Evening journal., 1913-12-19
STRIP TICKET
TILT STIRS
COUNCILMEN
Desire Court Decision on
Straight Fare Right Before
Making Appropriation
HEATED WORDS AND
CHARGES In DEBATE

N~@ahaN0Aa AAN NAAMAA
Despite the fact that only q week
ago the members OF CIT Council in
dulged in love feast, at which time
It was predicted that the good fellow
ship growing out OF the affair would
have good effect for many futura
meetings, the discussion on the str1u
ticket situation at the meeting
OF Council last evening seemed to In
dicate, on the surface at least, that
when there is real business to settla
all affectionate feeling is relegated tn
the background.
While the discussion last night dia
not at any time assume the propor-
ton OF a fight, or the suggestion q
such a thing. yet the heated and per
sonal arguments and tho thlnly veiled
sarcastic illusions that passed bo-
tween several of the members could
not be regarded as a good naturcd
discussion of the subject.
At one juncture of the word bat
tie one member declared that a GER
tain other member had a bug IN his
garrett" and there were several init
nations made on the part Of more
than one Of the members that lobby
iafs for and against the Wilmington
and philadelphia traction company
had been working among the mem
bers.
The clash last night was the result
or an agreement reached the night be-
fore to battle It out among them
selves" and IL was evident from the
ready, and even eager, manner In
which several members plunged into
the debate that they had come cooked
and primed for an argument, and
would have been disappointed had il
not taken place.
The discussion was mainly upon
what action Council should take az
II result OF the conference between that
body and the Public Utility Commits
sioners on Wednesday night, relative
! to the request of the latter body that
Council grant them an appropriation
of not less than 5000 for the pur
pose OF conducting an investigation
I. into tho affairs of the Wilmington and
q Fniiadelphia Traction Company Al
h one wncture Of the discussion thu
= debate became so heated that Presl
dent White was compelled to ra
- Tor order and declare the member
!. oot OF order and warn them not 10 Ia
y dulge IN any more remarks Of per
I, eonal nature.
u Court Decision First
!. The discussion began when Colonel
W. 4. Stover presented resolution
to act upon the City Solicitors sug-
gestion relative to the utility board
u securing a decision from the court as
10 whether the traction company has
charter right TO charge a straight
scent fare, and pledging Council, tn
the event that the court decides that
the company has not that charter
right TO make an appropriation for
the purpose OF conducting an investi-
( cation.
After a heated debate upon the res
olution IL was finally put TO vote. and
was carried by a strict party vote. the
Republican members voting for. and
the Democratic members against the
resolution. II was during the debate
that the charge was made that lob
byists had been working among the
members, and one member offered TO
name the fractions company's lobby
lst, who was sitting In Council Cham
Der, but President White, who had al
ready placed the ban. on personalities.
ruled the speaker out of order. It
was also charged that the Democratic
members were playing politics." all
though two OF them strongly denied
this, one OF them offering to make af-
fidayit to that effect. and stating that
he hoped to be struck dead on the
spot, II such were not the case.
Crowd Was Present.
Many persons crowded into the Conn
ClumhQr a. oil 4 h.
ment that Council intended to fight IL
lout' among themselves, and among them
officials of the traction company were in
evidence as well as members of other
Organizations. The sentiment of the
audience was about equally divided.
The resolution, as offered BY Colonel
Stover. follows:
Whereas, The Board of Public
Utility Commissioners has request
ed the Council of Wilmington to
authorize an expenditure of not less
than $1,000 for the purpose of in
vestigating certain complaints
against the Wilmington and Phila-
delphia Company, and
Whereas, II is stated by the said @
Board OF Public Utility Commits
sioners that il is their intention to
make an Investigation and phys-
cal valuation of the said Wilmington
and Philadelphia Traction Com
pany, which would entail an ex-
penditure of public funds Of prob
ably S25, 600 TO $4,000. and
8 Whereas, After the completion of
the contemplated investigation and
physical valuation Of the Whining
ton and Philadelphia Traction Com
pany by the Board of Public Utility
Commissioners, it would still be
necessary to carry the matter into
the courts to determine whether OF
not the said traction comnanv has q