Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-01-28
CITY COUNCIL SHES
At REJECTING BILL
FOR ATTORNEY FEES

''NNIGi NJ . bOmTo Ar h
BEING SlDETRAcKED FOR SEW.
ERAL INDECisivE WEEKS.
1t required a lot Of hemmins and
having and a lot more of sidetrack.
ing and eyading this morning before
Mayor +. f. Bradford could get any
member of the ciCy council to present
a motion rejecting Attorney George
V. b. Weeks 500 bill for legal fees.
alleged to have been earned by him
during the hearing before the state
utilities board on the city's case
against the Northern Illinois Light
and Traction Company for abandon
ing its NorCh Side street car service
The great gobs of silence that fol
lowed the reading of a report written
by City Attorney Roger II. Clark in
which he denied having employed
Mr.. Weeks in any capacity ether than
a witness before the utilities commits
sion, came when the mayor asked foI
a motion from some one of Che coun-
cilmen rejecting Mr., Weeks bill and
authorizing the payment of witnesses
expenses 70 and from Chicago
Commissioner Meagher, as sug-
gested by the mayor, started to move
that the report be received and re
corded, but about that dme Mr. Camp
< in al
being some money to pay out, and
then the whole thing went up in the
air, during which time the council, sit
ting in Quaker-iike fashion. waited
for the spirit to move some one of its
members into making a motion tha
would kill Mr. Weeks claim for
fees.
Then came the great hush, during
which furtive glances were exchanged
TO see wheher or not someone was
getting ready to write out a formal
motion to the effect that Mr.. Weeks
bill be disalloWed and that warrants
be drawn in favor of the Witnesses
for their travelling expenses. When
ii appeared as though the spirit was
not working on the job. the mayor
called for motion to adjourn. When
he saw no one else was going to take
the initiative and the bill stood a good
chance of standing where it had beer
since its presentation, Mr.. Campbell
announced. Il viii make the motion
if everyone else is afraid to-
Mr. Meagher announced he thought
Mr.. Campbell, as long as the motion
covered the payment of money
should make the motion. Yes, it,
up to Campbell to make any motion
on financial matters, particularly
there is any politics mixed up in it,
said Mr.. Campbell in rejoinGer
But when the motion finally did get
in in regular form it passed unani
mously, with Heiffrich, Meagher
Campbell and the mayor voting in it
favor
The great silence was induced by
Mr., Clark's communication, which fol
lows in full
The following is my report witt
reference to the bill of George v 3
Weeks:
ITO my knowledge all items there
in are reasonable and proper charges
except as to the item of George v
B. Weeks for attorneys. fees. AS to
that item | desire to state that | did
not emp.oy Mr. Weeks and as far q.
the records disclose the council dil
not.
My understanding was tha! Nj
Weeks was the representative of tht
ADDRESSING my remarks to Mr.
Weeks, as their representative
their active participation in the pro
| ceedings in question was necessary
and desirable, in order to obtain the
best results. These remarks were
made at a meeting when the commit
tee appeared before the council, and
likewise at meeting held at the JET.
ferson School, at which Commissioner
Meagher was present
! ''If there is any unreported agree
ment by the council that the attor.
ney's fees of Mr.. Weeks should be
paid, the same should be entered o.
record and the item paid, as the work
! don by Nj Weeks-as | saw it-ol
behalf of the North Side organization
the charge is reasonable"