04/12/1954 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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r e 'Ii 4 IT WAS ANNOUNCED BY MAYOR JOHNSON THAT HE HAD INVITED THE MEMBERS Of THE EUGENE POLICE DEPARTMENT PISTOL TEAM TO PRESENT THEMSELVES AND THEIR TROPHIES WON IN'A RECENT STATE-WIDE COMPETITION AT THE MEETING. THE fiVE. MEMBERS: LT. DONALD CLARK; DETECTIVE EDWARD ,BUNCH; DETECTI VE RI CHARD NELSON; DETECTI VE RAYMOND JOHNSON A,ND PATROLMAN WAYNE WOOD CAME fORWARD AND WERE INTRODUCED AND CONGRATULATED BY THE MAYOR. ~HE MAYOR COMMENDED THEM ON THEIR ACHIEVEMENT AS INDIVIDUALS AND AS A TEM FOR THEIR PROFICIENCY IN MARKSMANSHIP AND FOR THE.! R ESPR I T DE CORPS. I 5 IT WAS MOVED BY CRUMBA~ER, SECONDED BY SIEGENTHALER THAT ALL HEARINGS SET FOR THE MEETING BE CONTINUED UNTIL APRIL 26TH AT 7:30 P.M. MOTION CARRIED. 6 AT THIS POINT OF THE MEETING, COUNCILMAN CRUMBAKER, PRESIDENT GF THE COUNCIL, REQUESTED THE FLOOR'TO MAKE A STATEMENT IN BEHALF OF THE COUNCIL. HIS STATEMENT WAS AS FOLLOWS: "I RISE 'TO A QUESTION OF PRIVILEGE AfFECTING THIS COUNCIL AS A WHOLE. I REFER TO THE CAMPAIGN Of FALSEHOOD AND MIS-STATEMENT CARRIED GN IN THE EDITORIAL COLUMNS OF THE EUGENE REGISTER-GUARD. SEVERAL MONTHS AGO MR. TUGMAN MADE A HEATED STATEMENT TO THE COUNCIL OVER ZONING' BEING CONSIDERED FOR THE SOUTH WILLAMETTE AREA, AND END- ING WITH WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN ULTIMATUM OR THREAT. MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL INTER- PRETED HIS ATTITUDE TO BE 'PASS THE ORDINANCES AS I DEMAND, OR ELSE.' THE CHARACTER OF THE CAMPAIGN CARRIED OUT TO DATE IN THE EDITORIAL COLUMNS Of THE GUARD fiTS INTO THIS PICTURE. e No ONE CAN CHALLENGE THE RIGHT Of MR. TUGMAN TO CRITICIZE THE COUNCIL AS SHARPLY AS HE LIKES, IF HE WILL STICK TO THE TRUTH, SO THAT THE ISSUE CAN BE BETWEEN HIS JUDG- MENT AND THAT OF THE COUNCIL. THE COUNCIL ADMIRES THE fREE HAND ALLOWED TO THE EDITOR IN WRITING (DITORIALS. THE USE Of EDITORIAL COLUMNS fOR PERSONAL VENDETTA IS AN ABUSE Of THE FREE PRESS, AND A BETRAYAL Of READERS WHO HAVE A RIGHT TO BELIEVE THAT EDITORIALS ARE BASED ON HONEST CONVICTION AND NOT ON PERSONAL GRUDGES, OR PERSONAL ANIMOSITY. I IT APPEARS THAT THE fOLLOWING FALSEHOODS OR HALF-TRUTHS HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO DISCREDIT THE COUNCIL AND DESTROY PUBLIC CONfiDENCE IN THE COUNCIL'S ACTS. I. HE- HAS CHARGED THE COUNCIL WITH CONDUCTING SECRET COUNCIL MEETINGS, IMPLYING THAT CROOKED DECISIONS ARE MADE AGAINST THE PUBLIC. HE KNOWS THIS TO BE FALSE IN TOTO. ~.' 