St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1911-05-13
ALDERMAN DANIEL Elk.
PLAINS FULLY HIS
POSITION.
He Was In Reality Helping the
City When He Sold Lumber
to lt.---Didn't Know He
Was Violating Law.

'~~I ~A ANNNA4t1J 1lkIl@ASo ~
the Grand Jury for violating an
act of the State of Louisiana
which prohibits members of pub.
lie bodies voting on questions
direetlp affecting their (these
public officers) personal interest.
Mr.. Daniel entered a plea OF
guilty, because he was convinced
that he was technically, although
not Intentionally, an offender
against the law in question. MI.
Danel now comes out in the fol
lowing statement, explaining his
position in the matter.
Says Mr.. Danel:
The St. Landry Lumber Co.,
the firm of which I am a mem
Der, and was representing, was
selling the City lumber and the
City would pay them whenever
they had the money, which the
proposition below will explain:
March II, 1911.
10 the Mayor and Board of
Aldermen, City of Opelousas.
Gentlemen:
1--WE understand that the City
has not enough funds to pay cash
for material that is, and will be
needed for repairing bridges and
installing the Power House Plant,
during this year, and as the City
has been buying lumber and
building material from us
for the last three years and we
sold them lumber not knowing
just when we would get our
money. You are now owing us
the sum of seven hundred and
twenty-five and 63-10O dollars, a
portion of which has been run
ming a year. Therefore we make
you the following proposition:
Knowing that you need
what money you have on hand to
pay freight and install the ma
chinery that was bought at Gulf
Port, Miss, we will not ask you
% pay US cash, but if you will
give us Certificate bearing 6 per
,ent interest, payable out of the
License Fund Of 1912, for the
amount which is already due us,
he Mayor to issue us Certificates
bearing s per cent interest, after
Our bills are approved by the
Board Of Aldermen each and
every month, payable out of the
license Fund of 1912, we will
gree to advance, to the City of
)pelousas, such material as we
AIRY in stock, any amount from
ne dollar up to two thousand
which would be our limit.
Understand us thoroughly,
We will not ask you to issue us
certificate until our bills shall
ave been approved by the Mayor
nd Board Of Aldermen, each !,
lonth at your regular meetings. /.
We agree to grant this favor !,
! order to help you out, and con- !,
der it a fair proposition and
othing more than strictly busi- ,
ess. D
Yours very truly, !
st. Landry Lumber Co., Ltd. )
LOUIS L. IN Pres. :
o.. L. GREGORY, Sec. Treas. :
Some time before there was :
talk that the st. Landry !
Or. Co. had no right to sell the :
lumber, as I was a member
the City council.
i asked the City attorney and 7
} said / had the right to sell the
The talk about our firm SELL 2
G the City continued; there t
re, | concluded that I could n
to other customers on time 4
ID not have to be always Wrang- P
lg; so | quit selling the City. :,
'The council had a meeting 81
out that time, and Mr.. Lar II
de brought the subject up and a,
id That the street commission n
had informed him that he Il Il
uld get any bridge lumber Il
om either yard Mr.. Larcade p
IS verbally appointed commit fo
; of one to see the lumber e,
alers in the City.
MI. Larcade then told Mr.. ;,
rio to see the lumber dealers n
d make them a proposition by {.
lich they could buy lumber -
in 1912. -
The other lumber dealers Va
used to sell on next years
In the meantime Mr.. Larcade pa
v me and said: Danel, you a m3
yht not quit selling the City Ra
nber, as we are in great need ct
it now to install the new plant. DO DO
u have been selling them for MI
zee wears, and while they owe :
/ they have always paid So A
old him I would make them a "A
position, which my firm did.
When it came to voting on
S proposition, I voted for it, III
knowing it was against the
4.
From the proceedings of the
y council at that time it will m
seen that my vote was not re-