The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-07-26
WON'T RESIGN,
MAYOR TELLS
COMMITTEE
Promises Cooperation in Un-
tangling City Affairs-Citi-
zens Speculate on Meeting
With Council Tonight.
WHAT WILL Be RESULT?

Inc Clt1ZenS committee or seven
returned Sunday afternoon from con-
ference with Mayor w. w. thinner
man in a sanitarium at Oxford, Ohio,
where he is taking treatments for a
nervous breakdown and blow on the
head. allegedly made by a negro. with
the following report:
Mayor Zimmerman declined to re-
sign and said he would fight impeach-
ment proceedings to the end.
He will ask for the resignation Of
members of the board of works and
other appointees, il the citizens COM
mittee demands them.
He promised to cooperate with the
committee in stabilizing municipal
affairs.
The citizens committee and the city
council will meet in a secret session
Monday night to discuss the report
and probably to determine a course of
action.
Didn't Have Time to Speak.
Before the committee had opportun-
ity to broach the purpose of its visit,
Mayor Zimmerman volunteered the in
formation that he would stick to the
mayoralty office. He said he had been
Richmond, had legal right to hold the
office until his term expired, and
would not quit because, what he term
ed a minority of citizens, now demand
ed his resignation.
Members of the committee said they
found Mayor Zimmerman mentally
alert and active, able to grasp the
gravity of the situation in Richmond,
and apparently on the road to i'm
provement.
He said he would return to Rich
mond within two weeks for a few
days, and within four weeks would
return for uninterrupted discharge of
his duties.
Mayor Zimmerman showed a willing
ness to discuss in an amiable manner
those conditions which led to the res
ignations of City Attorney Robbins
and President Harry Gilbert of the
board of public works.
Promised His Cooperation.
Chairman H. R. Robinson of the
committee said the mayor promised to
cooperate with it to the fullest extent
in bringing about changes they deem
necessary to restore confidence in the
administration.
He offered to let the committee
choose three of its members to become
members of the board of works-an
overture that was declined, as the
committee felt that 1t was not within
its province to select political
appointees.
the resignation of members of the
board of works and of other ap-
pointees and supplant them with men
recommended by the committee.
The unrest in the city's government
was attributed by Mayor Zimmerman
to hostility Of some members Of the
council to ward him and the board of
works.
Wonder What VIII Happen.
Speculation was rife today regarding
the results Of the executive session OF
the council and the committee Monday
night. The citizens committee will
present a report to council.
This body deferred action at its
special meeting last week ito inquire
into the actions and conduct of Mayor
w. w. Zimmerman until the special
committee had collected data and re
ferred 1t back to council.
Members Of council who expressed
themselves at the special meeting last
week, declared that the rumpus in the
city's administration was due to the
fact that he board of works and mem
bers Of the mayors official family
ignored council in it's deliberations.
Leaves Chance to Build UP.
Mayor Zimmerman's statement, tc
the citizens committee, that he was
willing to name new appointees, leaves
an opening for council, it Is said by
observers of the situation to show il
its opposition to constructive measures
including an appropriation Of s275,00(
for new machinery for the municipa
electric light plant, will cease If new
board is appointed.
Others asserted that council must
now indicate plainly to the citizens its
future course Of action.
The mayor has given councilmen OBJ
servers said, an opportunity either to
ask for new board Of works and new
appointive officers, which would obi
gate them to cease their obstructive
tactics: or to express their desire t
cooperate with the present board an(
with other officials appointed by the
1oavor when he assumed office