152 Reports: City Sexton Dealer I. Wts [illegible] Jno. O. Johnson: Appreciation REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL: Austin, Texas, February 07, 1918. The Council was called to order by Mayor A. P. Wooldridge. Roll call disclosed the following present: Mayor Wooldridge, Councilmen Anthony, Bartholomew, Haynes, and Powell; absent, none. Mayor Wooldridge read the report of the City Sexton, W. A. Alff, for January; also the January report of the Inspector of Weights and Measures, James H. Maxwell. Both reports were ordered received and filed. Mayor Wooldridge laid before the Council the following, expressing the deep esteem in which Mr. Jno. O. Johnson, formerly City Clerk, now deceased, was held: AN APPRECIATION Mr. Jno. O. Johnson, for more than twenty-two consecutive years City Clerk of the City of Austin, Texas, died at his home in this city on the afternoon of February 5th, 1918, respected, esteemed and honored by our best citizenship. Mr. Johnson was a good man, a useful citizen, a distinguished soldier in the Confederate Army, an eminent Mason, and an official holding honorable positions in the Federal, State, County and City service, in all of which positions he acquitted himself with efficiency and faithfulness. Other organizations will doubtless testify to his worth in their respective domains. It is the privilege of this City Council, which has long been associated with him in the capacity as City Clerk, to testify to his faithfulness and efficiency as City Clerk. We testify that Mr. Jno. O. Johnson, as City Clerk, was upright, capable, untiring in his industry and uncomplaining in his arduous service. We testify in this memorial that his life was spent chiefly in his office, where he was kind and courteous to all, and especially considerate of the poor and ignorant with whom he had constant and numerous dealings. We, in this appreciation, tender our sympathies to the family of Mr. Johnson in this their great sorrow and irreparable affliction. We direct that this short appreciation be spread upon the Minutes of the City Council and a copy sent to the family of the deceased. Adopted by resolution this 7th day of February, 1918. A. P. Wooldridge, Mayor W. B. Anthony SEAL E. C. Bartholomew H. L. Haynes P. W. Powell Councilmen Mayor Wooldridge read to the Council a communication from the State Fire Insurance Commission advising that the credit of the --- Page break --- City of Austin for good fire record would be 6 per cent for the year 1918, as against 3 per cent for the year 1917. The Council then adjourned. J. A. Warren City Clerk. SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL: Austin, Texas, February 8, 1918. The Council was called to order by Mayor Wooldridge: all present except Councilman Bartholomew. The Mayor laid before the Council the following Resolution: WHEREAS, it appears to the satisfaction of the City Council that Wiley Reed fine. at the time Wiley Reed made the assault charged against him in Cause No. 12702, in the Corporation Court of the City of Austin, Texas, that the said Wiley Reed was out of his mind from sickness and did no real damage to the party against whom the said assault was alleged to have been committed, Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN: That in consideration of the premises, the fine and costs in this case, amounting to $19.80, be and the same are hereby remitted. The Resolution was adopted by the following vote: Yeas--Mayor Wooldridge, Councilmen Anthony, Haynes, and Powell, 4; absent, Councilman Bartholomew. APPROVED: Feb. 8, 1918: A. P. Wooldridge, Mayor. The Council then adjourned. J. A. Warren City Clerk. SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL: Austin, Texas, February 13, 1918. The Mayor called the Council to order, with the following members present: Mayor Wooldridge, Councilmen Anthony, Bartholomew, Haynes, and Powell. Absent, none. The Mayor read the following call for a special meeting of the Council: Austin, Texas, February 13, 1918. To Councilmen Anthony, Bartholomew, Haynes and Powell: Gentlemen: You, and each of you, are hereby notified that there will be a special meeting of the City Council at 2:30 o'clock this, Wednesday afternoon, February 13, 1918, for the purpose of considering matters necessary in connection with the $50,000 School Bond issue. Respectfully, A. P. Wooldridge, Mayor. Mayor Wooldridge introduced an Ordinance entitled "An Ordinance amending Sections five (5), eight (8) and nine (9) of an ordinance entitled "An ordinance authorizing the issuance of bonds for the purpose of taking up, cancelling and in lieu of outstanding school warrants of the City of Austin, and providing for the levy and collection of a tax sufficient to pay the --- Page break --- 151 Ordinance Issuance of School Bonds interest on said bonds and to create a sinking fund or at least two per cent of the principal of said bonds and sufficient to redeem them at maturity," passed by the City Council on the 27th day of December, 1917, and repealing all ordinances and parts of ordinances in conflict therewith." The Ordinance was read the first time, and a motion made to suspend the rule and place it on its second reading, which motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas--Mayor Wooldridge, Councilmen Anthony, Bartholomew, Haynes, and Powell, 5; nays, none. The Ordinance was read the second time, and a motion made to further suspend the rule and place it on its third reading and final passage, which motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas--Mayor Wooldridge, Councilmen Anthony, Bartholomew, Haynes, and Powell; nays, none. The Ordinance was read the third time and passed by the following vote: Yeas--Mayor Wooldridge, Councilmen Anthony, Bartholomew, Haynes, and