2. HE CHARGES THAT THE COUNCIL BETRAYS PUBLIC CONFIDENCE BY NOT RUBBER STAMPING ALL RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE PLANNING COMMISS~ON. HIS PURPOSE IS TO PIT THE PLANNING COMMISSION AGAINST THE COUNCIL. THE REAL CONFLICT IS BETWEEN THE COUNCIL AND MR. TUGMAN OVER WHOSE CONSCIENCE SHALL GOVERN COUNCIL ACTION. 3.' HE, DELIBERATELY SPREAD FALSEHOODS OVER THE CHARACTER Of ZONING PROVIDED FOR THE SO-CALLED MILL RACE AREA. THE GREAT OUTCRY WAS THE PRODUCT OF THESE FALSE STATE- MENTS. 4. HE DRAGGED THE RESTORATION OF THE MILL RACE INTO THE MESS, IN ORDER TO AROUSE THE D,ISTRUST Of THOSE INTERESTED IN THAT DEVELOPMENT. HE KNEW THE EXTENT OF THE UNTRUTHS INVOLVED IN HIS STATEMENT. I CASUAL INQUiRY TO DATE INDICATES THAT THE SIGNATURES Of MANY PERKSONS ON THE REFERENDUM PETITIONS INDICATE BELIEF THAT THE TUGMAN FALSIFICATIONS AND MIS-STATEMENTS ARE IN FACT TRUE, AND THAT REFERENDUM POWERS WERE NECESSARY TO REBUKE THE COUNCIL AND STRIKE DOWN WRONGfUL ACTS. UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES IT APPEARS THAT THE COUNCIL SHOULD NOT FURTHER CONDUCT THE CITY'S BUSINESS UNTIL IT SHALL HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO MAKE A COMPLETE STATEMENT Of fACTS, EXPOSING THE HOAX PERPETRATED BY THE EDITORIAL ATTACK. IT IS HOPED THAT A GROUP Of DISINTERESTED CITIZENS MAY BE PERSUADED TO MAKE AN EXAMINATION AND OffER THEIR JUDGMENT ON THE MERI~S Of THE CONTROVERSY~ It I MOVE THAT THE COUNCIL ADJOURN UNTIL APRIL 26TH, AND THAT A COMMITTEE OF THE COUNCIL BE APPOINTED TO FORMULATE A STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE COUNCIL." THE MOTION TO ADJOURN WAS SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN OWEN. THIS ACTION WAS FOLLOWED BY STATEMENTS fROM INDIDUAL COUNCILMEN SUPPORTING THE STATEMENT MADE BY DR. CRUMBAKER fOR THE COUNCIL. COUNCILMAN OWEN SPOKE FIRST, FOLLOWED BY SIEGENTHALER AND KOPPE. MAYOR JOHNSON THEN SPOKE BRIEFLY IN ANSWER TO THE CHARGE ON SECRET COUNCIL MEETINGS.' HE STATED THAT DURING THE NINE YEARS HE HAS BEEN'ASSOCIATED WITH EITHER COUNCIL WORK OR AS MAYOR THERE HAS NEVER, TO HIS KNOWLEDGE, BEEN A SECRET COUNCIL MEETING. HE STATED FURTHER THAT ALL COUNCIL MEETINGS AND COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETINGS WERE OPEN AT ALL TIMES IF PERSONS DESIRED TO ATTEND THEM. I COUNCI LMAN BOOTH THEN SPOKE SUPPORTI NG THE STATEMENT FOLLOWED BY GODLOVE, CONE AND WATSON. COUNCILMAN WATSON COMMENTED THAT THE COUNCIL SHOULD GUARD AGAINST'BEC~MING TOO EMOTIONAL ON THE SUBJECT BUT AGREED THAT THERE WAS A BASIS FOR THE OBJECTION AS STATED. e ~