employed at the council ses-
sions.