White Pine News

The hot weather of Monday evening was augmented by some hot argument at the regular meeting of the city council. The amount of business transacted was not extraordinarily large, but was attended with an unusual amount of discussion.

Collection of city licenses, city sexton and salary of the deputy city marshal were among the principal subjects which stimulated argument and oratory.

In the matter of the licenses the long-standing deadlock between the mayor and the council relative to the city marshalship loomed large for a few minutes, when by concerted action Councilman McKnight and Councilman Russell endeavored to put the rollers under City Marshal Moorman and slide him into the discard. But in this instance, as in others which have passed into municipal history, Mayor Gallagher stood steadfast in opposition and acting in his executive capacity successfully countered the efforts of the councilmen to oust "Bill" from the marshalship.

The argument started with the presentation of a trio of applications for licenses, when Councilman McKnight was prompted to inquire of the city attorney the penalty named in case the marshal fails to collect a license after having his attention called to the delinquency. The city attorney read the ordinance, which in such case provides dismissal from office.

Councilman McKnight then moved that City Marshal Moorman be removed from office and the motion was seconded by Councilman Russell.

Mayor Gallagher declined to entertain the motion, giving as his reason lack of evidence to show that the city marshal had been delinquent in this particular line of duty.

Nothing daunted, Councilman McKnight agreed to furnish the evidence and mentioned Happy Charles Hope as one who could testify as to the evidence required. This failed to shake the mayor in his position, who continued to decline to entertain the motion on the further ground that all this had transpired before the present city administration came into office.

Councilman McKnight countered this by saying that the license under discussion and alleged to have been uncollected was for a period from January 1, 1921, to July 1, 1921, and he inquired of the mayor if the present councilmen were not holding office during the month of June of the present year.

This question failed to jostle the mayor off his stand and the chief executive met the situation by saying that as this license was due and collectable before the present city administration came into office the matter did not properly come under the jurisdiction of the present city fathers, therefore he refused finally to entertain the motion as presented by Councilman McKnight and seconded by Councilman Russell.

The discussion relative to the salary of the deputy city marshal was led by Councilman McKnight. Once upon a time there was a famous play in which a clever character artist always got a laugh from the audience by his reiterated ridiculous statements followed by the assertion, "I could prove it, too, if old Bill Jones was alive."

This is no reflection on the present honorable councilmen, but merely emphasizes the fact that Councilman McKnight did not need any old Bill Jones to prove the correctness of his claims, because his colleague, Councilman Russell, was ever at hand and ready to stand by in corroboration.

As in the uncollected license discussion, so also in the deputy marshalship salary discussion Councilman Russell backed up the allegations of Councilman McKnight.

Councilman McKnight led the meeting to believe that when he had asked the city attorney about the salary of the deputy city marshal, as provided by ordinance, the city attorney had informed him that the salary was $165 per month. Mr. McKnight inquired of Mr. Lockhart if he had not so informed him and was answered by Mr. Lockhart that he (Lockhart) had informed the council that the salary inquired about was $150. Mr. McKnight insisted on thinking otherwise, and in his opinion he was backed up by Mr. Russell, who also had gained the impression that the city attorney had informed the council that the salary in question was $165.

The city attorney then explained his side of the case by saying that he had relied on his memory in making his first statement, but that he had checked up by reading the ordinance and notified the council that the salary was specified at $150.

It appears that while the ordinance names $150 the salary has for some time been $165, as provided by a resolution passed and adopted by the former council adding $15 per month to the salary, and this resolution, which may have been a high-cost-of-living measure, slid along from the past to the present administration, until its swelled proportions were argued upon at Monday night's meeting.

In the discussion about the city sexton the initiative was taken by Councilman Russell, backed up by Councilman McKnight. The main idea was to dig a hole and bury the present sexton in it—not literally, but figuratively, and thus make way for a new sexton. Mayor Gallagher had quietly called attention to the wonderful resurrection of weeds in the cemetery, said weeds in their growth seemingly getting beyond

control of the caretaker. The mayor suggested an extra man to assist the janitor and inquired the council's opinion.

The opinion of Councilman Russell, which was concurred in by Councilman McKnight, was that the sexton be fired, the opinion being expressed in a motion to that effect made by Mr. Russell and seconded by Mr. McKnight. In justification of the motion Mr. Russell said there was much complaint at the manner in which the cemetery was being cared for.

Here again the mayor felt called upon to take issue with the council, saying that he had heard no special complaint and that on a recent visit to the cemetery he had failed to notice anything amiss with the work of the sexton. As a compromise move the mayor suggested a visit by the council to the cemetery before the next meeting, and this being agreed to no further action was taken.

Other business transacted related to sewers and fire hydrants. City Engineer Millard reported that the city sewers had not been inspected for more than a year, and by action of the council the city engineer was instructed to make such an inspection, with an examination of the manholes on the several streets traversed by the sewers.

It was moved and so voted that a member of the fire department accompany a representative of the Ely Water Company on a trip of inspection to the fire hydrants for the purpose of becoming familiar with the location of all the hydrants, some of which are in secluded places.

The financial statement submitted by City Treasurer Thomas A. Bath showed a sinking fund of $6,000 and a general fund of $575.19, making a total of $6,575.19. The report showed that the total receipts for the month were $6,873.44 and the disbursements for June totaled $1,796.13 and an overdraft on the general fund of $922.

Licenses were granted to Nick Vassilou and E. E. Conlin to sell root beer and soft drinks and to the Ely Battery Company for a garage.

Referring to licenses, City Clerk Cupid said that the license income for the quarter commencing July 1 would amount to about $1,000.

Adjournment was made until next Monday night at 7:30 o'clock.