The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-03-20
IF. L. MONTEVERI
"A. d. MASON,
&C. w. MILLER"

The much heralded mass meeng, ar
ranged by the city administration and
public utilities corporations, to protest
against the bill providing for the city
manager form OF government for Mem
pms, held Wednesday night at the New
Lyric theater, brought out very dis
appointing crowd in point of numbers.
When the meeting adjourned at 10
o'clock the sidewalk in front Of the
theater looked like the city hall on
pay day, Every traffic policeman ON
the day force was there, Every police
officer, from Chief Burney down to
sergeants, every patrolman who could
be spared from his night beat and every
patrolman on the day relief clerks,
| stenographers, turnkeys from the po-
lice station, all in plain clothes, ex-
eept the officers on watch, were right
| on the job, supplemented by the crowd
that wants the fat city offices due
to be filled jan |, but still vacant for
| political purposes clapping their hands
| az every pause made by enc VI the
Street cleaning forces also turned out
braVely. Writ Wills headed delega-
| ton from the artesian water depart
ment The few men attached TO tho
engineering and street repair gangs
not many OF them are being employed
| now MS shown by the sad condition Of
4 the strcets--were on hand Other city
| employees from far and near Joined iii
! the rush to protect the liberties OF
i the people--and keep their personal
| clnches on their Jobs.
"Brer'' Pete on Hand.
Pete Monteyerde, he of the welner-s
wuist privileges at reduced tax rates,
with number OF friends, aided N the
applause, There were others who have
more or less business connections with
the city government, who esteemed 1t
| a. nFitsilaun "a n Ia a.t1m
OF the city hall guard,
Among those seated on the stage,
when the proceedings were finally
opened at SEQ o'clock were, besides
| Judge a $, Buchanan, she chairman.
Mayor Monteverde, Commissioners NH
Ter, Mason and Quinn; Thos. +, STRAIT
| ton, city movie censor Ben G. Mathee.
| twice defeated candidate for county
clerk; Dan Wolf candidate for ntagls-
| trate, who said two days ago that h0
had secured the mayors support
| Squire w W, Thompson, OF German
town, who is much interested in Mem
| phlS' form of city government. Judge
Francis Fentress, one Of the 10 law
yers who signed the opinion holding
| that the referendum clause would not
| lnvalldato the city manager bill, 4, G.
| Brown, a lawyer; a few representatives
| from organized labor unions, which have
| asked for a referendum on the bill, and
| three or four overseas soldiers who
were present to rise when Capt. q. r.
! Fttzhugh reached the peroration OF his
| speech. lauding the American soldiers
| for their valor and praising President
| Wilson for his stand for league to
| preserve the peace OF the world, which
| by the way, drew more real applause
than any other utterance made by any
| speaker
But the 500 or 400 city employees,
whose enthusiasm for good government
| brought them to the meeting made an
| in hand -clapping for what might other
| wise have seemed a most unenthusl-
! astiC assemhlage,
! AS result, resolution offered by
| Ben C. Mathes, which he confessed he
| could not present because he had not
| previously read It. had to turn over
Continued on Page G. Column S,l