Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-03-24
TWO SIDES TO THE
STAIINGS MATTER
Alderman Says Council is
Within Its Rights.
All Employees Subject to
Dismissal Without
Amy Reasons.


council on the coming Wednesday
night, City Engineer StaIlings will be
formally deposed from his office an
that the position will then be tender
ed to Mr. John Ansley, former city
engineer.
The criticisms that have been pass.
ed upon their course by many citizens
have not affected the position taken
by the members of the board apparent
ly, and the program determined upon
at the special meeting will be ad-
hered to. Mr.. Stallings having re.
fused to resign, it is considered tha;
he has been given proper notice and
he will be. in all likelihood, dropped
from the pay roll at the end OF
March and his successor will be elect
ed and take charge of the citys en-
gineering affairs.
What an Alderman Says.
Mr.. Stallings took the place this
year knowing that it was entirely on
a monthly basis" said a member CT
council yesterday afternoon. "Ie oc-
cupies no. different position from any
otE'er officer elected by council or any
appointive city employe. Each and
every one of them knows tina he holds
his position entirely at the pleasure
of council, that he is label 20 dis
missal, with or without cause, at any
time, and that it is not necessary for
council to give detailed reasons for
its action. Council is charged with
the management of the cltys affairs
and if it believes that it is to tie
best advantage of the city to make a
change, it is clearly not oaly its right
but its duty 10 maze the change.
''The members of the board" he
continued. believe that for the work
in view the city can secure an en-
gineer of more experience and better
qualifications than Mr.. Stallings. That
is an adequate reason for it to re-
quest Mr. Stallings to resign. That
was merely the gentlemanly way of
doing the thing, rather than summa-
rily dismissing him from the city SER
vice. Council is not called upon by
the law to give a reason every time
it sees fit to dispense with the SER
vices of city employe There may
be occasions when it is not possible
to give a reason that would appear
entirely satisfactory for the dismissal
of an employe and yet when the alder.
men are satisfied in their minds that
a change would be for the better and
promote the interests of the public.
That is what is governing council in
this matter, it's desire to promote what
it concefves to be the best interests
0 fthe public. It is not any personal
feeling toward Mr.. Stallings, nor any
desire to injure him in professional
way, or anything of that sort. 1t is
simply a business matter with u.s. We
believe we can get the services of a
man who will suit us better, we have
arranged to pay him sufficient sal
airy to justify him in accepting the po-
sition, and nothing now remains but
to elect him"
Municipal Plant at the Bottom
The general impression is that the
erection of the proposed municipal
lighting plant is the work that the
aldermen have in mind and to which
they refer when discussing the advisa-
biIity of a change. Discussing this
phase of the matter a friend of Mr..
Stallings stated yesterday that the re-
port that Mr.. stalljngs was antagon-
fstic to a municipal lighting plant
was not correct.
"The truth of the matter is said
he, that Mr.. Stallings as an engi--
neer and student of such matters
told the committee that a municipal
liobting pl4 tsa;. ;.ucteG under coun-
cilmanic direction, with the likelihood
Of a change in the employees every year
or two could not be expected to be a
success. That the only way to make
municipal plant a success was
through commission control, and It
was due to this that the idea ofthe
was announced in the re-
cent election. If called on to plan for
or supervise municipal lighting
nIant. or any other city work, he
wonld do his full duty as an engi-
neer | understand that one of the
real reasons advanced for dismissing
him is that he permitted President
Walker, of the lighting company, tt
have access to the city records to get
facts and figures to sustain his posi-
tion. The records are public property,
Mr.. Walker is a citizen and taxpayer
ana he had as much right to look at
the records as any one else. That l
believe. is the real meat in the cocoa
nut"
When an alderman was asked about
This he declined to discuss the mat
fer All he would say was that coun-
Gil was acting clearly within its
privileges, and that no injustice was
being done the city engineer, as he
and all other officers understood when
elected by council that they were all
strictly on a monthly basis and liable
TO be removed, with or without rea-
son, at any time.
. 600 rAnnS FRENCH LAWN