The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1916-02-12

~ NH'#N " - AAAAN w. ~ ''A w
govern mont. to do anything without
the active cooperation OF the maypt
TITS council, on its own Initiative,
con plctod construction OF the city
hail This was done by the c|oUHClII
and certain private citizens. who Sc
cured Ahc necessary signatures tOI
note. sufficient t. guarantee pay ment
OF the cost notes which the under
signcc signed, thus picdging their in
dividunl credit.
Thc mayor ana the newspapers have
criticlz"d IA because We declined tot
Inappropriate money for payment FOR n
park site far out on the mesa, and be-
cause we declined to appropriate 500
! for the state fair. The city did not
| have tho money for either OF these
purposes, and us to the fair approx ri.
alton the council had absolutely no
legal right to make such an appro-
priation.
A city cannot run behind six or
seven thousand dollars IA year and con
tinuc To run, any more thaa cen , p(s
vatc business. 'rh city had lost CON
sid revenue some from the clos
ing of the segregated district. That.
wen the mayor stated during his
campaign. he would rather go down in
his pocket ana pay than accept 1t FOR
| city purposes. The mayor has neither
gone down In his pocket FOR any rev
enue. nor has he lent us the slightest
assistance in dcVising ways and
means Tor meeting the city's boliga.
lions.
Mayor Boatright personally. through
| his Spokesman and through the pa
pcrs. has made the charge that he
| .nnnnt slnaa antnnp. nm 4un1u, In-
| cause this council viii not pass an or
dinance specifically empowering him
To do 40. In his statement the mayor.
whether of his own initiative or that
of his political advisors. H. skillfully
playing both ends against the middle.
lie IL seeking 10 hold favor with that
of our citizenship opposed to saloons
and a. the same time to remain the
friend of II owners and operators OF
the bars. Inquiry will develop the
, fact that the saloon interests OF Al
~buguerquc today are the mayors arm
friends. lie was elected by the votes
Of those OF our citizens who are OPP
posed To saloons sunday or any other
day. The fact II that Mayor Bootright
has full authority ia clos" saloons on
sunday. Other mayors have done u
by n simple order to the police who
now stand ready and able To- an the
| same order whenever the mayor gives
| IT,. The matter of open or closed va
looms on SUNDAY in this city H. wholly
and fully and finally IN the mayors
hands.
It has been charged against this
council that II has neglected the
streets. Since the removal Of Mr..
Gladding TO III Paso and since the res-
ignaiiou of The street commissioner
MAYOR Boatright has assumed fun
| charge of All street work. He has
failed to consult the street committee
on any matter. He has not permitted
that committee 10 make suggestions To
him. The committee has been without
power to give orders and without au-
thority to get them carried out. The
mayor has initiated no .treet work
save Tor some unnecessary work on
North Broadway.
As TO several phases OF the IRE de-
| partment matter, which served to pre-.
| cipitatc the present condition OF ope1.
n~ntngonism and rcCrimination, we.
wish 10 submit the following state
m,nt OF facts:
Tho mayor has brought n charge ~
graft against a member of this cuuu-
ell ~ has caused to hc published in
IN. morning paper OF this city. photo
graphs Of certain letters teadins to.
impugn the integrity 81 that member
The letters referred to are In conncc-
ton with certain IRE department
transactions which occurred before
this council came into office. that Is.
prior to April. 1914. These letters
standing by themselves ana without
any accompn 1ylng statement. made n,
appear that money was pad as "a re-
ward Tor q favorable contract for are
department supplies. The alderman
in question stands ready to defend
himself We do not know the facts
and we promptly ami checrfully pro-
posed To authorize an expenditure Of
$500 or So much thereof as might b.
necessary. or more II deemed adVis-
able, for an investigation OF this and
other indefinite charges of graft IN the
city government. which the mayor has
| made. said n~vestigation To be- made
by n committee Of di~sintercsted citi-
zcns w, recommend as such COM
mit,co. Louis Held. Frank Butt and
br. W O. Hope, three men In whom
the people OF this city have confidence.
W. declined TO permit the mayor to
investigate his " charges, or To ap-
propfiate money 10 permit him To do.
.o. We did this on the same ground
that would have prevented us from
appropriating money to allow the al
derman In question to make the in
Vestigation. with va 1t vas hen and
~ nov a desire to get AT the facts
without prejudice.
IN this CONNECTION W assert and
are prepared to prove that Mayor
Boatright held the letters, photo
graphs 90 which he caused TO he pub
lished In the Albuquerque Morning
Journal for a period ~ five months
prior Ia such publication.
With further reference to The IRE
department situation We wish to state
that months ~ when the mayor
learned that charges of excessive use
OF liquor had been made against "a
police officer, he knew that certain
members Of the fire department were
drinking Ia excess and that he made
no move to investigate or correct this
condition. We supported him 10 his
action in the police department and