Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-18
TOWN COUNCIL MEETINGS PROVIDE
BETTER SHOW THAN MOVIE HOUSE
Scenes of Excitement Mark Sessions in the Fire House
at Audubon, N. j., in Move to Tie Hands
Of Democratic Mayor

THERE is only one movie" theatre
Il In Audubon, N. j., but Il seems In
danger Of being put 0ut II business by
competition. Its competitor is the tor-
ough government OF A,rllpon
The proprietor # the solitary theatre
Is understood 20 I've gnashiur his teeth
in despair at the counter attraction
which the city fathers OF A,'dut On ale
putting forth. The City Counci! com.
posed Of six men, together with the
Mayor, held a meeting In the fire house
CT Merchant street on Tuesday night Of
this week, i'm th. council room on the
second floor, overlooking Billy Evans's
printing office. The whole town tut ned
out to attend IL. The STANDING Room
Only" sign was hung out early I'm the
evening. What chance has movie"
hall, FIVE blocks from downtown and
up one flight of stairs over a grocery
store. got against competition like that?
Those of Audubon's $500 inhabitants
who were lucky enough to get into the
Council meeting got their moneys
worth. too. The session was so heated
that twenty-five of the gray slate shin
giles on the roof of the flrehouse turned
red If you don't believe it., just look
at the frehouse roof the next time
you're in Audubon and count the red
shingles
The show which Audubon's Admins
tration is putting forth Is entitled,
''When Is a Mayor Not Mayor?''
There are seven men in the stellar roles,
but the whole population of Audubon,
together with Councilman Underwood S
brindle terrier. is acting as the chorus.
A sensational climax to the drama is
promised. This is nothing less than
the conversion of the borough's present
form of government into government by
city Commission.
HOW THE ROW BEGAN
1t all began when the voters of Audu-
bon (Which is named after the famous
naturalist who cata'ogued oil sorts OF
strange birds) elected a sturdy Demo-
crat, named Frederick Lange, as Mayor
last November and at the same time
elected two Republican Jouncilmen
making the Council of six entirely Re-
publican. There are fewer than 100 Dem
ocratic votes in the borough to COO o.
700 Republican votes, SO 1t Is plain that
Mayor Lange owes his election to a
host of Republican voters who believed
that party politics has no place in q
small community. and that "Old Fred,
| who made himself a reputation as a
| fighter when he filed n place in Coun.
ellis seven or eight years ago, was en-.
| titled to the job.
/ His opponent was J. Byron Mulliner
n Councilman who commutes to his
place of business in West Phladelphia
daily and who woke up to ind tha
Lange had beaten him to the mayor
atty by just six votes. He kept his sea-
as n Councilman. Some of his friends
muttered ominous threats about contest
| ing an election which was so close. bu
others pointed out sagely that with ar
entirely Republican Council standing n,
one man it didn't matter much who thu
Mayor was or what the Mayor nigh
advocate. And this, as the poet says
was exactly what happened
Mayor Lange took Office on January !
1t was his province to appoint n dozeI
town officials. No salary is attached t
any CT the offices except those of super
visor and city engineer. The Mayor anC
the six Councilmen had n little private
conference i'm advance. at which, accord
ing to young Jack" Bennett, chairman
of Councils, the Mayor was told that tn,
/ Counc linen had no candidates to sng
yest except for the salaried>jobs The!
were willing to approve any other ap
pointees he might name, they told him
but they felt that some consideration fo
the wishes of the Councilmen was due
GRAB FOR SALARIES
Bennett, who is a hustling young in
1 surance man with a wide acquaintanc
all through the towns In the neighbor
hood of Audubon, is possessed Of a stub
1orn chin and eyes Of Irish blue II
has been Audubon's fire chief and is nov
police chief.
Mayor Lange calmly heard the pro