San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-07-20
Or which Is respectfully submitted.
JOHN L. HANBLETON,
L n EAILAEnER-
Gallagher moved the adoption of the
report, when Belknap arose and pre-
sented the following amendment:


scented the following amendment:
while am not satisfied, whether under GER
tain restrictions, it well for the city to do its
own work. still claim before making such II
move there should be careful thought and due
deliberatiOn given this subject before final
action. IL is u simple thing to fall into error,
and an extremely difficult one TO repair it..
| claim that it IS just such acts rs these that
give birth to bossism and ring rule, liable to be
used for political ends; that IT Is relic Of
TwCcdism and not to he encouraged.
Another reason why shall vote against il is
that within five or six months this city will
eject an entire new board of officers, and h".
lCVe il wrong to now outline work which may
be a detriment To their freedom of action.
also believe il wrong in the face of com
ing elections to give the public, our citizens,
an opportunity to taunt this council with ac-
tiOns which might be construed FOR political
preference or motives. | take II for granted
this council does not desire to see repetition
of charges against the street depart
mcnt rs was made after the election two years
ago. Again, ! am opposed to II because this
council did 10y its action in March, place its
rates of labor SO high that these are out OF Just
proportion and will result in serious loss TO
the tax payers and citizens, a.. this city cannot
obtain as much work as by contract, in this,
that S50,OOO in 1886 will not lat the citys pres
Cnt labor prices result in giving the citizens
more than two-thirds of the work performed
in 1873.
This is not the proper time for so important
a change, and move that the work in the four
wards for 1886 be allotted to four different
contractors, so il can 90 on and be carried out
in equal parts, each ward receiving what it
has been allowed, and no one ward being IA
vOrcd to the dCtrimcnt of another
Degener seconded the amendment.
HambletOn was surprised at the OBJ
lection inasmuch as the work could be
and would be completed before the ad-
ministration went out of office. 1t was
a well-known fact that the work could
be better and cheaper done in the way
proposed. In one job alone $1,000 had
been saved by the street commissioner
There was seven months to complete the
work in.
Belknap:-The contractor has been
over nine months at it now and hasn't
near finished.
Hambleton:-Yes and that is one rea-
son for this report. We begin all work
in the same wards at the same time and
finish it.
French thought that all work except
the Telford work could be done by the
street commissioner and he would make
that amendment to Belknap's amend
ment.
Degener:-Does your motion include
the proposed of 81. so!
French:-I am of an opinion that men
should be paid the same rate as others
pay, and be paid weekly.
Smye didn't see how anyone could
think that contract work was cheaper,
and it was certainly never the best. The
rate of wages suggested by the commit
tee was quite low enough.
Lockwood urged that the work done
by the street commissioners force was
better than any done by contractor,
perhaps excepting Mr.. Marshall. He
was not on the side of cheap labor, and
thought the men would earn their 81 80.
Some men would hire men at at rs cents
a day and let their families starve if they
could do so. Ifany man thought $l.5O a
day was too much, God help him. After
some further discussion Belknap accept
ed the French amendment, and vote
was taken.
Ayes:-Belknap, Bergstrom, Connor,
Degener, Schreiner. NOes:-Gallaghe
Hambleton, Lockwood, NJ cAllister, Smye,
French then moved that the rate of
wages, 81 30, be struck out Of the report
and that it be ordered that current wages
be paid.
Smye:-What are current wages?
French:-Such as you pay.
Smye:-Well, l pay 81 80 per day and
my men earn it.
French:-Then that is current wages.
Gallagher:-That's fair.
French Ito Gallagher): Il see you come
down in your estimate; | know its fair.
Gallagher (testily)-Yes, some things
you know and some things you'll never
know. Laughter.)
Degener seconded the amendment
and on vote il was lost. Gallagher called
for a roll vote to put the members on
record, and Degener did the same.
For the amendment: Belknap, Berg
strom, Degener, French. Against 1t:
Common. Gallagher, HambletOn, Lock
wood, MoAllister, Schreiner and Smye.
The report as amended was adopted.
FIRE COMMITTEE.
F.F. Collins, Paul Wagner and A.
Pancoast were granted building per-
mits.
That the old bell be erected on Cam
den street, to cost 500. Adopted.
PoLICE.
Smye reported that the reports of the
jailer, pound master and marshal had
been examined and found correct
Mrs. Minnie Magerstadt's petition 10
remit fine was rejected.
MARKETS.
Gallagher reported that he had exam
ined the reports OF the market master
and park keeper and found them cor
rect.
Ellis Walter and A. Reinhardt were
granted permits to open meat stalls.
AVENUE D TO BE COMPLETED.
The city attorney having reported to
the mayor pro ten that the stOppage Of
the work on avenue ID would invOlve e
the council in serious litigation the mat
ter was reconsidered and 1t was resolved
that the street be completed out Of the
Third wards 1856 appropriation.