Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-07-08
DEMANDS TO KNOW WHY
LAWS ARE NOT BEING
Y ENFORCED
A HEATED DEBATE:
CiTY'S CHIEF EXECUTIVE POuRS
WRATH UPON COMM SSlONER
OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND
SAFETY. WHOSE DEPA2TMEN nj
IS DEFENDED BY COLLEAGUES.

The first rift to disturb the calm
ness and placidty with which the new
administration attacked all civic prob
lens appeared last night over the mu
nicial horizon in he form Of a peril.
nent and pointed inquiry 10 tGmmi
sioner Dana Palmer, directed by
Mayor George V b. Weeks. The
mayor in a statement To the commits
soner of public health and safety
wanted to know just why the reudel-
yous for harlots at 1893 Fulton street
and gambling sill existed in Ottawa
in spite of oft repeated promises from
officials and members of the police
department that after they took over
the rens of government the city "as
TO be entirely cleared of laWle snoss
in all its variegated forms.
The mayors interrogation, WEieh
was in the form of communication
addressed to Commissioner Palmer,
and read BY himself came with start.
ling uneXpectedness. Iikening II unto
q bolt of lightning from a clear Nv
would be expressing mildly the STIR
prise it incurred. The council room
was occupied only by the commission
ers. newspaper men, three citizens ana
\ few office employees When i'c
mayor began addres sing himself to
the commissioner hush fell over the
sparse assemblage. A pin dropUh-
would have been plainly audible rs
rho executive unburaoned him elf 2i
the matter at hand.
Council Shows Its Teeth.
After presenting the protest against
what he inferred to be ''prpleriHt
crime" and when the council listen
ing intently to every word the eN'
ecutive read. the mayor was met pY
an outburst of indignation from com
missioners Bradley and Stlcklin, VINO
rallied to the support of their col
league with charges that the aUa@
unon Commissioner Palmer was not
warranted and not entitled 20 cred'
eure until they made their appear
,nce before them in something more
formal than hearsay accusations.
Commissioner Bradley insisted mat
os long as the city was entering Il
clean sweep of immortality il was up
+, tnc MAYOR and the council to sim
gle out no one place. but instead To
dj. deep and wipe ont every place
of questionable repute with the same
yiror and determination with which
they were. attacking "l033." He re-
ferred to one alleged house of i'll
repute o, Main street and two I'M
named places on the north side.
When asked for specific particulars
names. addresses otc-the com
missioner withheld whatever informa-
tion he had and kept II up his
sleeve" Commissioner Sticklin want
cd TO know why the complaints We're
no, formally drawn and presented in
n regular way to the council. lie,
like Commissioner Bradley. was con.
fident that the place under fire had
been closed ever since Commissioner
palmer's original order commanding
the police along about June | TO put
I, ont of business and keep It mop
erative during the remainder of the
administration,
palmer Cool and Collected
Principle interest under the cir
cumstanccs, surrounded Dr. Palmer
and what stand he would take to re-
fpte the mayors accusations. The
commissioner was the coolest man
around the council table. He tact
fully evaded any clash with the
MAYOR. but on the other hand an
nounced himself as ever ready to on
force the laws of the city, state and
nation and do everything within his
mower to keep Ottawa well regulated
nj all times during the rest Of his
incumbency as commissioners of pub
lie health and safety. While he wa
evidently perturbed by the abruptnes'
and unexpectedness Of the mayor.
iriirtment. he kept himself well col
lected and his wits in hand. In tha