The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-02-21
FROM THE MAYOR

Editor Muscular:
am averse to public letter-Writing
for publication or any other form of
"grandstanding,'N but your editorial in
Thursday mornings Muscular
ment.
Regarding my platform n pre-
election pledges, l will say, l have
lived up to and kept every pledge I
made to the people, and l fully intend
to live up to those pledges during my
term of office; and I defy contradict
ton Of this statement.
Regarding the committee Of ten, l
will say that l have never felt very
friendly towards this particular COM
mlttee, not as to the personnel of the
committee, but because of the condi-
tons under which it was appointed.
Former Mayor John M. Evans put in
a bill for $240 for the rent of a vacant
lot. to the city, and the commissioners
rejected the payment of the bill, which
l contend they justly had a right to
DO. for the reason that it was eXhorbi-
tant, n the history connected with
the claim was such that the bill should
never have been presented. Had this
bill been allowed and paid, had we
thrown $4,000 of the peoples money
away, and gratified the grasping de-
sires of John M. Evans, we would have
received his plaudits as being a good
business council, and this committee
of ten would never nave existed-and
the people would have been $4,000
poorer. The disalloWance of this bin
aroused the anger of Mr.. Evans, and
he at once set about whispering in the
ears Of every business man thai the
city government was going to hell,
that we We're recklessly spending the
peoples money, and pushing the city
into debt. This, he knew was falsely,
Wilfully so, as upon his own investiga-
ton it was shown that we are con-
Quoting the city affairs at a much less
figure thar did he, during his incum-
'bency as mayor. But the suspicion
created by this Saviour of the Peo-
pie was laid in every corner Of the
city, and when the committee APP
peared we felt free to court the fullest
investigation, which we did. And what
was the result? 1t was found by that
avn We Z pIouu "
have investigate us, that we had re-
trenched materially in the expenses of
the city, that we are doing all in our
power to reduce the running expenses,
n that many things they had recon-
mended had already been done, and
that almost all other recommendations
We're under our consideration.
Regarding the incident in Wednes-
day mornings session, l will say that
lne matter Of a communication from
the city health officer, Doctor Pease,
came up for consideration, and upon
commissioner Houston's desire to re-
fer 1t to the committee of ten, led to
my remarks, which, however, We're
not correctly quoted in the paper. II
said l was not in favor of referring
this, or any other matter to the COM
mittte, which we could deal with in
telllgently. This matter had already !
been before the commission, and /
could see no sense in referring it
again, and I was opposed to referring
matters to the committee or to the
people, which are trivial, n which
any set of men, with horse sense,
should determine. We were elected
by the people to nm the city affairs. |
and in my judgment whenever we feel
our inability to do this we should re-
sign our positions and allow the people !
to select someone to fill them, who
can do so. In matters of deep i'm
portance, affecting us financially, 1 am
willing and anxious to consult with |
and heed advice OF the people; I well |
come friendly counsel but do not
think it should be necessary to have a