Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1917-04-05
OLD COUNCIL HELD CLOS
ING SESSION SAT. NIGHT
THOMPSON MAKES ADDRESS.

Last Saturday evening marked
the close of the Old Council and
Mayor Huffman steps down and
out. The meeting was short
but interesting. Reports of the
settlements of Collector w. l..
Kittle, and the Treasurer were
read and accepted. Resignation
of w. B. Huffman as Fire Chief
was accepted. Harry Hankey
was released for one sewer tap,
and at the close Fred. E. Thomp-
son, Councilman from Ward a,
delivered his closing address
Mayor Huffman responded in a
few sharp words by denying
some Of the charges.
| The address of Councilman
J Thompson follows:
"Mr. Mayor, and Gentlemen of
| The Council:
Permit me to say a few words
at the close my term of office as
Councilman. from the Fourth
| Ward, and | trust / shall not
be denied this privilege.
Il have endeavored to work in
harmony with the members of
| this Council; have endeavored
to give and to take in measures
pertaining to the welfare of the
city, and in many of these
| things have been opposed by the
Mayor, w. B. Huffman. | bore
| the burden of this opposition as
well as the criticism of few
| who knew not the peculiar posi-
| ton in which | was thrown. |
bore this more than most men
would have done. Apparently
the Mayor seemed to think that
| | had it in for him, but such
was not the case. | endeavored
to help him in everything that
was plausible. The same has
been spoken of him by citizens
of the town other than myself.
who tried to give assistance, but
of no avail.
Some months ago | attempted
to put in a sewer up Pike Street
in accordance with an order en-
tered by the City Council. In
this was opposed by the Mayor
who came and stopped the work.
This would not have cost the
city anything, as the taps would
have paid for the work and the
tile. At any rate, | gave in and
let him have his way.
"Then at convention held
more than year ago he appear
ed before said convention and
stated that he had in his hands
100000 which he would use
to grade off Pike Street from
the Methodist Church, due
north, with the theory that he
had 81, 000GO over and above
current running expenses. Being
Chairman of the Finance Com
mittee, j knew the financial
condition of the city, and op-
posed this measure, for | knew
that the one thousand dollars r.
which he referred belonged tc
the Sinking Fund, and was not
a General Fund item. He still
had this belief until just a few
weeks ago when he publicly &C.
knowledged before this body
that he had found out that this
one thousand, dollars belonged
to the Sinking Fund.
Gentlemen, that shows what
your Mayor knew of the condi-
lions of the city. And, an item
of this kind, which if it had been
spent, would have been quite
serious when settlement of the
: bonds is to be made.
"This is evidence enough anC
proof enough for the people OF
the city to know that it is es-
sential to have men on this
Council that know how to run it
perhaps angered by this op-
position which | felt was my du-
ty to make, the Mayor began tc
oppose me by insisting on pass
ing an ordinance which woulc
| forbid the publishing of the fl.
nancial statement in a Beling.
, ton paper,-this for the reason
, no doubt that was directly in
! terested in The Belington Pro
; gressive. The ordinance was
read several times before the
Council, an | at time when
, was absent it was hurried thru
and passed. You will remem
, Der that | told you that if the
ordinance passed, that | would
4 n