The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-12-17
INTIMATED MAYOR
ACCEPTED GRAFT
ALDERMAN STEWART ~NTiMATEp
MAYOR SWEET WAS IMPLIcAT.
ED WITH GRAFT SCANDALS or
THE CITY COUNCIL SESSION
LAST NIGHT.

] Whether, the chief, Of police will re-
tire from the center of the stage as
the principal figure in the next act
Of the alleged municipal scandal and
Mayor Sweet take his place remains
to be seen, but there were intimations
of such a possibility at last nights
council session when Alderman Stew
art moved that the mayor be tried on
graft charges before the interference
of the district court could be taken.
The motion was twice made but
received no second on either occasion
and was ruled cat! of order. by the
mayor. Mayor Sweet himself made no
comment one way or the other regard
ing the i~nsinuation. No other cogniz-
ance was taken of the incident by any
Of the aldermen and the situation soon
passed by without action.
The incident leading UP to the
Stewart motion was a question raised
by Alderman Mcdonald when he asked
the city attorney If the permanent writ
of prohibition issued by the district
court entirely stopped further investi-
cation in the police department probe.
City Attorney Smith stated he thought
Judge Pollock's write of prohibition
was very broad and prevented the
council from taking n further ac-
ton. 1t was then that Mr.. Stewart
made his motion concerning the
mayor. ... '.-
This session was exceedingly brief
lasting less than a. hour. Miss Irma
Irwin, the new police matron, who ar
rived a few days g from Freeport,
III, assumed her duties in the city last
evening when she was formally pre-
sented to the council by the mayor
who introduced her to the aldermen
at the opening of the session. Miss
Irwin made a brief address to the
alderman stating the nature of her
work in Fargo and what she would
attempt to accomplish here with the
cooperation of the police department
and the aldermen themselves. 's
A number Of estimates were allow
ed and a discussion concerning the
meters placed for the filtration plant
ended the session. The next meeting
will be held on the evening Of Mon
day, Dec. %.
The Meter Question.
Although nothing particularly re-
suited from the water meter discus
sion, much was said on both sides re-
garding the advantages and disad-
vantages of the installation OF the
meters. City Engineer Anders began
the argument when he urged the in
a~uguration OF the system on the plea
that the city would be forced to come
to it sooner or later in the same man
ner as did Grand Forks.
Mr.. Anders said meters meant
economy in the operation Of the water
plant for the city and also for the
individual. He argued that where a
householder paid for the exact amount
Of water he used he would exercise
much more care than where he may
draw on, the supply without reserve.
To support his contention he present
ed the council with figures showing
the amount Of water used during the
different seasons of the year. In the
summer months he said the amount
used was anywhere from 80, 000, 900 to
go. 600, 900, gallons per month. In the
fall he said it amounted to so, 200, 900
gallons while in the winter when
families kept the water running in
order to prevent their mains from
freezing it totaled to 5000, 900 gallons
per month.
Alderman Rupert of the Third ward
was heard to some length on the other
side of the question. He said a num-
Der of citizens had asked him not to
vote for the meters. He felt it was a
matter hat should not be decided oy
any board Of aldermen without taking
into consideration public sentiment.
He. did not feel the meters were
needed at all, that. they tended toward
monopoly and that if the ordinances
of the city were enforced about COM
polling the people from using water
on their lawns after the stipulated
hours every evening there would be
economy practiced in the use of the
city and that would prevent its being
wasted. - =.
Alderman Cummings supported the
attitude of Mr.. Rupert. and declared
the meter to be the friend of all the
worlds greatest m~onopolies. He said