The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-10-15
COMMISSIONERS
!. FAIRLY SIZZLE
WITH ACRIMONY
DicksOn''s Suit Is Voted
DOwn-ClOe Threatens
To Quit

AL n session OI luB City COMMISSION
Tuesday that fairly sizzled with acri-
mony, the following things happened:
/. The Dickson resolution calling for
suits against Comptroller Armstrong
and former Comptroller Marvin Taylor
to recover the city hall shortages, was
killed by 5 to 1 vote.
2. A motion to resubmit the name
of Lewis Bowen to the park board for
reelection developed hopeless dead
lock. with Commissioners Harrison and
Dickson insisting on Bowen and McLen.
don and Cloe urging the nomination OF
some one who could harmonic the
board.
3. Cloe charged his colleagues with
living his hands" in the operation OF
the police department and announced
he would resign January l unless condi-
tons changed.
4. Cloe proposed to cut the appro-
priation of the park board from $1O2,:
600 to $4,000, in view of the internal
dissention" and board members. Ac-
ton was deferred, but Dickson sug-
sested that the entire board should
resign and Harrison cOncurred.
). a civic center planning board
to study the ErkSine Ramsay plan was
created anu ElcHIJ y PSOh clLhS anu
Frank Rushton were appinted as mem
hers, and the four thus named will com
plete the boards organization by elect
ing three additional members.
benson Springs Surprise
6. Attorney William A. benson APP
peared before the commission and took
the members by surprise by roundly
scoring their delay in starting action in
NfvsnH nr.
ing the railroads could "be brought to
their knees" if the commission would go
ahead and order the work started.
Z, A delegation of women from the
Southside Baptist church appealed to
the commission to reject the request oil
the raw milkmen for certain amend.
ments in the milk code. Heading the
delegation were Mrs. Charles A. MOffett
and Mrs. L. +. Harris.
s. Commission members agreed, al
though no formal action was taken, to
ask the. state legislature to amend the
law so as to make the city comptroller
the actual head of his department, with
the right to hire and fire persons I'M
der him.
Debate on Dickson's move to force
suits against the cOmptroller's bonds
men to recover the city shortages found
McLendon, Harrison and ClOe vigo-
rously opposing him, with Mrs. Mary
Echols absent on account of illness. A
ruling by City Attorney w. J. Wynn,
holding that comptrollers bonds are
not liable for defalcations of employees
named by the city commission, was be-
fore the commission.
COmptrOllers Speak
Comptroller Armstrong and former
Comptroller Taylor addressed the COM
mission, both asserting they did not
feel it would be fair to hold them
liable, since they got none of the miss
ing money.
Armstrong said he had prepared a
speech. but that the city attorneys rul-
ruling had enabled him to place it in
cold storage" Before he took his seat,
however, he had taken it out again
and delivered it in full. He claimed the
bulk of the credit for uncOvering the
shortages, stressed the point that he is
honest and sincere, and appealed to the
commission to consider carefully before
it took his property to replace money
that was taken by persons whom he
did not appoint and could not dis
charge.
Former Comptroller Taylor spoke
briefly, declaring the city attorney S
ruling was clear-cut and to the point.
Commissioner Harrison opposed
Dickson's resolution, saying it would
be grossly unfair to proceed against the
comptrollers when there was nothing
to connect them, either directly or in
directly. with the shortages.
President McLendon, in opposing the
resolution, said: Il shall follow the
city attorneys ruling. think MIR.
Dickson made a mistake in airing this
matter in the newspapers before refer
ring it to Mr.. Wynn for ruling. l am
unwilling to proceed against Mr.. Arm
strong or Mr.. Taylor until am shown
that they are actually involved in the
shortages. Mr.. Harrison voiced my
sentiments in his speech, and am glad
to see him coming around to my way
of thinking"
McLendon's concluding shot caused a
gale of laughter, after which CIoe said
it would be terrible to subject the
controllers to suits when they had
rot been connected with the detalca-
tions. He said Armstrong was entitled
to much of the credit for bringing the
shortage TO light, and should not be pen
hllEeu IOF 50 uOlHB' A1c IuIthCI ul6CN :"
change in the system so as to make the
comptroller the real boss Of his de-
partment
Dickson told the commission he be-
lieved in the integrity of the compe
trollers, that both were his friends, and
that the sole purpose of offering his
resolution was to perform a duty he
felt he owed to the public.
Chance To Collect
II won't say whether the city attOr-
ney's ruling is right or wrong" Dick
son said, but he has not told us that
we have no chance to collect these short
ages and l believe we should take the
necessary steps if there is a possible
chance TO recover the money under
these bonds. l have no friends to pro
.ect at the publics expense. The whole
situation is unfortunate. but my duty
is clear. OF course / don't believe Arm
strong got any of the money, but I'm
fortunately, he admits that he assumed
ais office without knowing the obli-
cations imposed on him by law. He
gets fair salary to supervise that of
ice, and the law, as l read it, says he
Is responsible under his bond for what
ponS IN "