San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-03-16
ORDER PUBLIC
INQUIRY INTO
. RIEDEu CLUB
Council Instructs That Citi-
zens Be Admitted
to Hearing.
WILL SUE SLUDER
Confusion, Squabbling and
Charges Mark
Meeting.
WILL SUE SLUDER

A public hearing for the purpose
of inquiring into the, operations of the
Rieden for Reelection Club, an or
ganization formed by employees in the
street department to raise funds for
Commissioner William o. Rieden's
campaign. was set down for 10
o'clock March 20. by a resolution
adopted by the city council Thurs
day afternoon.
The resolution was introduced by
Tax Commissioner John p. Pfeiffer.
The tax commissioner explained that
repeated requests upon Commissioner
Rieden TO make formal report of
the workings of the club to the coan-
ell had failed. that two petitions ask
ing for refund OF money contributed
TO >ie club had been presented to the
commission and that no action had
been taken.
The resolution provides that the city
clerk shall summon as witnesses the
signers of the petitions and such other
persons as may have knowledge of
the club.
Rieden Welcomes Probe.
Commissioner Rieden expressed
Willingness TO have the hearing. as
sorting that Jack Dunsmorc told me
all this money had been paid back"
The street commissioner claims TO have
petition showing that 80 out OF
~ names claiming refunds have been
paid.
The Thursday council meeting was
one of the most turbulent in many
months and disclosed the extreme Bit
terness which has arisen between the
mayor and tax commissioner. Passage
OF a resolution directing the city at
torney 10 file suit to recover $500
PAID by the mayor to ]. Il. Sluder.
an act which Commissioner Pfeiffer
claims was unauthorized. a charge by
Commissioner Pfeiffer that salaries
were raised in the street department
without authority of the council AMI
tilt between the tax commissioner
and the representative of an auditing
company furnished the fuel for the
fireworks. A large audience witnessed
the proceedings.
Had En- Listen In.
Introduction of the Sluder resolu-
ton brought on the most prolonged
discussion of the afternoon. Commits
sioner Pfeiffer. in introducing it. gave
| detailed history of the transaction.
incidentally criticizins the mayor for
| attempting TO employ outside counsel
when he had -four or five attorneys
in the city's legal department. He
quoted profusely from the city char
ter TO show that the mayor was en-
tirely without authority to employ
Judge Sluder ir the absence of an
ordinance authorizing him to do SO.
and later was not authorized to pay
him without such an ordinance.
Mayor Black. as had been antici-
pated. claimed that he had paid Judge
Sluder the $500 out of funds APP
propriated for holding the charter
amendment election. An argument
between the mayor and Police Com
missioner Phil Wright as t" what the
latter had said to the mayor over the
telephone when the former requested
authority to pay out the money,
brought ont the disclosure by the may
or that Judge Sluder and the city
attorney were listening to the police
commissioners statement. The mayor
illustrated the listening incident by
holding his hand to bis ear. as il he
were listening into a telephone.
Fine business" the police COM
missioner remarked. $50 you had
'em listening in on my conversation"
Suit is Ordered Filed.
After a prolonged argument be-
tween the mayor and tax commission
er over the legal aspects OF the $500
! deal. and the mayors attempt TO have
it referred to the city attorney"
the resolution was adopted by a vote
of three 10 two. Commissioner Riedcn
following the mayors lead in voting
against il.
Introduction OF an ordinance ap-
propriating $1,000 for payment for
work on the golf club house was the
| signal for n vigorous attack by Com
missioner Pfeiffer. This large SUN
of money. the tax commissioner said.
was not figured in the final budget
/ and was not provided for in the pro-
posed 100000 additional loan. The
mayor insisted that it was.
"You are willing 10 appropriate
$1,000 of the city's money for this
purpose" the tax commissioner said.
yet you allow hundreds of men
tpointing to the crowd in the ante
chamber) to go idle. You are taking
| the bread from the mouths of their
| Co, i1tae ,nl tall,,0 thar,, hot