The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-07-20
ALDERMAN CENSURE
CITY ENGINEER
Paving win Await Final Arrange
ments for the Sale of
City Bonds

OOoASA HiGSCAukS are DeCom10R al
most as popular as the picture show,
judging by the attendance at the last
two or three sessions. The room was
well filed last night with citizens in
terested in proposed street paving,
and possibly the majority were dis
appointed as the council took no ac-
tion of definite nature in regard to
paving matters. other than to provide
Mayor Anderson with authority to
proceed with the sale of the bonds.
1t seems that when the bonds were
sold to the Commercial Bank, the
bank stated it would be satisfied with
the opinion of its attorney as to
whether the bonds were all right and
a good buy, but later developments
necessftated the employment of an
attorney of national reputation in
bond matters to pass on the bonds. In
the event the local bank wishes to dis
pose of the bonds at later date to
other parties, the opinion of such an
attorney is necessary. The CONNER
cial Bank refused to pay this attorney
fee and the sinking fund commission
of the city, which has the sale of the
bonds in hand. also refused to pay the
fee, and under the circumstances the
mayor has been unable to get the
matter settled to the satisfaction of
all concerned.
Mayor Anderson addressed the
council, explaining the whole situa-
tion and after an informal discussion
motion was made and carried that
the city would guarantee the pay
ment of the attorneys fee, whereupon
Mayor Anderson said he thought he
would be able to close the matter up
in few days. The Commercial Bank
has notified the city that it would
allow ten days time to bring the
matter to close.
In discussing this feature Of the
bond question it developed that the
city engineer, Captain Young, went
before the sinking commission at q
recent meeting and offered TO pay this
attorney fee out of his own pocket,
rather than see the sale of the bonds
fall through. The propriety Of tins
action on the part of the engineer
brought on a rather heated discussion
between President McIver and Alder
man A. T. Thomas of the council, Mr..
J. NJ. Thomas and Captain Young.
President McIver opened the ques-
tion by stating that the he had heard
many remarks on the street by citi-
zens and taxpayers who expressed
themselves as dissatisfied with the
present city engineer and that at the
citizens meeting held in the council
room a week ago the sense of the
meeting was that the city engineer
had not protected the city in drawing
the plans and specifications for the
proposed paving. Under the circum-
stances, Mr.. McIver said. it looked to
him as if the city engineer should re-
sign.
Mr.. A. T. Thomas and Mr.. ]. IA.
Thomas then put several questions to
the engineer, and as there were so
many conflicting opinions as to what
each had said at different times m
reference to the subject matter the
reporter win not attempt to quote
the gentlemen here. However, IN de-
Tending himself, Mr.. Young stated
that he did not quit under fire IN
France and would not quit under fire
in Ocala. He also stated that the
accusations brought against him
were not substantiated by proof, and
he therefore would not attempt to
disprove them.
In discussing the advisability Of
advertising for bids on the different
street work contemplated by the city,
City Attorney Hooker advised the
council to wait until the sale Of the
bonds had been consummated. as the
city was not in position to let con-
tract until that time. The council
acted on his advice and nothing fur
ther will be attempted just now.