The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-11-21

com raitteo. fta assured tire commit
tee that he would a. hir drty ia the
matter and thar f specific charges
were made against the head ~ ans
departments be- would Immediately
suspend alm until che cnarwc vas In
vestiFated ~ court Of Impeachment.
Considerable cruss -queauoninE 81
Alderman Semmes by the mayer and
members of the committee cnsusd aft
r. AR. Semmes made his statement.
Tho questions were maingv in regard
10 coal contracts 60 which AR. scmfnes
referred On hiH statement 60 the COM
.mittes
Alderman semmeaf statement 20 tie
committee was a. follows
When the bios for the coai contract
for tae water company were opened
aud the superintendent had foFmulat-
"a hts re mmeudation % the mayor
"a 70 WI : coaI should be accepted.
II devei0rel that he had failed 70
recommend the acceptance q the Ban
uer coal althouRa b. established pre-
cedent this coal should have been
recommended.
air. Gilmore. the local representa-
tive 81 the Pratt Consolidated Coal
Co. which company mines the Ban
nor coal. called upon Alderman Kent
and also upon me % look into the
matter ano see ~ possible why his
coal had been turned doWu. I went
into this matter very Thoroughly with
the water superintendent and with
TIE mayor. and protested against What
appeared great Inconsistency In the
recommendation Tor the award. Art
sr making this protest and rsing or
record with the mayor and the wafer
superintendent &c being opposed 70.
the manner % award ! could not con-
aC,entiously vote 90 adopt the sup
eFintcndonfs recommendation.
when Alderman Kent and Z voted
against the mayors recomm cndation
We were challenged by Alderman Rem
shaw Tor cur reason in 30 voting. !
rave ms reason 20 the alderman. and
be thea lad q motion adopted by the
council calling far an investigation az
the nest meetins a. which time TIE
superintendent could be- present and
give . statement 90 the counci.
~RAiLRoArED" THROUGH.
The mayer called = meetinG q tie
council 90 settle the grade controversy
between the city engineer and the
bond trustees engineer. and 20 lock In
20 The matter - the award 81 the
NAaA NNNANMEk ~ NNaM decide aAAHI .
the grade question had been disposed
q the mayor called for tho next order
q business. which vas the coal con-
troversy.
The city clerk read TIE mayors
recommendation. tone % the aldey
men moved the adoption 81 the recon- /
mendntion. ~ was seconded and ear
ried The superintendent YES not
called upon. no Investigation vas made
and the matter had evidently been pat
through without any regard for the
stand ] Sad taken. This vas q cum-
plete throw down Cor Alderman ksnt
and for me. The council chamber Vas
niisd with cifisons aud I Nas unWiil-
,ns 20 submit 60 this humiliation With
cat a word a. defense
4 asked the mayor the priviiogc q
the noar 20 make a statement % tha
Pcopts relative - the stand that had
taken. BE granted mo this rrivileg
During ms defense ! madc the follow
lmR statement AfthouEu d 81 against
The law foF a councilman to rid On a
contract with the city. IN which the
city pays out money. I contend that q
- better that the counciimsn should
BID on these contracts, II by 80 bidding
they can set the inside workings 81
the different departments - the city.
and going before the people tell them
81 these WORKINGS. some n which are
equal 10 the "rottennesa - the state
81 penmark'
CHARGE STILL APPLIES.
"osentiomen. this remark was made
"a no heated argument. Was not made
reckiessly. bat was made frankly and
advissdiy. M o. Just 81 true tonight
as Il vas when J made g.
wow. gentlemen. ] wish % say %
you. most respectfully and oourteously,
that I deny your right Co auiE me on
anything that 7 said 60 the people 81
Pensacola. during my statement q
facts az the special meeting ~ the
city council held 20 look into the
chargcs that had made against the
award o. the coal contract
mo charges have been made against
me I am not on trial Cor anything
that I have done against the laws q
the city or state. nor have 7 trans
crossed the ethics Of procedure OF
TIRE council
Because the mayor has seen 90 O.
appoint you % look into the different
departments or TIE city towing 20 my
statementl. I do not see % 20 self
appoint myself prosecutor Tor this
committee. and therefore al that I
have 60 say 90 you tonight b. THAT
N I see fIt e. answer THIS conamuni-
cation I viii 90 80 at my own tire IN
mo own way and vii make my reply
directly 90 ire people 81 PenHscoia.
This Is ar that care 20 say az this
time
Alderman semmes declined 90 enter
into an Investigation - rs charge
made AZ tire council meeting while ad-
dressing ne citizens 81 Pensacola. bat
repeated several times hts assertion
that the woskinwa ~ come ~ TIE de-
uartmsnts 81 the government equaicd
the -rottenness ~ The state - Den
MARI
The committees report vni ~ pre-
scented az the next meeting q the city
council
me committee b composed - AID
orman ConcanEcn. CHAIRMAN. and AID
erncn Bcar. Mcycr, Ksnt aud Rcn-
shaw.
NO STAR cHAnBER SESSION
Before fsr session opened Alderman