Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1917-04-05

due process of law, he was GUST
ed from his position. AT one
time he appeared before this
Council and was refused the
privilege of free speech-a liber-
ty which the Constitution of the
United States and the Constitu-
ton of West Virginia gives ev-
cry one of its citizens. Aside
from this, Mr.. Gamer was fined
by the Mayor in his absence, a
proceeding contrary to law.
when | attempted to take up
the cause of Mr.. Gamer, l was
told that | would DE arrested if
| did not sit down, when pre-
senting a resolution asking that
fair play be given Mr.. Gamer
not because he was my Uncle
that | did it for him. would
have done the same thing for
Mr.. Kittle, Mr.. Max Shurtleff,
Mr.. Benton Teter,-or any 9TH
er person that might have been
police at that time. | felt it my
duty to give a square deal re-
CARELESS of whom it might be.
"Then there is the hose scan
dali that | might mention. l
was appointed along with the
Mayor and Mr.. Proffitt on a
committee empowered to pur-
chase fire hose for the city. Quo
tation of soc per foot was given
by Kane & Keyser Hardware
Company for a high grade first
class hose. Without my knowl-
edge the rest of the committee
met and purchased 500 feet of a
Eureka Hose from another con-
Germ at $1.00 per foot, which |
am informed is a grade that was
purchased recently by the city
of Philadelphia at Gle per foot.
Then the hose which was quoted
at SOC was far better than the
specifications required by the
city,-why then pay the extra
zoe per foot?
Good Streets and Good Roads
are essential to the development
Of any city. This very thing
was opposed by the Mayor, who
even took it up in the Council
and tried to enjoin the Sheriff
from collecting the extra levy
for Good Roads, bat finding this
could not be, done, closed it up
by paying expenses of a com
mittee to Buckhannon and re-
turn for an investigation which
proved futile. Then when | re-
ported this in The Belington
Progressive, | was sarcastically
asked the question When did
you become a newspaper report
err" as if to say that the people
had no business to know what
this city Council was doing. In
fact | believe they have been ig-
norant of great many things,
as it appears a number of
things have been carried on be-
hind closed doors, so to speak.
"Then when | attempted to
bring an industry to the city |
was arrested, arraigned by
your honorable Mayor and
brought before him and fined
for putting up a building, a
right which | claimed to have
had by common consent of the
different councilmen.
| "This is a sample of the adj
ministration now closing, and
proves conclusively that it has
been against progress and the
welfare of the city. Then aside
from this the Mayor who sits
before you brought charges
against me as a Councilman
appointed a committee to in
vestigate the matter, which
committee reported, and for the
I lie or me 1 90 not know what
the charges are.
"These actions are in reality
an insult to the good citizens of
the city, to say nothing about
the humiliation which was tried
to be poured upon me.
"At any rate the 'shackles
have been broken, and hope
that Belington will go forward
with the rest of her sister cities
and make a name among the
leading municipalities of our lit
tie Mountain State.
"And now gentlemen | fee
that | have fought the good fight
and to my people | have kept
the faith. | have surmounted
all barriers which have been
maliciously placed before me-
/ haI1o f1ricbo6 my, tary,o Of Of