The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1889-03-01
+. BOARD OF TRADE.
The Board of Public Works En-
dorsed---Proposed Railroad
Legislation Opposed.

ment to the city charter establishing
board ofpublic works, and asked that the
Board take such steps as are necessary
to ascertain more fully the views of the
people on the matter and let the Man
kato delegation know what 1t is.
Mr.. s. F. Barney thought that the sem
timent of the city was favorable to the
board and said that if Mr.. Barr didn't
know the sentiment of the people on the
matter he should come back and live
awhile among his constituents. He said
that the action of the council in opposing
the board was intended as joke.
Mr.. NJ. G. Willard went over all the
arguments in favor of the amendments.
He had recently thought that the Board
of Trade would be about the right body
in which to lodge the appointing power.
He thought that the council opposed the
board because the latter would divide
the power now enjoyed by the council,
which feeling was quite natural.
Mr.. j. N. Hall stated the whole oppo-
sition to the board was spelled In four
letters, Hunt. He was at the bottom
of the opposition, the interviews and
everything else being unfair. He was
surprised that some of the councilmen
had voted as they had. The votes of
councilmen should count no more than
those of private citizens. He was sur
prised that the action of the council and
what had appeared In the FREE PREss
had influenced the representatives
against the amendment. He had never
heard anyone on the street talk against
| it.
Mr.. John Klein arose and stated that
he believed that Mr.. Barney was all
wrong. 1t was waste of money to have
board and he was as sure that the city
would not be bettered as he was that
his name was Klein. He knew num-
bers of taxpayers. who opposed the
board and only knew nalf dozen who
really favored it. He, himself, favored
giving the city engineer and street COM
missioncr greater power and salary, and
said thatsa board would give no more
satisfaction than city commissioners.
In reply to question of Gen. E. M.
Pope, it was stated that the cost of the
city commissioners the past year was
only 800.
Mr. VIM. NJ. Farr moved that the
council reaffirm its previous action in
favor of the board. Mr.. Hall seconded
the motion. Gen. Pope called for the
ayes and noes.
Mr.. ]. A. Willard stated that several
inaccuracies occurred in the report of his
speech at the last meeting of the board
as printed in the FREE Press. He had
not said that he would serve on the
board free, and he had not broadly OPP
posed the establishment of the board.
What he did favor was the paying ofa
good salary to one member and a per
diem to the other two. He didn't be-
lieve that at the last meeting of the
Board of Trade more than one or two,
at most, opposed the establishment of a
board, and did not think that many at
the meeting of tax PAYERS had opposed
it. though he had not been present him.
self. He also favored the appointive
power being lodged in the Mayor, be-
lievlng that the power would not be used
for political purposes. As it was impos-
sible to report the speeches 1sade at .,
board in full, he recommended
reporters attempt to report =
than merely the business trans
acted.
The question of whether all in the
room should vote was brought up, but it
was decided to allow only members to
vote.
The vote stood-ayes, Messrs. Barney,
Brett, Chapman, Christensen, Dieker,
Farr, Follman, Hall, Heinze, Jensen,
Pay, Shoemaker, futile, Walker, j. A.
and M. q. Willard and Wise; noes, Mr..
Klein.
members of the school board had met
Saturday night with Gen. Pope and Rep
resentative Barr and himself, and the
result had been that the school board
would probably not press its amend
ment to the school charter increasing
the limit of taxation to eight mills,
though the powers of the board would
probably be enlarged.
The board then considered the pc
tition that is being circulated and num-
erously signed by citizens and business
men, asking for legislative support to
bills now before the legislature. intro
duced at the instance of the Railroad
Employees Association, the passage of
which it is claimed, would be injurious
to the interest of the city.
The petition is head as follows:
"The undersigned, citizens of said
state, residing in the county Of, un-
Outstanding that Senate bill No. 1852,
House file No. 52S, is intended to secure
such regulations of fares and freight for
railroad companies, as will permit them
to earn enough to keep their plants in
safe condition for business. pay fair
wages to their employees, and make
some return upon their property, and
believing such policy to be wise and
just, do respectfully request that said bill
may become law"
The law itself provides that when the
rates are unequal or unreasonable the
r. r. commissioners shall make them
equal and reasonable, and high enough
not to impair the power of the roads to
keep the plants in safe working condi-
ton, and to maintain wages as at pres
ent and to allow fair return on the
money invested.
Gen. E. M. Pope challenged anyone
who had circulated or signed the petit
ton in this city to state what the bill
meant. No one answering, he proceed
ed to explain the effect and purpose of
the BILL He stated that the law would
make it impossible for the commission
ers to make orders correcting inequaii-
ties, or if they did, it allowed appeals
that took much time to decide. He also
stated that there was not the slightest
prospect of the bill passing the Senate.
This bill would do away with whatever
had already been secured and relegate
the business interests of the state to a
worse condition than ever before.
A general discussion followed, during
which several gentlemen characterized
the action of those who signed the Pc
tltion as unconsciously aiding in an at
tempt to cut the throat of every small
town, including Mankato, and her BUSH
ness men. The victory having been won
by the people, this was the attempt of
the roads to appeal back to the legisla-
ture.
I