The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1923-05-25
THE ASPIRANTS
DRAW STRAWS'
Thus Would Rumor Assign a
Reason for Stevens APP
continent Friday Night

t'i> opl'OisiN'
Stevens to the Elizabeth City
Public Utilities Commission
las created a lot of comment
md conjecture as to the valid
tyfof the action, and a lot OF
opposition in certain circles,
4 rumor that w. H. Jennette
md {. w. Stevens. defeated
candidates for Councilmen,
lrew straws to decide. which
lne should take the job, seems
% have ccmc out of the air.
anyway, here are the facts as
this newspaper understands
hem.
At the meeting of the Board of
AMcrmcn. on Monday. May 4, it was
voted to cite the Elizabeth City
Water Co.. TO appear before the
Board on Friday May Is. and show
aiise why an increase of 20 per cent
ii rates. granted during the war,
should not be taken off. Upon motion
the meeting was recessed, but not TO
convene again for any other pur-
pose except at the call of the mayor.
However. on Friday night. May Is,
four members of the Board of Alder
men met to hear from the Water
Company. The members who met,
are l.. w. Anderson, and {. w.
Stevens from the Second Ward; W.
II, Jennette from the Third Ward;
and Il. NJ. Davis from the Fourth
Ward. The latter three named, were
defeated at the polls in the city cleo
ion on Tuesday, May -, and would
have lost their seats ut the stated
of the Board which takes
place on June 1.
These four and no more of the AL
dermen met. \ phone call to Mayor
Goodwin then in session ut the Nj
wants meeting, failed to bring him
forth. The four present, then pro-
cecded to business after appointing
l.. W. Anderson chairman of the
Nobody seems to be able to say
that anybody other than the Alder
men present brought up the argu-
lncnts of the Water Company, but
the Company was granted an cXtcn-
sion of time until June t. However,
Martin Il. Simpson. one of the at
torncys for the Elizabeth City Light
and Power and Water Companies
was present, at the meeting.
Tron motion of Il. VI. Davis, {.
W. Stevens, was nominated to fill the
place of =. {. CohOOn on the Eliz-
,bcth City Public Utilities Commits
sion. And right then Mr.. Stevens
WAS elected to the position.
That the meeting was entirely i'll
order. is maintained by those who
rcld it. But some opposition has
developed; and famed perhaps by
he rumor that Councilman Jennctte
md Stevens drew strawS before the
meeting to see which should have the
,ffice. an ardent public sentiment is
not only the moral right
,ut the legality of Mr.. Stevens ap-
continent to the office.
\ city ordinance specifies that ut
very meeting of the Board, il quorum
# five must be present before any
business may be transacted. This
,ccms to be the main legal aspect on
which to hinge IN argument.
The moral issue involved, is that
he three defeated candidates, having
,ccn rcpudiatcd at the polls, were
urthcr disqualified to voice the scntl-
nent of the people; that they were
decidedly out of place in forcing the
of a man who had been !
epudiatcd; that there was no I'M
Mediate need of appointing IL man for
m office that is not yet i'll exist
nee and is prevented from junction
ng: that no opportunity was left the
lew members to appoint the man OF
heir choice; and that the action
reated the risk of disrupting the
,oard and inviting discOrd among
hose who must work together for the
Icxt two years ut least.
1t is also said that a member of the
oard, who WAS not present at the
meeting Friday night anticipating
he action that was taken. went to
Alderman Anderson and protested,
chereupon Alderman Anderson re-
lied:
Il have been looking after my busi-
eSs for 20 years, and l guess
now what | am doing.