The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-25
CITY COUNCIL ID
 APPROVE CHANGES Investigation of Change
 Made in Minutes RESOLUTION IS PASSED. Finance Committee Last Night Rati- fled Minutes and Said They Were
 True Report of the Action
 of the Council
RESOLUTION IS PASSED.

The finance committee of the City Council met last night in the city hall to investigate the erasures in the coun- cil minutes relative to changes that were called to the attention of Mayor Exum by Auditor Petersen. The com mittee completely dissolved any impu- tation that may have been cast upon the city officials by formulating a re- port that the changes were made for the sole and exclusive purpose of mak- ing them speak the truth and in no effort to conceal or perpetuate a wrong.
 The report of the committee will be made to the City Council at the next regular meeting, and will be accord ing to this form:
 "Whereas, the City Council of Bir- mingham adopted a. resolution on Octo- Der 21, 1903, fixing the salaries of the city treasurer. city clerk and city at- torney to October 1. 1909, and.
 nWhereas, the city clerk in copying the said resolution in the minutes of the City Council made a clerical error so as to make 1t appear that the said salaries were fixed to different date.
 "Whereas, after the minutes of the City Council had been approved the city clerk, upon discovery of said err TOT, and at the instance of the finance committee, corrected said minutes to conform to the resolution adopted by the council.
 Be 1t resolved by the City Council of Birmingham as follows: That the said correction of the minutes of the council meeting of October 21, 1908, made by the city clerk at the instance to the salaries of the city treasurer, city attorney and city clerk, be and the same is hereby in all things ratified and confirmed; and said minutes be and they are hereby approved as they stand on the minute book of the City Coun- cil
 Be it further resolved that the min utes of said City Council of Blrming- ham of October 21, 1908, as they now stand, relating to the fixing of said salaries, Is true and correct record of the proceedings of said body in re- gard to said matter on said date"
 The sense of the special committee was formulated in this report:
 Report of special meeting of finance committee, March 24, 1911.
 "The committee finds that the min utes of the City Council as shown on the minute book of said council of Oc- tober 21, 1908, were changed, but as changed show the real intent, act and sense of the then City Council. and that nothing has been shown that any alteration has been made in the real act of the council. While the proper method of correcting the clerical error was not pursued, no evidence has been adduced to show that there has been any attempt to do aught than really record the acts of the council of that date."
 The report was cimpiled by Chairman Mcdowell, MT. Gregg, MT. Gibson and City Attorney Romaine Boyd. Their au- thority was given by the adoption of a resolution that the three aldermen word the sense of the entire committee that they believed the changes were made with but one purpose in view, and that was for the records to speak the truth 
 about the increases in salaries made so much of in the charges of Auditor Pe- tersen.
 The most striking feature of the meet ing was the lethargy of the people or the city as to the hearing. By actual count there were but six men present who were not connected in some way either with the city hall charges or tho committee charged with the responsibil- ity of correcting the impression that the city had been the victim of graft.
 The most gingery development was the question of former Alderman ONeill, aimed at Auditor Petersen, when he asked if the charges by MT Petersen were not made for political effect
 MT. Petersen, what city gang asked you to make these charges, which were first called to the attention of the peo- ple through the press?'' asked MT. O'Neil.
 q am 21 years of age," answered MT. Petersen, land I do not have to have any man to push me on. I crossed the ocean on my own initiative, and I can take care of myself at any time"
 Chairman Mcdowell ruled that the question by MT. O'Neill was not reg udar and instructed Stenographer Weak ley to strike the question from the record.
 The committee, after examining City Clerk Shropshire, former Chairman Heidt of tic finance committee, Auditor Petersen and former City Attorney Thach, decided that they were of the opinion that the changes made were for no illegal purpose and were made only to make the records speak the truth. They also decided that the salary in- croases were right and will recommend that the council ratify the changes made several months ago.
 Every member of the finance committee was present last night when the meet ing was called to order by Chairman Mcdowell, with the exception of Alder man Copeland of the Third ward. He was unavoidably detained and did not attend.
 The council committee, in its delibera- tions, exercised particular pains to ex- anime into the connection of City Clerk Shropshire with the changes, and they were fully convinced that the city clerk consulted the former members of the committee freely as to the changes and only made them after Chairman Heidt had been informed of the error and said that he believed the records should be made to speak the truth.
 
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