The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-01-13
COUNCIL MEETING.
Regular Session of the CouncIl-A Large
Amount OF Business 7ranszcted--Bills
Allowed and Ordinances Received

The council met in regular session last
evening with Mayor Clement in the chair.
All the members were present.
The minutes of meetings of December
q and 20 were read and approved.
The regular order of business was taken
up and the reports of city officers was first
in order
The city attorney made verbal report
upon the matter of some lots purchased by
the city on the West Side, having been
sold for taxes. The attorney showed that
be had not been derelict in his duty in the
matter as had been intimated by some of
the council
The South Market street grading matter
was brought up and some of the council
men took the ground that a bond
should have been made with the
contractors in such manner that the men
working for them should not loose what
their work amounted to over the amount
paid by the city to said contractors. The
city attorney gave the opinion that the
city had nothing to say of any work per-
formed other than the amount of the con-
tract
gineer recommending a vacation of por-
tion Of Walnut street and First avenue
Referred back to councilman from Fourth
ward
The report of city physician was received
and placed on file.
Report of police judge showed total
amount collected for the past month to be
81 3S35 80. Most of this amount was col
lected from Browns and Johnsons. Coun-
Gilman johnson objected to receiving the
report for this reason, but he was over
ruled and the report placed on file
The report of some of the city weighers
was received but Weigher Hallowell re-
fused to turn over to the city treasurer.
A motion was made that the mayor en-
force the ordinance to compel weighmas
tiers TO settle with the treasurer. A reso-
luton was adopted to notify Hallowell to
appear at the next meeting of the council
and explain why he did not turn over the
funds held by him.
Treasurer Throckmorton inquired
whether the police commissioners were
obliged to settle with the city each month,
or hold the receipts of police business in
their hands, as the old board had been do
ing
The city attorney stated that that was a
serious legal point, and that it had not as
yet been construed by the supreme court.
he said that prominent attorneys of the
state disagreed on the point, but it was his
opinion that the police board should turn
over all moneys collected by them to the
city treasurer, and that policemen should
be paid by appropriation, as other city
officials were.
A report from the city engineer on the
sewer completed in sewer district No. /,
showed estimates amounting to S27, 100 Is.
A motion was made by johnson that the
estimates be received and placed on file.
Buckeridge moved as a substitute that it
be received and adopted.
Considerable discussion was had over
these motions and considerable warmth
displayed by some of the members. Dur
ing the discussion of this report, a report
of the sewer committee was produced by
the chairman of that committee and sent
to the clerks desk with request that it
be read
johnson objected to the report being
read on the ground that it was a report of
the sewer contractors instead Of tire COM
mittee on sewers The chair overruled
the objection and the report was ordered
read, as follows:
To the Hon. Mayor and Council Of the City of
Wichita:
Gentlemen-Your committee on sewer
age and drainage beg leave to submit the
follow report:
During the month Of April, 1887. the
needs of system sewerage were placed |
before the council and immediate steps
were taken 70 cOnsumate the same.
a contract was entered into with Rose
water q Cnristy. of Omaha, for survey
and profile of a system especially adapted
TO our city.
Besides our city engineer and others
(among whom was a civil engineer of the
Rock Island road run levels in order to
ascertain the very important fact as to
whether it was possible to successfully
sewer our city with gravity system.
After guarding our action by every
possible means To secure the best system
with least cost the council requested the /
board of trade to appoint a committee to /
confer with the council, deemlng It I'M |
wise to proceed with the expenditure OF |
such vast sums of money without the en- |
dorsement of that body. In order to bet /
ter satisfy the council as the merits of the |
gravity system we employed Mr.. Rudolph |
Herring, i New York City, noted sani |
tary engineer (whom our government has /
sent to Europe as a special sanitary engi- |
neer) to investigate the matter. His re- /
port to the council and board of trade COM /
mttees was favorable to the gravity and I
he strongly recommended the plan adopt |
ed. whereupon we Immediately advertised /
for bids, and Messrs. Sullivan q Stein /
NETS, of this city, being the lowest Of |
number of competitive bidders. the con- /
tract was awarded them, papers being /
signed and bond given October -. 1855. /
On the 18th of that same month eX-Mayor /
J. = Allen threw the first dirt of the now
sewer system, which shows that /
the work of sewer construction has been 4
carried on throughout the entire time of
two administrations
Receipts and disbursements in the sewer /
have been "a follows:
RECEIPTS.
I
o.
assessments paid in Cash..-...-...-.....-. lO5 40
81 aaaass Sea III ~