South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-01-27
COUNCIL PUTS ON
FREE REHEARSAL
Secret Session Rule Makes An
other Meeting Necessary to
Tell Public What Happened.

Gallery play forced upon the COM
mon council by the star chamber"
methods employed in its executive ses-
sions, marked the 're-reference" TO
the committee Of the hole. OF the
ordinance requiring drivers of moving
vans, etc, to report to the city clerk
each week the name and destination
OF all parties moved, when the subject
came up at the meeting held Monday
night.
And incidentally City Atty. Seebirt
found it necessary to chew his sauer
kraut twice. figuratively speaking. in
order that the press, barred from the
executive sessions. might hear and in
form the petitioners for the ordinance,
for the protection OF the councilmen,
as to why such a law cannot be passed.
Gallery play" or horse play" may
either one be safely applied to the
performance. This is the history OF
the whole proceedings. told just TO
show wherein the council by adopting
the secret" process, is counting its
own inconvenience and converting it
self into a sort OF vaudeville show.
Previous to the dissolution of the
last council a petition came in from
IL citizens, asking for a moving regu-
secret" session of the old council,
where it was decided to leave it over
to the new one.
The new one took it up at the meet
ing two weeks ago and il was again
referred to the committee. which con-
sidered in the "hole''-securely plug
ged--last Tuesday night.
City Attorney Opinionates.
At that meeting all the councilmen
were present and likewise City Atty.
Seebirt. Asked his opinion of the law.
he told the committee that it could
not be enforced; that the state char
ter grants the council no such powers;
that the only powers granted is to
provide for the public health, morals
and safety, and in effect, that the
making OF the city clerks a semi-cOl-
lection agency for the city merchants
does not come under any of those
three heads. He did not question the
law as matter OF policy, except that
TO pass void law, that would be un-
enforceable in the courts, would be
equivalent to passing no law at all.
Which was enough of a swan
song" for the proposed law but for
one thing. Perforce there were no re-
porters present to tell the II petition
ers and the public through the press
why the ordinance was not to be
passed, and the councilmen wanted
protection from the wrath of the petit
TONERS. The ten men did not want to
be rendering personal explanations
the rest of their lives. so they decided
10 report the resolution for an Ordi-
nance out favorably with instructions
TO the city attorney that the ordinance
be prepared. The city attorney show
ed up Monday night with the form Of
a law which was introduced by Coun-
Gilman Buechner, passed by first and
second reading, and then the vaude-
Vile show started.
Opinionates Over Again.
With all the innocent assurance Of
Eve when she approached Adam with
that forbidden pippin, Councilman
Buechner said he had heard that the
city attorney had some views on the
would like to hear. He said it just as
innocently as though he hadn't been
with the committee in the hole" and
heard what the city attorney had to
say last Tuesday night. And the city
attorney got up and recited the same
old "unchartertutional" tale. and did
IT as blushingly and Dashfully as
though 1t was his first effort.
All this for the benefit of the re-
porters-who were supposed to be
soaking it up as loo per centum pure.
Pres. Lang also took an innocent
hand. He was sure the council, al
though the members had agreed that
such a law would be a good thing,
would not want to pass an ordinance
not contemplated by the city charter.
The other aldermen nodded assent,
with the exception of a couple of the
poorer performers, who smiled some
what shame-faced smiles.
Hadn't we better send 1t back TO
committee" the president wanted to
know.
Sure Mike!' was the general senti-
ment, when Councilman Mike Buech-
ner moved for the re-reference where
it will secretly be chewed over once
more, this time with an invitation TO
the petitioners to show up in the ca
pacity of lobbyists and see if they
can argue the thing over anyway.
Other Things Accomplished.
Which is about all the council did
Monday night-aside from the recep-
ton OF a few petitions which were
also referred TO the committee 10 con-
slider in the hole"
One of these petitions from Ru-
dolph Elbel and Ii others asked that
the names OF Navarro and w. Navarro
st. be not changed. Another by Fred
Peckham and IL others asked for a
Waterman until midnight at the Grand
Trunk crossings at Carroll and ST Jo-
SSpn SIS. Inc next star cnarnDe
will also have for consid GRAFTON an
ordinance transferring $4,000 from
the general fund to the street and al
leys intersection funds Of the board
of public works.
Yes. the council passed the bridge
crossing resolution promising not to
grant any bridge franchises TO utilities
unless they pay 20 per cent of the cost
Of the brfdge-as requested two weeks
ago by the board OF county commits
sioners. Councilman Miller voted
mo" and explained afterward that
there might come a time when the
city might be willing TO take less.
An ordinance was also passed under
suspension of the rules empowering
the board of safety TO employ expert
and clerical help in the preparation
OF a building code, and appropriated
$500 from the general fund to the
firemen's miscellaneous fund TO cover
the expense. This is fl accordance
with an agreement reached at a joint
meeting with the board of safety.
board OF works. the mayor and Cham
her Of (fnrn rom r1aitfaa hold fen