Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1926-01-07
KOoNTZ'S REPLY TO HIS HONOR,
MAYOR l.. L. BENNETT

to ask permission of city council or
County Court or any other body of
men to reply to Mayor BENEFITS
article of few weeks ago. The U.
S. Constitution gives me that inalien-
able right and privilege, will say l am
not making this reply for the Mayors
benefit, but for the sale purpose of set
ting the the public right, the old say
ing is: only hit dog hollers", as
you have seen few remarks of
friendly criticism has brought a rise.
If there is no grounds for the belief
of ineficiency or careIessness in the
administration Of the city's affairs.
Then where does the smoke come
from? VIII reply to the Mayors re-
marks in the order of his alibis.
First-Did his Honor the mayor
ask for a second to the motion of
establishing a curfew or was the mat
ter automatically tabled after some
member of the council had PROFOUND
ed his views of the matter? Let the
gentleman who made the motion as
we'll as other members of the council
answer this. Is it customary in we'll
governed municipalities to allow chill
I dren to roam the streetsand alleys at
will? If so then if father or moth
err does not object why does the city
say to pool-room owners no children
under certain age allowed to loaf
here or play?
Is 1t customary for parents or
guardians to send written REQUESTS to
officers relative to truancy or vagran-
/ cy of children? If parents are SUI
preme in these matters why not bar
police officers from interruption of
children in any matters of violation
as it would be none of the officers
business what they did. His Honor
the mayor says in substance "if this
authority were exercised it would
prevent parents from taking their
children with them to dance halls,
card parties or any place objection
able to the Police. If these places
are so Objectionable that they would
corrupt a full-grown policeman if he
would go into them, then is it an at
mosphere fit for the training of rood
Americanism If there are such
places why would Mayor and Coun-
ell so proud of their record permit the
existence of such places? The Mayor
lays much stress on heredity but
shuns the twin Influence of Environ
ment, yet in the same breath admits
that there are cess pools of moral de
graduation of such magnitude as to
eontaminate a big policeman. Are
all parents capable of Judging the
proper environment fit FOR the atlnos-
phere of child-life? Let those dance
and play cards for prizes and money
who can do so with clear conscience.
But for Gods sake keep them out Of
schools and churches.
| Second-The mayor suggest that
citizens report lawlessness, if this il
the system advocated and approved
then make the Policeman's Post a
stationary one and establish call
boxes for convenience or else abolish
the office of police entirely. This
argument of his Honor is much like
children playing mayor and police
with toys as the implements of the
Offices
Third-No one has questioned the
fact that the civic league has accom-
plished much good, but if the great
ness nearly approaches the height
which the mayor claims then tie
mayor and council shalld resgin and
pass the keys over where they belong
ana let the job of cleaning up the town
be finished. The writer has nothing
to retract to the ruthless destruction
OF furniture in the park by being left
the prey to wind and weather, for al
most the entire winter last season
and entirely too long this season.
Gentlemen members were surely not
so ungallant as to leave this work in
the City's Park to be done by the wo-
men members. OF course everyone
knows that it would have been very
difficult for the police to have gotten
away from duty for 30 minutes to
have put this equipment which is
really city property away, as there is
$50 much" violation to look after.
Fourth-Relative to the grading on
Serpell Ave-, will reply to this by a
list of questions: Why was it sug-
gested to grade this street at a point
which connected nowhere with an i'm
proved street and is this customary
procedure? How many times during
this slow process of grading was his
Honor on this lob? Were all proper