Arizona republican., 1915-10-28
TEMPE COUNCIL
 PROGRAMMED
Dr. Alexander Appointed by Gov. Hunt-Daniels IS Fourth Member Orig inal Members Issue State ment

With the appointment of Dr. R. L. Alexander to the office of alderman or Tempe by Governor Hunt, Tempe's common council has again become a thing of the present after four months of idleness, and following the selection of a fourth alderman, J. H. Daniels, at the meeting night before last, some ac- tual business was transacted. Frank Fogal and J. T. Birchett, both of whom have failed to be present at council meetings within ninety days have been automatically removed from office, and ill the opinion of the attorney general it was within the power of the goVer- nor to select the third member for the council in order that a quorum might be secured. The aldermanic body now numbers four members and whether or not a fifth member will be selected at once and if so, who it will be, has not been intimated by any of the present members.
 The auditing and allowance of bills for the last few months occupied the attention of the councilmen at the meeting Of Tuesday night. Little other business was transacted.
 Mayor George M. F'rizzell and Alder man w G. Debore have the following statement to make to the citizens of Tempe about the reorganization of the council:
 To the Citizens of Tempe:
 In view of the various difficulties that have confronted the common council of the town for the past few months, and of the fact that after con- tinuous efforts on the part of the un- dersigned for some weeks past, the common council of the town has again been so re-organized that the business and affairs of the municipality may again be continued in a regular and legitimate way. We take this oppor- tunity of giving you a short statement of the situation which we have had to meet. and of what has been done to meet the difficulties.
 It is generally understood, of course, that the council. when complete, con sists of five members. and that num- Der was elected at the regular bi-an- nual election held in May 1913 Those members all continued to act as such Up to about the 18th of last November since that time one of the members has never attended a meeting of the council. The other four members con- tinued to attend to their official duties until about the first of July last. Dur ing the month of July Jos. T. Birchett was required to go to California on account of his health, from which place he haslnot been able to return During the month of August last a court pro- ceeding was instituted against Mir. Buck. the result of which caused his office to become vacant. The under signed two remaining members have for some weeks attempted to hold meetings Of the council. but were un- able to do so for the reason that there was no quorum
 Alter due investigation we were ad- Vlsed that under the statutes of Ari- zona the place held by MT Fogal on the council had become vacant by reason of hIs having failed to attend to his of llclai duties for a period of more than three months, and that Mir Birchett's place had become vacant by reason of ms having been absent from the state beyond the period of three months. Whlch period expired on the 18th in stant- Such being the case there was not In existence quorum of the coun- ell whereby any of the vacancies could pc filled under the authority granted pE tHe statutes in such cases, and the cnly means that appeared to be pro- vlded to fill any vacancies under. this situation was by appointment to be made by the governor of the state un- der his constitutional power
 We then took the matter up with the governor, and submitted to him a state nIent of the situation and requested