The chronicle=news., 1913-06-24
ESTABLISHED 1877

Dlscord and disscnsion stalked In
to the city council chs mbcr last night
aud the meeting adjourned at fifteen
minutes before midnight with temp
crs soreiy tried and the mayor In par
ticuiarly bad humor. All evenin.
there had been verbal clashes isc-
tween the mayor and some OF the ai-
dermen. lie had encountered oppo-
sitIon NJ every turn. He had heard
criticism on every act that he had
initiated. Finally he lost patience
and wrote his declaration Of indie
pendrncc and declared that he might
be inclined to take more power out
Of the hands OF committees and place
Il into his own hands. lie voiced his
every drop Of his fighting blood was
stirred and aggravated. The thorn
In his sidc-the disturbing element
the dragon that confronted him In
his efforts to inanKurn'c his Ideas.
was Alderman Donahue. who last
uight assumed tho icadcrship Of u
faction that split the council wide
open and fought the mayor. The
meeting was . strenuous one. The
city attorney was criticized and the
city treasurer manifcstly pccvcd ov-
sr = discussion concerning tho city's
money rosc an: declared that either
he was To be city treasurer and han
die the city money NJ he saw fit or
else the city council was to be the
treasurer. II was n nIRht Of wransi-
Ing and janElinE and the white dove
Of harmony fluttcred Its wings and
flew away.
The first clash came when a pro-
posed ordinance was read. which or.
dinancc was 10 amend Section s? of
ordinance publIshed In 1896 defin-
ing the duties Of the city treasurer.
and whirh -ansadad ordssaace pro
vided thai the city obtain interest on
its. deposits. The city attorney had
prepared this ordnance In view OF
the proposition submitted to tho
council at the last meeting by tho
cashier OF n local bank offering to
pay interest on city deposits. Alder
man Donahuc wanted the proposct!
ordinance rejected before II had been
read. II was read and ordered filed
but II prccipitatcd n lively discus
sion.
The second clash came when the
city marshal explained that acting
under Instructions from the mayor
he Ind summoned the women of the
restricted district into police court
for the purpose Of filming them
There was opposition from the head
of the police committee. NJ. J. Gold
smith and from Alderman Donahuf
who was opposed to any plan of fin
ing the women and he wanted all
money that had been collected re.
funded and no further effort made to
collect fines. This motion as ar
amendment was lost md motion
that the action OF the mayor be ap.
proved resulted In n tic vote five tC
five and the mayor cast the deciding
vote approving his own action. ],
was during this discussion that the
mayor threatened to take power out
of the hands OF committees and run
things to suit himself.
Returning now to the matter 81
city funds the mayor considered II
good business 70. the city to secure
interest and thus realize revenue
from the city funds. But there were
some members OF the council thai
were not in favor OF the city realiz
Ing interest. They wanted the mon
ey to be handled as It had been ir
the past. The finance committee tina
had been empowered to Investigate
and report on the proposition of thu
International State Bank to pay in
terest on city deposits made no repor
save that In the statement OF Alder
man Lunney that under the ordin
ance the city had no Jurisdiction o
the city money. That's Just thu
point exactly" returned the mayor
why shouldn't the city have juris
diction over its funds
The ordinance as read provide'
that the city treasurer shall with tn
approval OF the mayor and council
select annually. or oftener II neces
sary, the bank or hanks that will pa.
the highest rate of interest for tn
average current deposits of cit
funds; that he shall keep in tn
banks all moneys belonging to tn
city: that before any deposit is mad
the bank or banks selected shall Civ
bond under such conditions and i
such sum as prescribed by the coun
ni1 und uiva ycriftpd Ouartcrl