The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-14
Oath IS TAKEN
BY new BOARD
Old City Commission Passes
Into Political History
at z O'clock.
BASS AND HEBRON REMAIN
Mayor Chambliss Stresses
Fact Board as Whole Is Re-
sponsible to People.

sponsible to People.
| The old commission government of
Chattanooga met death according to
law Monday afternoon at 2 o'clock
and the new commission came into
being. At the hour set for the cere-
monies there was a large audience
present to witness the obsequies and
| witness the birth of the new commits
| sion. The audience was composed
largely of the political followers of
| the new commission and their per-
sonal friends.
Three Of the old board retired from
political life and two others remain
on the board. Retiring are Mayor
Jesse NJ. Littleton, Commissioners t.
C. Betterton, of the police and fire
department, and H. d. Huffaker, of
the department of health and educa-
ton. Remaining with the newly
elected members are Commissioners
Ed Bass and Ed Heron.
The new city government which
took the oath of Office is as follows:
Mayor--Hon. A. w. Chambliss.
Commissioner of Health and Edu-
cation-Fred Frazier.
Commissioner of Streets and Sew
ers-Ed Bass.
| commissioner
Ed Heron.
Commissioner of Public Utilities,
Grounds and Buildings-Emil Wass-
man.
The old board met at o'clock and
approved the minutes of the last ses-
sion and completed small matters of
unfinished business. The new COM
mission then took the oath of Office.
The oath of office was admins
tered to the commissioners by Mayor
Littleton, which was as follows:
"You do solemnly swear that you
possess all the qualifications and
none of the disqualifications for the
office of mayor Cor commission) pre-
scribed by the charter of the city OF
Chattanooga and that you will per-
form all the duties of that office
truly and faithfully to the best OF
your ability?"
Only one republican is on the
board, in the person of Emil Wass-
man. He was county tax assessor
for a number of years and in the
primary election lacked only a few
votes of getting over.
Former Mayor Littleton, as one Of
his last official acts, appointed the
following committee to escort Mayor
Chambliss to the last meeting of the
old board: Jesse T. Hill, Ed Watkins
H. Clay Evans, H. F. Temple, w. B
Crabtree, T. c. Thompson, l. B. Mer'
riam, Sr., and DIR. P. D. Sims.
n Mayors Address.
The mayor opened his inaugura
address by referring to the fact that
he found himself again taking up this
work where he had left off when he
went out of Office fourteen years ago
and he expressed appreciation of the
honor which had been done him lr
his election and the hope that he
might be able to meet the eXpecta'
tions of his friends and supporters
He called attention to the broader
duties and powers of the office undel
the present charter and to the fac
that the mayor was now required tC
exercise general supervision of ali thu
affairs of the city, and he solicited
the cooperation of the commission
ers in the discharge of his duties.
The mayor emphasized the fac
that under the present charter re-
/! .onsibility for the government O.
the city rests upon the board of com
missioners as a whole, regardless O.
how the details of the different de
nartments might be distributed
among the several members, insisting
that it was the duty of every one o
the commissioners to cooperate II
the discharge of all the work of thu
city government
The mayor stated that he was no
prepared at this time to go into de-
tails with respect to the work to b'
done. but assured the public gener
allv that the commissioners woult
earnestly seek to meet every situatlol
as it arose in the best possible man
ner. He proceeded to mention espe
cially the development of the puoh'
school ~vstem as the most importan
matter now under consideration. III
also referred to the question of an
neyation and dwelt upon the impor
lance Of anneXing additional terrltor!
to the city before the next census
; and stated that he had uIdcr Cons'd
GRAFTON certain definite plans which
] hoped to be able % present shortl!
for bringing this about.
BootIeegers Must Go.
He next referred to the benefits tt
Chattanooga from the location by thu
national government of the park her
and of the war camp and the arm!
post, and he emphatcally declared
that the present Guy government
would see to it that Chattanooga il
made clean and safe for men Of thu
army, and also for our citizens gen
orally, and warned all lawbreaker
that the Illicit sale of liquors woult
not be permitted in Chattanooga. H
declared that the lawbreakers mus
quit, move on or be locked up.
He next referred to the congestion
OF the streets brought about by tn
automobile traffic and appealed to tn
drivers of cars to make themselve
, traffic officers and not only to OBJ
serve the rules but to cultivate tn
: courtesy of the road and thus assis
in the solving of this importan
problem
= He closed with an appeal 70
patience and assistance from tn
people at large and expressed hes
wishes for the retiring mayor an