The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-10-24
PASSED THE BUCK
To CITY CLERK
To CALL ELECTION
He Must Determine If a
Majority of Signers to
Recall Petition Are
Qualified Voters
MAYOR ANXIOUS FOR
THE DECIDING VOTE
CTTN'S EXEUUIlNE ASKS CLERK
TO CERTIFY THE MATTER
AS SOON AS HE POSSI-
BLY CAN

"As your city attorney" said I. r..
Mason ,at the meeting of the board Of
city commissioners held Friday night,
Il would advise you, gentlemen, not
TO be technical, but 10 so 10 it. am
ready TO take the stump and fight
hard"
Yes, and you'll pick up your box
and rum" remarked one of the COM
missioners.
No 1 WON'T replied the city at
torney.
The above remarks were made dur
ing a discussion between the mayor
three commissioners and the city clerk
relative TO the recall petitions which
We're filed with the city clerk Monday
October 18th, by a citizens committee
and which asked for the recall Of
Mayor Freeman and Commissioners
Fraley, Wilson and Shores. Commits
sioner Young was absent.
City Clerk Thurston attempted to
pass the buck to the mayor and
commissioners, as 10 the final decis-
ion az TO whether or not the signers
of the petition are qualified voters
However. the superior officers" re-
fused 10 fall and the city clerk Will
nave to make the decision himself.
The city clerk gave two reasons as
to why he had not certified as to
whether or not the petitioners were
qualified voters First, he stated. he
did not know personally more than
one-thrd OF the signers of the petit
tons Second. a qualified voter must
be registered and the only way to GER
t.fy IS 10 check back the petition
with the registration book. The city
clerk then stated that the city at
torney "ought to assist" him in as
certaining whether or not the signers
were qualified voters.
During the discussion Mayor Free
man said II am keenly anxious to
have this election and as speedily as
possible" He then read the law rela-
tive TO the handling OF petitions, and
asked the city clerk TO certify TO the
petitions as soon as possible.
The city clerk stated that he would
work all day Sunday and nights IN
order to properly examine the pc.
titions. The time-limit in which the
city clerk must either accept or re-
Ject the petitions expires Wednes-
day, October 27th.
Commissioner Wilson stated that
he would assent TO the laying aside
OF all technicalitios and letting the
people have the election. For "a brief
period. other members of the body
seemed to be OF the same opinion, but
II was finally decided that tho petit
tons be handled IN the manner re-
quired BY the city charter.
Other Matters Taken Up
Permission was granted by the
board 10 six policemen OF the city TO
attend The roundup at Oklahoma G ty
The officers have al obtained men to
substitute for them during their alb
sence. Chief OF Police Chancellor acted
as spokesman for the policemen.
The board received reports from the
sewerage department complaining that
garages in Ardmore were permitting
oil 10 flow into the sewers, and as n
result the sewers are being clogged up
The present ordinance relative to
such matters pertaining to garages
states that there must be sand trap
10 catch the waste flow from garages,
but II has been found that sand trap
Is insufficient to prevent the oil from
running into the sewers. A new ordin-
ance will be passed By tho board to
provide for the prevention OF such
dangers.
Bids were opened for the construc-
ton OF The new city barn. The con-
tract was awarded to Stanley Carmon
OF this city who was the lowest bid
der. his bid being sl9.2sl. Others who
bid for the work were: T. Il. snelson
sls.76o and the Stiles Construction
company si2.7S5.