St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1909-03-06
oPELoUsAs. "A. sATURDAY. NARcHe 6. 1905.
JONES RESIGNS
POSITION WITH CITY
ana council Promptly Accepts--solons Again Refuse
TO Merge Offices Of Street Commissioner and
Mayor--FireWorks at Council Meeting.

| A. G. Jones, Superintendent Of II,
City Waterworks and Electric Liobi
Plant since it's establishment has re
signed the position.
hr. Jones gives no written expla,
nation Of his action.
The reason FOR the resignation
however, might be found in Alder.
man Lewis impassionate declarat ion
that This Board has never given M
Jones proper support; the Mayor has
not co-operated with the Superinten-
dent" Mr. Lewis protested against
accepting the resignation until Mr.,
Jones be asked to come before the
Board and State his grievances and
his version Of the Incidents which led
to his resignation. The other four
members of the Board. however
voted to accept the resignation.
Mr.. Jones' resignation reads that
the resignation is to take place in
thirty days or as soon as bis sue
cessor has been procured
Side lights thrown on the reason
for Mr.. Jones' resignation points TO
an affair which occurred at pre-
vious meeting, in which Mr.. Jones
and Mr.. L. G. Soileau, the latter an
engineer employed by the Mayor to
look into the repairs Of the plant.
came to blows in the council room.
MIR. Soileau apologized to the coun-
Gil for his part in the occurrence. but
Mr.. Jones refused to, or did not do
so. Mayor Halphen, in a statement
to the Board Tuesday night, said that
Mr.. Jones should either apologize to
the Board or the Board to Mr.. Jones;
that ii Mr.. Jones was right. the
Board owed him an apology, but that
If Mr. Jones was wrong in making a
prize ring of the council room, then
Mr.. Jones owed the Board an apology.
The fsticuff was the result OF d
between Mr.. Jones and
Mr.. Soileau as to the cost of the re-
pairs of the power house, Mr.. Jones
contending that some $I100 was
needed, while Mr.. Soileau said the re-
pairs could be done for some $4O0. i
After an exchange Of hot words, {
Soilesu applied an epithet to Jones
that would burn asbestos, and Jones
struck Soileau, and they mixed. They
we're separated.
Mr.. Jones was not present at the
meeting Of Tuesday night, the fight,
is stated before, occurring at a pre-
7ious meeting Of the council.
The meeting Tuesday night was
smoking hot, and lasted until I2
Jclock, when motion by Lewis that
he meeting adjourn until 4 o'clock
he next morning was voted down,
md motion to adjourn until a later
late prevailed.
There was practically nothing done
It Tuesday nights meeting, except
peech making, well seasoned with
obasco.
The first question brought on
miniature war. Mayor Halphen re-
ived the question Of combining the
fices of Street Commissioner and
fayor. He presented a petition
igned by It's taxpayers of the city,
asking for an economical administra-
ion" as His Honor expressed it.
Now it is ID to you, gentlemen of
he council. The people have conf
ence in you, and expect you to save s
or them every nickel possible, con-
inued the Mayor. 1T makes no diff
arence to me, because it will not in-
rease my salary a cent, proposing !
0 perform both duties for the same
rice l am now performing that Of 8
Iayor. | am simply doing this for
he people, who elected me. Every
me they viii call upon me, I will go :
] far as is in my power to respond. {
m here to serve them" y
Mr.. Halphen quoted the City At :
1rney's opinion, which upheld his {
mtention that It was ii the power .
the Board to combine the two
fices. Questions from Mr.. Lewis to 9
le City Attorney, who was present, ?
icited the fact, however, that the 5
llary of the Commissioner having {
zen fixed until June of this year, T
le Board could not at this time oust :
IN. Il don't believe that it could 9
scome effective at this time said I
ity Attorney Sandoz. =