Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-09-03
WEST NAY BE OUT OF
HOSPITAL NEXT WEEK
There Is Tslt % Issuing Call for SEES
sion Thursday Night, But indiea
lions Are That Quorum Will Not
Be On Hand Before Sick Member
Can Attend.

p, Technically Newport News is with
ont "A board OF aldermen and present
indications are that II viii be without
such a body until Aldermen Caleb
ID. West, OF the Fourth ward. who is
! with typhoid fever at the Elizabeth
,SELon hospital. is able 10 attend a
a, vting of the upper branch. Unless
he has q relapse. Mr.. West expects To
be able to attend the regular meeting
of the body, which Is scheduled Tor
September 10.
Under the opinion given by city At
torney J. A. Massie yesterday. II is
possible for four members of the
board TO tie mp the organization of
the body for several months. The sit
uation now existing is without pre-
cedent In ths city and Is very pc
culiar one The board is not working
under any set rules. as the old rules
died with the old council and until the
board organizes no one has the au-
thority to make an alderman present
"ihi'Nia iOi Dcttiue, Std'tu VI NthNi
wise.
Not Stated Meeting.
Mr.. Massie says that the meeting
Of the board scheduled for Thursday
night was not stated meeting and
that the aldermen were not obligated
60 attend it unless they saw fit to do
so. The first stated meeting of the
board will be on the night of Septem-
Der IL, but unless a majority of the
members attend. the board cannot
organize then and the absentees can
not be made to attend the meeting.
Mayor Jones has the right to re-
move any city officer for cause and
II the aldermen deliberately stayed
away from meetings and tied up the
chy's affairs il would be possible for
him to remove them from Office.
At the present time no business is
pending before the council and, there
fore, nothing is being held up by the
refusal of three of the aldermen to
attend meeting The board can or
ganize at its first stated meeting and
then go into the consideration of any
business then pending before it,
City Clerk Acting President.
City Clerk Floyd Hudgins. who is
the acting president of the board by
law, can call a meeting of the alder
men upon The request of three mem
bers, the request TO be in writing and
signed. It is understood that an effort
will be made to &c; the aldermen To-
gether next Thursday night. 1t is not
likely that Mr. West will be able 10
attend that meeting and the chances
are that a quorum will not material
ize.
The tie-up In the board was the
principal topic for discussion yester
day in municipal circles and on the
street corners. Some were ceDsurins
she three sbsentees-C. G.. helms, j
]. jackson and T s. Weston-whilS
others declared that they thought II
was proper that the board should wal;
until Mr. West is able to attend the
meeting before 1t organizes for 'h'
ensuing two years.
Rvmor About Petition.
II was reported tina; some Of the
voters in the Second ward were an
gered by the failure Of Messrs. Jack
son and Weston TO attend the meeting
Thursday nigh, and Fumor had it thai
a petition asking those members. to
resign would be circulated among th'
voters Of the Second ward. However
that report could no; be verified.