Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-05-01
COMBINATION
OF C0UNCILMEN
Is Formed to Oppose Cen
eral Desire to Retain
Chief Archer
BOOSTSC COMMISSION PLAN
Councilmanic Action Arouses
Feeling. Recall or Change
Of System Advocated
BOOSTS COMMISSION PLAN

Refusing to make fight for the
retention of his present position as
chief OF police. F. r. Archer tender
ed his resignation Friday to Mayor
+. B. Benn, to take effect May >,
when the present administration re-
tires.
Mr.. Archer, at the request of Mayor
elect James W. Parks, has, however
consented to remain as clief for 80
days if that time should be needed
by the mayor-elect to get a man for
the place.
BY his resignation Mr.. Archer
stops all efforts on his behalf which
We're being made both by the mayor
elect, who had determined to submit
Archer's name to the new city coun-
Gil in spite OF the fact that a com
bination had been formed in the coun-
Gil TO prevent Archer's appointment
and by Mr.. Archer's friends among
the business men of the city
Mr.. Archer says he does not care
enough for the post to make fight
for it, and he is unwilling to EN-
barrass any of his friends. He would
have served the city as chief at a
financial loss. as the position of Unit
ed States Indian allotting agent,
which has been rendered him I'M
sought. carries with it larger salary
and has no peanut politicians to make
petty troubles. Mr.. Archer is not
built on the right lines to suit the lit
tie Abe Ruefs and Boss Coxes of
Aberdeen-and they know it, hence
this fight.
Trouble has been brewing ever
since Chief Archer refused to dis
charge a patrolman at the instance
of councilman few weeks ago, and
has resulted in the disappointmented
ward boss working up combina-
ton of nine members of the council,
upon one preteXt and another, to pre-
vent the confirmation of Archer This
combine consists of Myles, Ingram,
Hits, Egerer and Staulding, and they
have succeeded in hynotizing Smith,
Newell and Elder into the scheme. AT
ter several meetings, an agreement
was reached that provided for a line
up of the nine in opposition to Archer,
and Mr.. Parks was so notified. The
mayor elect stood pat and replied
that he would put the name of Ar.
cher up to them, anyhow, and if they
desired to fly in the face of the very
evident public opinion in this matter
they should so go upon record.
The consensus of opinion seems to
be that parties interested in certain
law breaking dives in the tenderloin
are back of this desire to oust Ar
cher, and in some quarters plans are
being discussed to drive this element
out of city politics. 1t is pointed out
that while saloons must close at
o'clock a. m, after paying the city
81 900 a year license, the dives sell
liquor all night, Sundays included
without any license fee. 1t is plan
ned to have a stop put to this proceed
ure, regardless of who is chief of
police, by having an organized watch
kept on those places, and having
them pulled under the state law, and
prosecuted by the county attorney.
That this influence should be strong
enough to induce such a frame-up Of
the council is the surprise to many
A majority of the combine are above
suspicion of being connected with the
redlight district. and their cOnstitu-
ents are wondering what string was
pulled to draw them in. 1t is noted
that O'Hare and Sauers, of the Third
ward and McCaw of the Sixth. re-
fused to join the combination. and
the junta will probably act in con-
cert against any measure advocate.
by this small band of insurgents
That the action of the majority of
the new council is a grievous disap-
pointment to the city at large is evi-
dent on every hand. The election
of Parks, and his plain desire to learn
the wishes of the people as to the
line of policy best adapted to the
city's needs We're sources of general
commendation, and the businessmen
OF Aberdeen We're upon the point of
cOngratulatng themselves that the
era of business administration was
about to dawn on the city, when the
action of this cabal struck on them
like thunder from clear sky. The
dissatisfaction is so great that sever
al leading citizens in the wards rep
resented by the combination council
men are advocating the invocation of
the recall. Others predict that this
is about all that was needed in Alb
erdeen to boost the movement for
the commission plan of government.
While many We're willing to wait and
observe the operations of that law in
Hoquiam for time. it has now many
warm advocates of its immediate
adoption, who urge that no possible
change in the system could make
matters worse than they promise to
be under the incoming council. and
that the commission plan could be