The Palatka news and advertiser., 1917-04-20
CITY COUNCIL NOT
IN FULL SYMPATHY
With Tax Payers Plan to
Curtail Municipal
Expenses.


Gil on Tuesday night the chief busi-
ness was the election of the subordi-
nate city offices.
The following were elected:
City Clerk-A. X. Hutchinson,
unanimously.
City Assessor-G. W. Lansing,
unanimously
City Treasurer-H. F. Lecks, unan-
imously.
Chief of Police-C. M. Livingston
over John Barber by vote of 10 to
Messrs. Barber and Cannon were
elected patrolmen on first ballot over
Messrs. Minton, Bennett and Wilkin-
son.
Fire Chiefs-First-A. G. Phillips;
Assistant, Emmett Simms; I'd assis-
t;.nt, Earl Simms.
City Physician-Dr. Martin.
1t was at this meeting that the pc
tition of tax payers for curtailment
of city expenses was presented by DR..
A. M. Steen (petition published in
another column and the questions
therein raised caused the council to
put over the election of municipal
judge and the selection of city en-
gineer until the following night, con-
sequently a recess was taken till We'd
Lesday night.
The Wednesday Night Meeting.
The council chamber was filled with
citizens on Wednesday evening when
President Gay raped for order. He
Immediately called up the business in
hand-that of considering the petit
tion of tax payers as presented by
DR.. Steen on Monday night. DR..
Steen stated that his committee had
secured Judge Haskell to represent
them and asked that he be heard.
Judge Haskell then addressed the
council. The Judge is smooth; he
went into no details; he simply point
ed out the necessity of cutting out
every unnecessary expense in the ad-
of city affairs as the
duty of councilmen; the judge made
an excellent impression; its effect on
those councilmen who were unSym-
pathetic in their attitude toward the
petition was not unlike hat of King
Agrippa who heard Paul's eloquent
address in his own defense, and who
was moved to eXclaim: almost thou
persuadest me to become Christian"
Judge Haskell almost persuaded some
of these councilmen that there was
in this demand for re-
trenchment. But it was only pass
ing impression. Their minds were
really "sot."
At the conclusion of Judge Has
kell's address, President Gay asked
the clerk to read another petition
from those who opposed that of the
"tax payers"
This is the petition:
Palatka April Is, 1917.
Honorable City Council,
Gentlemen: We, the undersigned,
understand that petition was pre-
sented to your meeting April 18th,
certain changes in the
of city affairs, among
which is the abolishment of the office
of city engineer.
We, as tax payers Of the city OF
Palatka, wish to protest against the
of this office. Further
more, we do not believe it good judg,
ment or economy to make any rad cal
changes in the present management
of the city, especially in the manage
ment of the water, streets and Sanl-
tary departments.
(Signed) Wilson Cypress Co. by
A. E. Wilson, vice pres; Sclden Ny'
press Co. by F. H. Wilson, Pres; r
H. Cooper; G. NJ. Davis & Son by Il.
H, Cooper, sec and treas; Palatka De
velopment Co. by Howell A. DAVIS,
pres; Palatka Public Service Co; by
R. f. L. Mann, mgr; Cochrane Com
rany by F. c. Cochrane; Palatka Sta
tionary Co. by F. c. Cochrane; Geo.
E. Cav; Estate Henry Strunz, by Nm.
f. Strunz; w. A. Merryday Co. by II.
O. Hamm, vice pres. and mgr; Teatt-
Ramsey Fur. Co. by l.. A. Teatf; F.
H. wilson; w. P. Merriam; H. f.
Lecks; Howell A. Davis; F. D. Wat
files; D. NJ. Kirby; L. A. Smith; }. II.
Haughton; East Fla. Saw. & Trust
Co by R. F. Adams, pres; (. F.
Adams; l.. X. Tucker; D. W. R&m-
saur; Browning -Fearnside Co. by IL.
NJ. Fearnside; Earnest Company by
Ed. NJ. Earnest; W. L. Hamm; ca
YER Furniture Co. by May H. Pur-
dom: ]. H. Yelverton, Jr.
Mr.. J. H. Yelverton, Jr., was call
ed on to address the council. tie
made a clear exposition of the pres
ent arrangement and defended it. He
was not adverse to a curtailment of
expenses-there might possibly be
chance to cut somewhat in them, but
he defended Mr. Stallings and main,
tanned that the city could lily afford
to dispense with his services.
Mr.. Yelverton was followed by Mr..
Howell A. Davis, who spoke some
what in the same line. He opposed
the abolition of the office of city en-
rineer.
Judge Walton followed, urging the
recessitv of cutting expenses; he call
ed attention eloquently to the perils
under which the country was now
rerils of war. "These
gentlemen who have just proceeded
me-" said Mr.. Walton, "tell us OF the
past and argue that we must govern
our future by the past, but | want
to saw to you that the future on
which we are now entering has no
past;" that there is nothing in all the