Powell; nays, none. (Said Ordinance is recorded in Ordinance Book "F", page 237). The following Resolution was introduced and read to the Council: A RESOLUTION Providing for the payment of the charges of the National City Bank of New York City, New York, for handling principal and interest disbursements of the $50,000 School Bonds of the City of Austin, Texas, dated January 1, 1918. ### charges of City Bank WHEREAS, it is expedient and necessary to now provide for the charges of the National City Bank of New York City, New York, for handling principal and interest disbursements of the $50,000 School Bonds of the City of Austin, Texas, dated January 1, 1918, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, as follows: Section 1. That the City Treasurer of the City of Austin, Texas, is hereby authorized and instructed to include a fee of Ten (10) cents for each $100 par value of bonds, and a fee of Twentyfive (25) cents for each $100 par value of coupons, to be paid with each remittance to the National City Bank of New York City, New York, for the principal and interest of the said $50,000 School Bond issue. Section 2. All ordinances or resolutions in conflict herewith, are hereby repealed, set aside and for naught held to the extent to which they are in conflict herewith. PASSED February 13, 1918. APPROVED February 13, 1918: A. P. Wooldridge, Mayor. APPROVED: J. Bouldin Rector, City Attorney. ATTEST: J. A. Warren, City Clerk. On motion duly made and seconded, the Resolution was adopted by the following vote: Yeas--Mayor Wooldridge, Councilmen --- Page break --- [page number: 155] Anthony, Bartholomew, Haynes, and Powell; nays, none. The following Resolution was introduced and read to the Council: A RESOLUTION WHEREAS, the City of Austin has contracted the sale of $50,000 of Wm R. Compton & Co. School Bonds, dated January 1, 1918, to William R. Compton Company of St. Louis, Commission Mo., agreeing in said contract to pay to said William R. Compton Company a commission of $1460.00 for their services in certain matters connected therewith; therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN: That the sum of Fourteen Hundred and Sixty ($1460.00) Dollars, be, and the same is hereby set aside and appropriated out of the general fund of said city to pay said commission, the same to be paid to said William R. Compton Company at the time they take up and pay for said bonds according to said contract. The Resolution was laid over to remain on file with the City Clerk for one week before final passage. The Mayor laid before the Council the following Resolution: WHEREAS, it appeared to the City Council of the City of Austin that there is now pending in the District Court of Travis County, Texas, a certain Dallas Title & suit numbered 34700 and styled CITY OF AUSTIN vs. DALLAS TITLE AND GUARANTY Guaranty Co. COMPANY, being a suit by the plaintiff to recover taxes alleged to be due it for agreed tax the years 1911-1916 inclusive, on the property of the defendant on deposit in the judgment State Treasury; and it being made to appear to the City Council of said City of Austin that there are certain errors and irregularities in the assessment of said property and excessive valuations on the property of said defendant, and that said defendant is now justly due and owing to said City of Austin for the taxes, interest and penalties for said years above mentioned, the sum of $1,746.36, which amount it has proposed to pay and agreed to the entry of a judgment therefor; said taxes being for the following amounts for the respective years, to-wit: 1911 $390.83 1912 415.83 1913 234.66 1914 234.66 1915 262.40 1916 207.98 T o t a l $1,746.36 BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Austin that the attorneys for said City in said cause aforesaid be and the same are hereby authorized and empowered to agree to the entry of a final judgment in said cause in favor of plaintiff therein for said sum of $1,746.36 in full settlement and satisfaction of the taxes due and owing by said defendant to the plaintiff for the years 1911-1916 inclusive. Be it further resolved that the tax collector of said City of Austin be and he is hereby authorized and directed to credit and apply said sum aforesaid on the taxes, interest, and penalties shown by the rolls and records in his office to be due and owing by said defendant for said respective years and that he credit any balance thereby shown to be owing by defendant for said respective years as error in assessments, so as to balance the accounts for said years of said defendant, and to execute and deliver to said defendant upon payment thereof full and complete receipts for the same. And the Honorable A. P. Wooldridge, --- Page break --- 156 Mayor of the City of Austin, be and he is hereby fully authorized and empowered to execute in the name of this city all proper and necessary receipts and releases of said judgment aforesaid. The Resolution was adopted as the agreed judgment in this cause, by the following vote: Yeas--Mayor Wooldridge, Councilmen Anthony, Bartholomew, Haynes, and Powell, 5; nays, none. APPROVED, Feb. 13, 1918: A. P. Wooldridge, Mayor. Councilman W. B. Anthony nominated Thomas E. Saunders to be Thomas E. Saunders Special Policeman special policeman without pay. The nomination was confirmed by the following vote: Yeas--Mayor Wooldridge, Councilmen Bartholomew, Haynes, and Powell, 4; Councilman Anthony not voting. The Mayor laid before the Council the application of Ollie Ollie H. Cole Driver's license H. Cole for Driver's license, which was granted by the following vote: Yeas--Mayor Wooldridge, Councilmen Anthony, Bartholomew, Haynes, and Powell, 5; nays, none. The Council then adjourned. J. A. Warren City Clerk.