Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-04-12
ADDRESSES A HOT ROAST TO
HULL, GREGORY, MecARTEN
AND HERMAN.
ANNOUNCES THAT HE WILL
NOT VETO RATE ORDINANCES
Will Let the Hull Gas and Electric
Ordinances Go over His Head So it
Can't Be Said That He Prevented
Rate Reduetions-Has Objections to
Them All.

ANoW Sdu NStO lliOSC Va
but am not going to do So said the
| mayor in an open lecture addressed
to Councilmen Hull, Gregory, McCar-
ten and Herman, who passed the so.
called Hull rate ordinances. He is going
to follow the illustrious Grover Cleve-
land and let them become law without
his signature.
| The opposition of four mem bers of
the city council to the mayors plans
for handling the utilities and paving
problems had stirred his honor to
wrath and he read in open council an
| epistle addressed TO them personally,
which in part poured shot in them
as follows:
ITO Charles H. Hull, George Gregory,
W. c. McCarten, George Herman,
members of the city council:
| "Gentlemen-You have by your four
votes passed ordinances which no
doubt are intended by you to fix the
rates on gas, electric light and power,
and to fix the time for running street
| cars in Marshalltown, Iowa.
These ordinances were passed March
| 80. A. D. 1910, and will become an act
of the city council on April IS, 1870
unless same are vetoed by me.
! L have given these ordinances my
careful consideration, and have de-
voted considerable study to same. and
wish 10 publicly call your individual
attention TO certain features of the or
dinances and to the situation,and then
you may take such further course, if
any, as you deem expedient.
| Electric Light and Power Ordinance.
There are certain objections to these
ordinances, but they are mostly of a
legal nature. I am not and do not pre-
tend to be your legal advisor. You have
evidently seen fl 10 ignore the city's
duly elected legal department, and you
will be held responsible for whatever
situation you create. For these ordin-
ances you, in writing, stand sponsor,
and for the difficulties that these or
dinances create you will have nothing
to fall back upon but your own indi-
vidual responsibility.
| Ordinances of this nature, that must
needs stand the test OF the courts
should be carefully drawn and fully
considered. fear this has not been
done in this case. but that you pre-
scented these ordinances solely for lit
tie political glory for yourselves, and
without much thought OF the future.
Street Railway Ordinance.
You in this ordinance utterly ignore
the effect Of our present franchise con-
tract with the present incumbents.
do not like this contract I have re-
peatedly urged that legal steps be TAX
en- TO set it aside. You have ignored
these requests 1t may be that you can
/ oh ,,-lf I'd n the <
ent franchise If SO. well and good, bu.
many lawyers seem to think that oul
present franchise ordinance is a con-
tract and must be followed until Sc,
aside. Here again I fear you have pro-
ceeded hastily and with little or nc
thought or legal advice.
Gas Ordinance.
The tenor and effect Of your presen
gas ordinance is the same as one which
was passed at the suggestion Of YOU
mayor over a year ago.
The rates are identical with tina
! ordinance. Other features of the ordi
nance, in my opinion, are not SO good
For this ordinance, and the repeal o
my ordinance, you, In writing, stan'
sponsor, and will be held responsible.
In this connection l wish to cal
your attention to the history of thi
matter.
"As have stated, this gas ordinance
which was passed at my request owe
a year ago, became a legal ordinanc
of the city at that time.
The enforcement of this ordinanc
was enjoined by an Injunction in tn
United States court.
THE judiciary committee Of the city
of which two Of you are members
=,
made a special contract with certain
attorneys to represent the city and as
sist your city solicitor.
Then came up the matter Of tn
franchise to Messrs. Darling an
Schroeder. If these franchises carried
lit ended the litigation, and you a
agreed that pending the disposition G
the franchise matter, the litigatio
should be held in allegiance.
over my protest and against m
objection, you procrastinated and de
| layed coming TO any conclusion. Yo
, would not act. One day you were fo
one timing. Next aaaay: ;ySG we're fn
something else. I urged and insiste
you do something one way or the othe
but you paid no heed
He then accused them of workin
part of the time to vote a franchise I
= the Mcbride group "to assist Mr.. MOI
, ris, whose wife's relations seem to cor
stitute a large proposition Of the col
poration" but since Mr.. Hull did vol
for the Darling franchise the mayo
3 continues:
] i "A part Of the time you were work
i. ing to give franchise to man VIII
j did not have a dollar, and who hs
E never done one thing with the Boor
franchise, which he obtained, but haw
it around trying to sell it. You doub1
less in this were actuated with de
n sire to assist Mr.. Norris, whose wife
t relations seem to constitute lars
t proportion of the corporation wi,
# which Mr.. Mcbride was concerned.
s "At last you were convinced thel
# was no real money back Of the Norri.
d Mcbride group, and you voted a frar
: chise to Mr. Darling.
It Whether the franchise you vote
: was good or bad is not now materia
o You voted it, and the people rejecte
it. That ended the franchise matt,
for all time. The people OF Marshal
town evidently wished to own the.
|, public utilities tlemselves-that w:
4 the evident intent Of their verdict.
But the important thing that wal