San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-03
CITE HARR|GAN
AND 2 OTHERS
FOR C0NTEMPT
Petition Says City Engineer
and Employees Went
Back to Work.
OLD 3 TO 2 VOTE GONE
Pfeiffer Apparently Has
Severed Affiliations With
Black Crowd.

Twenty-Five employees Of the engineer
ing department at the city hall, incind-
ing City Engineer D. D. Harrigan, were
ordered by Judge r. W. b. Terrell in
the Seventy-third District Court late
Friday TO appear before his court at 10
| O'Clock, February and show cause why
they should not be punished for con-
tempt. This order was issued upon a
petition submitted by attorneys for the
city of San Antonio and Street Com
missioner William o. Rieden who bad
obtained an injunction Thursday re-
straining the % employees from perform
| ing their duties or interfering with the
street commissioner in the operation OF
his department
! The contempt order was issued late
Friday afternoon and citations were
not served until Saturday morning. IL
| found guilty of contempt of court, the
defendants named in the order will be
subject 70 fine by the court, the
amount being discretionary with Judge
Terrell
| The order was sought after City
Engineer Harrigan and most OF the
other employees named in the injunction
order of the day before, went back to
their desks Friday morning. The city
engineer and his men deemed the reso-
luton adopted by the city council
Thursday afternoon, reinstating them,
as sufficient authority for their return
ing TO work, regardless of the fact that
the injunction had been issued. They
also figured that the reconsideration
Of the vote on the original ordinance
giving Commissioner Rieden authority
TO discharge his men, on the basis OF
which the restraining order was issued,
automatically voided the injunction.
Can Override Veto.
In personal Communication to each
commissioner the mayor Friday after
noon informed them that he had vetoed
the resolution of Thursday afternoon.
This was after a conference with the
commissioners at which il had been
agreed that City Engineer d. ID. Harri-
gan would be retained, but that the
other employees in the engineering de-
psrtment would be dropped il Commits
siJner Rieden so desired. The vetOing
of the resolution, it was stated, will rot
affect the status Of the city engineer.
What action will now be taken on the
resolution vetoed by the mayor is not
known, Commissioner Pfciffer, who pre-
| scented it. stating late Friday that be
1t was pointed out, however, that the
resolution can be passed over the may
or's veto by a majority vote of the
council. Since the city engineer has
been restored to his duties, however. it
not believed that a fight will be made
for the other employees. Commissioner
Ray Lambert, takes the position that
he was making the fight for the city
engineer solely because he believed he
merited recognition for his excellent
work and since the engineer has been
reinstated the fight is over as far as he
is concerned.
Black Machine Wabbling.
/ One outstanding feature is seen in
4 the developments Of the last few days
at the city hall. Commissioner John
2. Pfeiffer evidently has severed all
affiliations with the mayor and street
commissioner and expects to stand
alone. 1t is not believed that the breach
between him and the men with whom
| he was elected can ever be healed. lt
is also believed that in matters coming
before the council hereafter that be will
vote with Commissioners Wright and
Lambert, wherever the questions at IS
sue are consistent with his views. In
other words whenever he can consistent
ly throw his influence 20 the Wright
Lambert side in the council he will do so
in preference to favoring Black and
Rieden as he has done heretofore.
Realizing this fact Commissioners
Rieden at least, has sought to enlist the
sympathies Of Wright and Lambert on
his side. This was brought out clearly
at the council meeting Thursday after
noon. The street commissioner, learn
ing that Commissioner Pfeiffer intended
| introducing the resolution resembling
! the councils action of the week before
giving him authority to dieharge his
employees. went 10 the hold-over commits
sioners and begged them to vote with
him on the proposition.
| Must Take His Medicine.
Have you actually got the nerve to
come TO me and ask such thing after
the way you have stripped me Of every-
| thing in my department you possibly
could take away Commissioner Lam
bert asked Rieden. 1T was all very
well when the three-to-twO vote was
the other way and you could take what
ever you wanted, took my medicine
without squealing and now you might
as well do the same"
With Commissioners Pfeiffer, Wright
and Lambert in undiSputed control o.
| the council it is expected that the mayor
| and street commissioner will have "a
''toe the mark" during the remaining
! four months of their administration. lt
is also expected that the mayor viii be
compelled to dispense with the SERVICES
| of a number of men i his department
such as special Investigators, etc. whom
| h, ,ax .np,p,fsSione- fDnranfS n0n-