Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1889-07-03

N, MOWCN COUN /. .MlNN., WI
through the medium of tates. contribute
largely to the support of the City Cover
ment and the pay of its employees.
Resolved. That your honorable body
be requested to Instruct the heads Of the
different departments of the City Cover
ment not to retain in its employment
any persons who do not pay the bills
they contract with the merchants.
The above request being reasonable,
right and just, and other cities having
taken similar action recently, we ask you
to give 1t your earliest possible attention.
E. A. Wilson, A. NJ. Watson, /. II.
Moulton. F. NJ. Clark, II. Berger.
At the next meeting of the Council
the measure will likely come up for dis
cussion and an effort made to pass it.
The petition is meritorious one and
should receive the endorsement and vote
of every alderman. The retail merchants
OF this city have formed an organization
for the purpose of protecting themselves
from Dead Beats, and those who show
no disposition to pay debts contracted
The proposition to have persons of this
kind discharged from the City's employ
is one Of the first steps taken by the
Mercantile Association, and it is to be
hoped that their efforts in this direction
will prove successful, for person who
will not discharge honest obligations.
when able to do so, should not certainly
be trusted with the work of the city.
The Association IS endeavoring to do
for the retail dealers, what the r. 6.
Dun and Bradstreet's Agencies are do
ing for the wholesale dealers. Similar
organizations have been formed in other
cities, and In every instance, they have
proven very beneficial to the community.
Following are few extracts from the
Pioneer Press, which are interesting in
this connection. The first is taken from
the issue of May 9th. THE movement
against deadbeats was IN augurated at q
meeting Of the police commission q
couple of weeks ago and is likely to
prove starter which will include all the
departments of service in the municipal
government Police Commission Gjertsen,
who has had many years experience as q
retail grocer, was the first to bring the
matter to the attention of the police
boards. His ideas in regard to the matter
were very promptly and vigorously en-
dorsed by Mayor Babb. Commissioner
Gulle also considered 1t proper for the
commission to give those matters atten-
ton and discriminate against the men in
the department who fail to keep straight
with the world when their circumstances
would allow it. Mr.. Gjertsen in speak
ing of the matter last evening said.
l think q man who does not pay his
regular bills should not be drawing q
salary from the city. don't care what
department he may be connected with.
Here he Is drawing good pay every month
cheating people out of their legitimate
dues. A few men of this kind bring
disgrace upon the entire department..
A policeman or q fireman or any other
city employe is given credit by virtue of
his being connected with the city govern
ment. When it is found that q man is
taking advantage of this credit and con
fidence, it is the proper thing, 1t seems to
me to discharge him from the city's en-
ploy. Mayor Babb Is just as emphatic
in his denunciatlon of men who do not
pay their bills. Superintendent Bracket,
when at the head of the Fire Department.;
gave this matter special attention, and
it was not we'll for a member of the
service to have the Chief find his name
IN the dead beat list. Mr.. Brackett is
just as pronounced against this class no W
as he was when in the fire service. City
Engineer Rinker said to ''Pioneer Press
Reporter"
The movement which has been started
in the Police Department should be
carried to every department of public
service. There Is no reason why the city
should support dishonest men. The
pioneer Press" of the following day,
May 28th, contained this information:
The Police Commission spent consider
able time yesterday in investigating
charges against number of officers, but
the most important features of the pro.
ceedings was the discussion and action
in relation to ''Deadbeats'' in the depart.
ment. One of the Commissioners related
his experience with several members of
the force prior to his appointment as Com
missioner. His associates on the Board
concurred in the opinion that the men
who did not pay their legitimate bills
should be removed from the police SER
vice. Aresolutlon expressing the Boards
view in this regard in unmistakable terms
was passed. This resolution requires
that the Superintendent shall report all
complaints of nOn-paYment of bills by
members of the force to the Commission.
If, after proper inquiry and Investigation
the charges are found to be we'll founded,
the Board will discharge the officers from
the service. There has been so much said
in regard to dead-beat officers that the i'm
preston seems to prevail that large pro-
portion of the officers are on the lists.
Such is not the case, however. In justice
to the department it should be stated
that there are not more then twenty men
out of the 175 against whom complaints
are made. The charges against PATROL
man Collins, Mayo and Schroeder were
dismissed. The case against Patrolman
McKenna was continued.
A measure similar to the one in
troduced in our council Friday night wa s
offered in the council at ST. Paul and
passed that body, as appears from the
item from the Pioneer Press of June 18th.
Alderman Potter's resolutions declar-
ing that city officials and employees who
do not pay their just debts shall be dis
charged, was passed by one or two votes
in the negative. Alderman Potter said
he was annoyed every day by men who
came to his place of business to COM
plain of this kind of delinquency on the