Williams news., 1914-03-05
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS

me COuncll met Tn regular 6eS- siou Tuesday night-present Mayor . Carlson, councilmen Smith and Lebsch. The minutes of the pre- ; vious meeting were read and appro- we'd. The vacancy caused by the re- signation of John Gilson was filled with H. NJ. Stark. who took the oath of office and his seat at the council table. The usual bills were allowed and the business that was ] laid over from the previous meeting was taken up.
 The midnight closing ordinance was discussed at length by both council and citizens. Finally mot ion was passed to close all places of business from 1 o'clock at night
 until 6 the next morning. The mo-
 tion provoked great deal of discuss.
 ion. Some were of the opinion that
 by passing this closing ordinance
 it would relieve the town clerk from
 the necessity of placing the initia-
 tive petition upon the ballot, while
 others were of the opinion that
 since the ordinance changed the
 hour of closing from 12 o'clock mid- night to o'clock that the clerk
 would have to place the ordinance on the ballot. Messrs. Crow, Me- Coy. and Smith favored the mid night closing. A still different view that was taken by some was that no matter what action the council might take upon the ordi- nance it would have to be placed
 upon the ballot at the next election since it was initiated by the people.
 | The red light district next occup- jed the attention of the council. Since passing an ordinance segregat. ing district for them referen- dunn petition had been filed with the city clerk, requiring that .ordi- nance to be placed upon the ballot. A motion was made by councilman Lebsch to recall the segregation ordinance regardless of the referen- dunn petition, but this motion failed for want of a. second. The referen- dunn petition also provoked lively discussion. In this too there were different opinions. One man asked "Why have the district at all2", while another replied that it was necessary evil. The discussion went merrily on, but the one big thing before the council was where to put them to be the least objection able. Some thot that they should be moved farther east, while others were willing to have them located b.tween the jail and Jesus Quijada's place of business. This raised q discussion of t'e stare law which provides that no such district shall be located within 25O yards of public building X. N., Stoves gave it as his legal opinion that the jail was not a pulic building. but that the city hall was, while O.h rs thot that the jail is a public bullulng since it is owned and maintained by the public and is the office of the, deputy sheriff. Finally a committee of five men were ap- printed to measure to find where 25O yards in direct line from the city hall would bring the dis rict. One man proposed that the city
 hall be moved in order to ...ake the distance come within the law if by so doing the district could be located near Quijada's. Quite number of citizens were present also a few from the country. I. H. Cureton who claims to live s feet beyond the city limits cAampioned the csuse of the initiative and ref erendum peti' toners while NJ. J. Rounseville whose residence is said to be four miles out in the country was spokesman for the antis.
 Scotty McDougle H. NJ. Stalk, ct al spoke for the citizens.
 Building permits were granted to Mrs. Rienhardt, !. E. Brown, Lad