The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-26

 < tive's office is concerned About 50 \ -~ members of the legislature also -< ~ went to Mobile and everything is < . very quiet at the capitol.
 
 Mayor Culpepper Exum issued state ment last night in answer to the charges made in Montgomery Friday by City Auditor Petersen. The Mayor goes into detail about the transactions complained of and characterizes Petersen's attack upon him as absolutely without any foundation in fact"
 MT. Exum also states that the auditors statement is 'tpart of campaign to dis credit the personnel and plan of ths proposed commission government, either with the idea of advancing the interests of would-be candidates or of preventing approval of the bill.'
 The Mayors statement will no doubt be read with interest by every citizen of Birmingham. It is as follows:
 'The attack made upon me by Auditor Petersen is venomous, contemptible and absolutely without any foundation in fact I understand that 1t was given out by Mir. Petersen in Montgomery on yes- terday. Why MT. Petersen went to Mont gomery, with whom he consulted while there and why he issued this ridiculous calumny on me from there are questions which the public can determine. There is an organized, aggressive campaign by certain persons to prevent, Governor O'Neal from making the appointment o1 the Birmingham commission which has been indicated. This campaign has been inaugurated, as am reliably informed, by certain gentlemen who had hoped to have filled places on the commission, aided by their friends and supporters, and doubtless assisted by other gentle men who are not pleased with the per sonnel of the proposed commission. Men who have always been opposed to tho commission form of government have gleefully Joined in muddying the waters And some of the men who have been most active In opposing the personnel of the proposed commission have in the mast been well known as machine poli- ticians of an unpopular variety.
 To Discredit Plan
 ''The attack made upon me in the hys- terical headlines of one of the after noon papers is alleged to have thrown the city into frenzy of excitement charge that Petersens silly statement was given out as a part of the cam paign to discredit the personnel and plan of the proposed commission government either with the Idea of advancing the interests of would-be candidates. or of preventing approval of the bill. It's !s- suance from Montgomery makes plain its purpose. Whether I am a commis- sioner of Birmingham Is to me mat f-a axo cial loss have, in the hope of perform ing some useful service for the commun- ity. undertaken the responsibility of the Mayors office, but I do not propose to allow my good name and reputation to be assailed as a part of cheap and ob- vious political scheme, and ask the people of Birmingham, who have honored me with their confidence, to read and weigh what MT. Petersen has said.
 'I am charged first with ordering the payment of a car of hay at $12.50 per ton when Dean. the seller of the hay, had procured reduction in the price of the hay from the seller in Mississippi on the complaint of its inferior quality. The hay in question was purchased by MT. Shropshire, city purch asing agent, on the requisitfon and approval of Street Commissioner Gafford. had nothing to do with the purchase and did not know anything 
 the mayor is not consulted. The first information I had on this subject was when Mir Guerry, whose father in Mis- sissippi had grown the hay, came in e with Petersen to see me. It appeared that Dean, the broker. who sold the hay to the city. was informed by MT. Gaf- ford that while the hay was not as good as he expected, yet the city would take and pay for that car but would buy no more. It appeared that Dean had then gotten Weaver, clerk in Petersen's office, to write statement on Petersen's stationery that the car in question was not worth more than s9 per ton, and had gotten Morrison. an employe at the city stables, to sign this statement. It appeared that Weay- CT and Morrison expected the city to get the benefit of any reclamation. Ii also appeared that on the strength of this statement. Dean had secured reclamation from Guerry.
 Up to Requirements
 "Guerry's complaint was that Dean had secured reclamation from him on this car load of hay and on shipments of hay to other parties by false rep resentation. when. as ma tier of fact, the hay was good hay and up to the re- quirements and no such reclamation should have been made. In other words 1t was alleged to have been the too
 
 being swindled by the city 'oker. MT. Guerry's contention was that the city had gotten good hay and that Dean had gotten reclamation from him to which he was not entitled think the ! city stableman signed the statement for Dean in good faith, expecting, if any reclamation was allowed, the city would get the benefit of 1t. Mir Gaf- ford stated that while the car was not as good as he desired. it was worth the price at which 1t was bought, but that he wanted no more of 1t. The city pays on its own weights without any regard to the invoice weights. The ac- count had been assigned by Dean to the American Trust and Savings bank; il has been approved by the proper city employees. and I ordered 1t raid.
 Broker Refunded to Shipper
 q am advised that the Birmingham Grain exchange investigated Guerry's complaint that the broker had obtained from him an improper reclamation and that Guerry was entitled tu full price for his car of hay, and the reclamation was unwarranted, and that pursuant to their findings, the broker refunded
 
 CONTINUED ON FACE iol