White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1912-09-29
MAYOR PARKER vETOEs
FIRE ALARM CONTRACT

AT meeting of the city council.
Monday night, Mayor Parker vetoed
the proposal of the Gamewell Fire
Alarm Telegraph company, to install
the system in Ely. Sentiment was di-
vided at the meeting, as to the
praeticability of making the expen-
diture at this time. Ed Millard. who
mas advocated the system, addressed
the council, arguing the significance
OF the amount of taxable property
represented by the signers of the
petition circulated by him, and that
majority should rule. w. A. Shallen-
berger took the view that the exten-
sion of water mains was of more i'm
portance, as affording better fire pro-
lection than would a fire alarm sys-
TEN. Following the discussion,
Councilman Gallagher offered a mo-
tion to accept the proposition. which
was supported by Mr.. Bates, and OPP
posed by Mr.. Jackson. In his veto,
Mayor Parker gave his reason for his
executive action, as follows:
September "a, 1912.
To the Honorable City Cuncil of Ely,
Nevada.
Gentlemen: On last Monday
evening the council adopted a motion
TO the effect that the city enter into
"a contract with the Gamewell Fire
Alarm Telegraph company, for the
installation of a fire alarm system,
the ultimate cost of which to the city
will be somewhere in the neighbor-
hood of 100000.
The law gives the mayor the right
TO veto upon all matters passed by
the council, and while | believe that
this right should be sparingly exer-
cised, yet / also believe that this is
one time where II clearly ought to be
exercised, and ! accordingly hereby
veto and disapproye of the motion
and the action of your honorable
body on the foregoing matter for the
following reasons:
This city is in no condition fnan-
cially to incur any such obligation. No
matter how beneficial an improve
ment of this kind may be, yet 1t
seems to me the first question to be
considered is our ability to pay for
the improvement.
As 1t stands the city has no money
on hand. 1t is over S47.5 in debt.
If Il we're not for the kindness of the
banks In allowing the city an over
draft. il would be utterly impossible
for the city. at this time, to pay its
bills and our warrants would be at
a discount, and it seems very prob
able that If the city continues to in
crease its Indebtedness instead of re-
dueing II, that the time will shortly
come when people will refuse to ac-
eept the city's warrants except at a
discount. In other words, the credit
OF the city will be gone. In view also
of the prospective labor difficulties
which may arise, 1t seems to me the
efforts should be TO reduce the In
debtedness of the city instead of in
creaslng It.
II also seems to me that this i'm
proyement is for the benefit of the
few at the expense of the many. 1t
is not contended that any such sys-
TEN is going to prevent fires, and IL
seems to me IL would be much wiser
TO expend one-third or one-half of
the money for improved fire fighting
apparatus with which to extinguish
fires rather than to put the whole
amount of money in an apparatus
designed merely to tell the people
that there is a fire. If there Is any
thing needed in the city, 1t seems to
me IT Is more and better fire fighting
apparatus.
II is said that this fire alarm sys"
tenn will cause ? reduction in insur-
ance rates. but it must be borne in
mind that those who carry heavy In
surance are the ones down town In
the business district where all the
fire stations are located, and even
without fire alarm system are better
protected than the balance of the
town
II does not seem to me just that
the general tax payers should con-
tribute toward reducing the insurance
rate of few people or corporations
:, Looks to me like making the small
! 20