Nogales international., 1936-08-15
discussion of the budget.
Why He Resigned


Mr.. Edmonson gave out the fol-
lowing statement why he resigned:
"Since I could not be a party to
the type of legislation being enacted
by the present administration I felt
that I had outlived my usefulness
to the people of the city.
"What 1 objected to most was the
fact that the council went on re-
cord by unanimous resolution to cut
operating expenses of the city by
elimination of unnecessary employ
ees and the combination of officers
wherever possible and then by the
action of the council Monday night
it repudiated it's previous action,
thereby repudiating the agreement
which was made with the Valley
National Bank"
Mr.. Edmonson, Alderman Louis
Hudgin and City Attorney Gordon
Farley journeyed to Phoenix in
June and we're influential in per-
suading the Valley Bank to agree to
withdraw it's suit against the city
on the promise that the city eX-
penses would be decreased.
Resignation of Mr.. Edmonson
came shortly after the Mayor on
Monday night had won out against
the efforts of Aldermen Edmonson,
C. D. Rankin, Harold Wayte and j.
c. Tovrea to cut the salary OF the
street superintendent from $1,000 to
$3.50 a year.
Edmonson, Rankin, Wayte and
Tovrea voted for the cut and AL
derman A. W. Lohn voted in the
negative.
Bettwy then declared the action
Of the four aldermen vetoed. "I do
not believe in salary CUTS, he said.
Roll call on a vote to override the
Mayors veto showed Edmonson,
Rankin, Wayte and Tovrea stand
ing together and Lohn abiding by
the wishes of the Mayor.
Bettwy then announced that the
$1,000 year would continue, since,
he said, that it takes five-sixths
vote to override his veto. Alderman
Louis Hudgin was absent from the
meeting Hudgin, had he been pre-
sent, would have voted with Ran
kin, Edmonson, Tovrea and Wayte,
giving the necessary five-sixths vote,
it is said.
Apparently feeling that other
items in the budget, which Bettwy
had prepared, would meet the same
fate and it was waste of time to
oppose the Mayor, Edmonson sub
mitted his resignation and it was
accepted by the Mayor amid much
applause from the Mayors wife and
other supporters of the Mayor. Ed
monson then left the hall, an ex-
alderman after having persistenly
fought the peoples battle since June
l, 1885 and never wavering in what
he thought was right.
AS Edmonson walked out OF the
council chambers after he had sub
mitted his resignation in writing,
Bettwy said: "I accept it,.
"I know you are tickled to death
to accept it, you smiled when you
read the resignation" replied Alder
man Rankin. "Edmonson has been
good alderman, said Bettwy.
"Wait a minute, I may be right be-
hind you", sad Rankin to Edmon-
son.
1t was announced that the board
of aldermen would appoint Edmon-
sons successor when there is a
meeting of the entire board.
Oil In Water
Alderman Rankin, who was un-
successful in trying to have Edmon-
son refrain from ~0~!~'iNg, started
reworks hot and heavy when he
launched into the 7-""tt07 O. o.
leaking, apparently, out of a fuel
tank into the city pumping plant
and causing the taste and odor o.
oil in drinking water recently.
He sa d that the community hac
been misinformed about there not
being oil in the water. He declared
it had been announced that the
University of Arizona, after analyz-
ing a sample of Nogales water, had
reported an oil odor but could not
detect oil.
"Im prepared to prove every
statement I make about the pump
ing plant, said Rankin. "There has
been Oil in the water for at least
a month and lots of it,.
He then presented Exhibits l, 2,
and 8" = two towels saturated with
oil and a bottle containing oil and
water. These we're taken, he sad,
from the bottom of a well at the
pumping plant Sunday night.
He said that he found four men