The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-02-22

''S sic 'ANiHS u INtie uliltTtHCt
Of opinion, ala Wilson and Lansing.
and at the regular meeting or the
board Friday night, George Mus.
grave. former chief Of the fire de.
partment who was recently fired
but who has been retained pending
the appointment of his successor pre-.
sented written request to the board
that he be relieved at once and that
his successor be named
The board granted his request and
appointed Homer Bailey fire chief.
Tom Matthews, city engineer it
seems had invoked the disploasure Of
the mayor and some members of the
board and In u written communication
to him from the mayor Friday 1t
was stated that his resignation
would be accepted. In his communi.
cation 10 the engineer the mayor
stated that for some time he had
believed Mr. Matthews antagonlstic
10 the mayor and commissioners and
felt that In the face Of cross purposes
the best interests Of the city could
he conserved by his resignation as
engineer.
Mir. Matthews came back with a
communication addressed TO the may.
or and board rendering his resigna-
ton, but denying that he had an
tagonized the mayor or commission.
ers and stating that on the other
hand, had always tried TO act in
harmony with them.
MIR. Matthews stated that he did
not approve of some Of the methods
followed by the city government, es.
pecially those in reference To let.
ting contracts and his reports sub,
mitted were always in the interest
Of the city and for the best inter
est Of the taxpayers.
Setting forth at some length his
raAsons for his actions he concluded
by stating that mas much as there
NaS friction and that under such
circumstances a man could not rem
der good service he felt that his use
funess to the city, and TO the tax
payers of the city under the present
administration had come to and end
and therefore asked to be relieved
al once.
His resignation was accepted and
until another appointment is made
there is another vacant chair Ut the
official city table.
Plans and specifications We're pre-.
sentcd covering the storm sewer be
tween G and T. streets northwest
along the rightof.way Of the Ring
ling railroad which were received
and adopted.
All weekly claims against the city
were audited and allowed
An ordinance raising the compensa
sation of the city scavenger was
passed with an emergency clause
attached. This ordinance only ap
plies TO removal Of certain refuse
and not to all rubbish collected and
transported 10 the city dump.
When the matter Of the resignation
OF the city engineer came before the
board and Mr.. Matthews and the
mayor had each stated the case. the
motion to accept the resignation, ef
fective March /, was made by Commits
sioner Carter. This motion was sec
onded by Commissioner Fraley. On the
ron call Commissioners Carter and
Fraley voted to accept the resignation
while Commissioners Young and VII
son voted no. A tie resulting. Mayer
Freeman exercised the prerogative oi
casting the deciding vote and vo.ed
with Commissioners Carter and Fra
ley.
The letter of Mayor Freeman to En-
gineer Matthews, together with 'tt
reply from Matthews, follows:
"Ardmore. Okla, Feb. 20, 1920.
"Mr. y. B. Matthews,
Ardmore, Oklahoma,
Dear Sir
Early last summer | rendered ,ht
appointment of the position of city
engineer which nomination was promp.
ly and unanimously ratified by the
city commissioners. 1t has DEVELOPED
that you, for sometime past have fall
en- into spirit of antagonism towart
the mayor and commissioners an.
are openly in opposition TO them. Foi
this reason, deem it for the bes
interest of the city that you tender
your resignation at once as city en-
gineer.
Your very truly,
(Signed) "W. +, Freeman, Mayor"
"Ardmore, Okla, Feb. oOth, 1920.
'"To the
"Hon Mayor and Board of Commits
sioners, City.
Gentlemen;
Referring to Mayor Frecman's le,
ter of this date, a copy Of which il
attached hereto, in which he ask
for my resignation on the ground
that l have for sometime past, fallel
into q spirit of antagonlsm toward
the mayor and commissioners, and an
openly in opposition to them.
II must beg to differ with the ma
yor in this matter. There has bee,
no antagonism to the mayor and con,