River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-01-28
Letter From Mayor Putnam.

Mr.. EDIToR;-Will you allow me
space in your JOURNAL to reply to
your correspondent of last week who
charged the City Council with "med-
dlesome interference with their pri-
vate business affairs not warranted by
any public requirement, but forgot to
sign his name, and whom for conven-
fence we will call Mr.. Goodman The
object of the City Council in passing
the ''wood ordinance" was to protect
the many consumers who either have
not the time TO attend to it or the con-
veniences at hand for measuring a
load of wood, also to protect the seller
that he may receive pay for every foot
his load contains. 1t is a well-known
fact that not one-half the people of
any community can measure load of
wood accurately. Who ever heard of
any one being wronged by being re-
quired to give one hundred and TWEEN
ty-eight feet for cord any more than
sixteen ounces for pound A short
time ago load of wood was offered
for sale, seller claiming 1856 feet. One
of our merchants measured it and
found it contained 100 feet. The SCI
Ter refused to accept the measurement
and went on the street and sold that
load to a lady for 100 feet. Was any
one wrongedl Another case: One of
our Shrewdest business men bought a
load of wood for his own use without
examining it (being busy at the time)
upon representation that it contained
nearly cord. When he saw the pile
he had it measured and there was
about sixty feet. l could give such
instances by the dozen, but space for
bids. | have examined this matter
carefully and find that most of the OPP
position comes from the middle-men.
Do they take less than l2S feet for a
cord OF course they always give l2S
feet when re-selling, as hundreds can
testify. l say plainly that any seller
who is not willing to give fun meas
uIe is not wanted in River Falls and
the sooner he finds another market the
better. But am not prepared to be-
lieYe that the farmers of Pierce cOun-
ty are the ones who object to honest
measurement-th opposition comes
from other sources. What can be
more fair than measurement by a dis
interested party for the protection of
both buyer and seller, If five cents
per load is too grievOus tax for the
seller the buyer can well afford to pay
it. If we are not paying enough for
our wood so that the laborer can live
and give good measure let us put the
price where it ought to be ut once.
Does Mr.. Goodman think it quite fair
to state that petition has received
nearly hundred signatures and more
are coming. in order to influence 9TH
ers to sign! Was it nearly one hun
bred out of fifteen hundred inhabi-
tants, or a little over fifty Why not
give the exact number? And right
here let me say that several OF those
signers have told me they signed to
get rid of being bored to death, know
ing it would make no difference with
the City Council. One said he chad
signed the petition and would be glad
to sign it five times but he wanted the
wood measurer all the same" We all
know how easy it is to get petitions
signed. The petition states that "the
wood ordinance is proving seriously
detrimental to the business interests
of our city," while you, Mr.. Editor,
say in the column exactly opposite;
"The deep snow has tended to retard
travel and prevent active operations
in getting out logs, bolts, wood, &C.,
in consequence of which trade has
been somewhat dull the past two
weeks. Which is correct! 1t looks
as though the power behind the petit
ton was taking an unfair advantage
of the unfavOrable weather and laying
blame upon the city ordinance which
should fall on the deep snow, which
the city council does not control. II
Mr.. Goodman, who is SO solicitous fol-
the welfare of the city, will only lei
his name be known, no doubt the
people will embrace the first Oppor
tunity to put him in charge of theii
affairs. j. ID. PUTNAM.