Evening journal., 1914-05-08
council WANTS TO
HEAR FROM TAYLOR
May Hold Up Police Experts
Bill Of 1884 if He Refuses
to Appear
CLERK DILLON TO GO
TO INTERVIEW HIM

The bill of John B. Taylor, police
efficiency expert. for SS34, as the fl
nal payment on his bill of $4,000, for
conducting an investigation OF the lo-
cal police department, was not pre-
sented to City Council last night.
Colonel w. e. Stover, chairman of
the finance committee, said he had
placed the bill on his desk to be pre-
sented but it had mysteriously dis
appeared.
"That's case for the police de-
partment to investigate remarked
President White with q chuckle.
The bill turned up later, but was
not presented. Colonel StoYer ex-
planned that the bill did not bear the
approval of General Wickersham, the
minority member OF the Police Com
mission. Colonel Stover explained
that he had not signed the bill be-
cause he did not think Taylor's work
had ended, as the expert had been
asked to furnished additional infor-
nation, which so far he had failed
to do.
Colonel Stover said Council had in
+
night to impart certain information.
but the latter failed to do so, and had
made no explanation ats up to Coun-
ell now to decide what to do, he de-
clared. "Shall we drop the matter or
take il ZIP firthcr?a
Councilman Haney said that the
proper thing to do would be to have
the police committee prepare resolu-
A.. In slft ff4 kasl a. ff4tf,
that no more money would be paid to
Mr. Taylor until he had appeared before
them and impaired the information that
Council desired
A motion was made by Colonel Stoyer
that Clerk OF Council Dillon be author
lied to 90 TO Philadelphia and have q
personal interview with Mr.. haylor, re-
questing him to fix a time suitable to
him to meet Council as committee Of
the whole. and should he refuse to ap-
pear to find out his reasons for refusal.
/ Councilman Zimmerman said that
was waste of money, and that the
entire affair had been money thrown
away. He referred to Council as hav-
/ ing been bunch of suckers" and
stated that some of the members
wanted to tie the body up in law
suit by refusing to pay Taylor's bill.
Councilman McGoldrick remarked
that Council had sent MIR. Taylor a
courteous invitation to appear, but he
had Ignored the request. He said he
/ had been one of the members who had
at first advocated the payment of
/ Taylor's bill without any delay
"Since he has refused our request"
he explained, Il for one will never
vote for penny Of his bill until he
4 appears before Council To answer
] their questions. He stated that the
only additional money he would be
willing to spend would be a two-oent
postage stamp to send letter to
Taylor requesting him to appear be-
fore Council.
Councilman Cook wanted to know
whether the Police Commission or City
] Council had employed Taylor, and Mr..
! McGoldriek replied that Council was the
head of the entire city and should see
that things were done in a proper way.
Mn McGoldrck moved to amend
Col. Stover's motion that Clerk Dillon
be sent TO Philadelphia to interview
Taylor by substituting instead that a
letter be- sent 10 Taylor and request
him t0 appear before Council next
Thursday night at o'clock. This
amendment Vas lost and the original
motion prevailed. II was not specified
in the motion Just when Clerk Dillon
should 90 to Philadelphia, but it is un
derstood that it viii be before the next
meeting of Council