Tacoma's Anti-Boodler Council Seizes Power, Demands Accounting of City Funds

TACOMA, May 22.—[Special.]—Tomorrow morning the new finance committee of the city council will meet and undertake the heretofore unaccomplished task of finding out where the city's $720,101 deposit in the bank actually is. It is proposed to have City Treasurer Boggs and City Treasurer-elect McCauley accompany the finance committee from bank to bank and overhaul the city's funds and ascertain how much is represented in cash, as required by law, and, if not in cash, how much by warrants. It is the understanding that no bank will be embarrassed, and that security will be accepted in lieu of funds reported on hand. City Treasurer McCauley's bond is not acceptable to all the councilmen in its present shape without the city council understanding how the city's funds are and how they have been banked. Controller Benham's bond was approved in open council after the council had been two hours in caucus over the mayor's proposed appointments and McCauley's bond.

Mayor Orr was ready this evening to send to the city council the appointments of ex-Deputy Sheriff J. B. Croake for chief of police, and ex-Judge James Wickersham for city attorney. He was apprised, principally by the Harris-Votaw contingent of the council, that these appointments would not be confirmed if sent in tonight. They were not sent in. Politicians and friends of Wickersham, Croake and Mayor Orr himself are nonplussed. Some time ago the mayor announced on the side that if any of his appointments were rejected he would send the same name back each week fifty-two times a year. It is the understanding that Jack Shackleford could have been confirmed for attorney, and possibly Link Davis for reappointment for chief tonight. Nine votes are required to confirm, eight to reject. In balloting for city clerk S. A. Wolf, a Populist, led with seven ballots, nine being required to elect.

President Harris considers the finance and fire and water committees the most important at present. While he gives the chairmanship of the former to Covender, as it had been stated in the POST-INTELLIGENCER he would do, still he places four of the most active anti-boodle councilmen on the committee with the new Republican member from the Second ward, who thus far has committed no act identifying himself with the so-called boodlers, except to stand as the candidate for those who were understood as obstructing the financing of the city in the interest of taxpayers.

Votaw, who with Harris made the deadlock fight—and the significance and importance of that fight bids fair to be appreciated more by hindsight than it was by the foresight of most taxpayers—is placed at the head of the fire and water committee, and is given Lister and Watson to constitute a majority in case of emergency. Werner and Gove, Lee and Humphries, of the Republican opposition to the Harris-Votaw Republican and Populist combination, are dropped down the line as chairmen of committees of lesser importance. Gove, the chairman of the former finance committee, will have little to do as chairman of the committee on streets, because few new streets are being opened. The Democratic members, Pincus and Glen, who sided with the opposition to Harris and Votaw, are not given committees, being in the minority.

The Populists, Nash, McGrath, Hartman, Watson, Thompson and Lister, were all given chairmanships. While the avowed anti-boodlers are given a majority of the important committees, President Harris considers the appointments, on the whole, fair to all concerned, and in preparing them he says he endeavored to secure harmonious effort in committee work.

The complete list of committees follows: Finance—Covender, Votaw, Lister, Hartman, Harris (4 anti-boodle). Health and police—Thompson, Werner, Pincus. Fire and water—Votaw, Pincus, Lister, Covender, Watson (3-2). Judiciary—Warner, Lister, Gove, Votaw, Nash (3-2). Streets—Gove, Glen, Nash, Humphries, Thompson (2-3). Claims—Nash, Junett, Lee, McGrath, Glen (2-3). Harbor and water front—McGrath, Gove, Watson, Lee, Lister (3-2). Library—Hartman, Gore, Covender (1-2). Public buildings—Hartman, Junett (1-2). Elections—Watson, Warner, Glen (1-2). Fire ordinance—Lister, Glen, Warner (2-1). Hospitals—Humphries, Nash, Watson (2-1).