Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1912-07-02
WERE COMPLICATIONS
All PRINTING FOR TuE PAST
TIltEE YEARS ~
INVALID.
MARTIN owned STOCK
EN-Mnyor Martin Was "A Stoclholdrr
During Ills Term rs
Mayor.

A legal question that surpasses any
municipal point Of law over brought
.up IN oklahoma. now confronts the
T city Of Tulsa, in the matter OF the
/ legality Of the city printing that has
/ been done for tho past two and one.
half years
The whole proposition royolyes
about the proposition that former
Mayor l.. j, Martin was a stockho,dpr
IN the official city pepper during his
administration ana that three elective
Officers of the present administration
are financially Interested in the same
paper at the present time,
Wilson Won't Sell.
Added complications were brought
about yesterday when II became
known that city Commissioner j y.
Wilson had positively refused TO dis
pose in any way of $500 worth Of
stock which he now owns In the
Democrat, AS long as he holds this
stock and is a city official the Dem
ocrat cannot be given the city print
Ing under the plain provision OF the
city charter that covers the point.
Commissioner Comedy IS also inter
ested in the Democrat and his stock
is not for sale, either it is said,
As soon as City Attorney Ramsey
had raised the question OF the legal
ity of the Tulsa city journal because
the city superintendent of streets was
a stockholder in the journal com
pany, Bob Io2ier disposed of Nis
holdings in that concern, and II Is
generally admitted now that the Jour
nal Is amply qualified to sign con-
tract TO handle the city printing. on
the other hand the Democrat and It's
supporters at the city hall, has been
making desperate efforts 10 clear its
own skirts. Mayor Frank Wooden
has, II Is understood declared that he
paid a sum Of money on the stock
that he is said to hold in the Demo-
crat company, but the stock was new
er delivered to him. The editor OF
tho Democrat offered to refund
Wooden his money as soon as It be-
came known that the Democrat could
not print the citys legal notices, as
long as any elective or appointiye Of
ficers Of the city held an interest in
the paper.
No Hope for Democrat.
But the position taken by Commits
sioners Wilson and Comedy with re-
gard to the Democrat has thrown a
different light ON the muddle, and
there is apparently no hope for the
Democrat IT is understood that the
Democrat and journal will enter iden-
teal bids with the commission today
for the printing.
Mayor Woodens statement that he
has never been assigned any stock in
the Democrat has little effect accord
ing to eminent legal authorities here, |
for the charter provision says that
any person connected with the city
administration cannot sign "A contract
with any firm or corporation in which
he holds an interest. Wilson admits
that he paid $40 to the Democrat "on
account
Paving Companies Busy.
Paving companies and other CON
Germs that have done work for the
city during the administrations of l..
!. Martin and Frank NJ. Wooden are
making every attempt to secure proof
that the fact that the Democrat could
not sign valid contract with the city
during this period does not affect the
legality Of the different notices pub |
lished during this period in the Demo- |
been presented.
City Attorney Ramsey now claims
that the legality Of the matter pub
lished for the city by the Democrat J
in the past years Or mo4e, is IN
admit fHHf F.iy aI
some doubt s 20 #h0 her the Dem
ocrat had 10 collect auv pr
for printing
600 has her ..,,,,,TaI IN |
this matter Illegally, 1t is claimed by
attorneys
Won't Recover Money
Mayor Wooden is authority for the
statement that the city Will make no
attempt to recover from the Democrat
the money that has ben paid to it on
a contract that was null and void.
They did the work" said Mayor
Wooden yesterday, "and we ought TO
pay them for it."
That paving assessments, levied
during the present administration and
the one that preceded It. are Illegal
and will not have to be paid, and
that any such assessments that were
paid can be returned to the property
owner who paid the same, by a court
action. II the opinion OF a number OF /
local attorneys, who are at this timo \
preparing suits against the city, as a
result Of the many Illegally printed
paving assessment notices.
Thousands Involved.
Thousands upon thousands of dol
ars worth of taxes, and contracts of
much larger amounts are involved {
N this municipal muddle. Just 1
where the end will be Is hard to dis |
'ern The city attorney and all the I
'lty officers are worried greatly over /
he affair and are astounded by the P,
mass OF legal complications that is |
sure to arise over the blunder. {
mint FORMER MaYOr Martin Wrnta y