City Council Unrest and Charges Against Street Commissioner
Local government fractures as council members move to oust the street commissioner over accusations of graft and negligence.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A regular meeting of the city council was held Monday evening, and a lively session it was. Councilmen Young, Chambers and Reed preferred charges against Street Commissioner McCafferty and asked for his removal from office, alleging neglect of duty; striking a councilman; giving poll-tax receipts for less than two days’ work; refusal to work a prisoner on the streets when work was to be done; giving patronage to personal friends from personal motives; and evading payment of poll-tax by misstating his age. There was considerable wrangling over these charges, and the council seems to be in danger of dividing into two factions, which would be detrimental to the interests of the city.
“The council seems to be in danger of dividing into two factions, which would be detrimental to the interests of the city.”
Civic infighting over patronage, municipal contracts, and accusations of petty corruption is a perennial feature of local government. This account captures the raw, factional nature of early Yakima's political development.
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