The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1892-08-19
THE CITY DADS.
The Council Wastes a Great Deal OF
Time without Accomplish
ing Much.
The Highest Bidder Gets the City Print
ing-A Question of Veracity Be-
tween the B. of P. w. and
L. G.. NJ. Fletcher.


L. G. NJ. Fletcher.
Mayor Willard presided at Monday
nights meeting of the council, and
all of the aldermen were present, ex-
cept Aid. Hubbard.
A petition was received from An
drew Gapter asking permission to
erect brick veneered building, 24x66
feet, two stories high, upon the rear Of
the lot occupied by Ed Cousandier's
saloon.
A petition was received asking that
the Byron street sewer be extended to
Pleasant street. Referred to sewer
committee.
A communication was received from
the National Board of Fire Under
writer's. Referred to the fire depart
ment committee.
Mr.. Gapter's petition was taken up,
and he stated that year ago Mr.. Sal
fer built an iron covered barn there.
Aid. Peterson stated that the law had
been disregarded there for several
years, eveuframe buildings being erect
ed. Aid. Fowler suggested that the
only mistake which Mr.. Gapter had
made was in asking the council for its
permission. Aid. LOngini thought
that as the ordinance prohibited such
a permission, the council could not
but refuse. He thought that those
who violated the ordinance should be
looked to.
City Attorney Young read the ordi-
nance to show that the penalty was
$40 week for violation of the fire linn
it ordinance.
1t was stated that it is the duty of
the police to see that the ordinance is
not violated. The refusal to Ever
hart & Co.'S petition to the same eff
feet was referred to. The petition
was laid on the table.
Mayor Willard stated that he would
talk with the chief of police regard
the violations of the ordinance.
CITY PRINTING.
The printing bids were read, and
Aid. Fowler, chairman of the print
ing committee, stated that the bid
of the WEEKLY FREE PRESS was low
est, but stated that the city would do
best to make the DAILY FREE PRESS
the official paper, as there is practi-
cally no difference between it's bid
and that of the Reuie,C. while notices
could be published week earlier than
in the latter.
Aid. Schlingerman, mem Der of the
committee, stated that last year the
printing was given to the highest bid
der. The ReUie,U had been lowest last
year, and to show no partiality he
would recommend that the ReUieaU be
made the official paper this year,
though the highest bidder.
Aid. LOngini, the third member of
the committee, favored the ReUieao on
the same ground.
Aid. Fowler then recommended the
WEEKLY FREE PRESS, as being the
lowest bidder, the bids being-RevieaU,
official printing, 1st insertion Is Cts,
subsequent insertions 10 cents; FREE
1st 10c, Ind &c.
1t waSeXplained to the council that
while the contract was last year ap-
parently given to the highest bidder,
the city had saved money by it,
through saving special meetings, etc.
The disadvantage of having an official
paper which is not published until
eight days after the council meeting
was also shown.
Aid. Fowler quoted from the new
charter to show that the council shall
awarded the contract to the lowest
bidder, unless it shall be deemed for
the best interests of the city to do
otherwise.
When the vote was taken, Aids.
Longini, Peterson and Schlingerman
voted for the Reuie,c, and Aid. Fowler
for the FREE PRESS, while Aid. Saul
paugh declined to vote. This made
the ReUieao the official paper.
The question of curbing, guttering
and grading Hickory street was TAX
en- up. ID. S. Stern and B. d. Pay ap-
peared before the council and the lat
ter protested against the proposed
work, the raise of grade damaging
some OF the adjacent property. He
wanted the city to repair the street at
city expense, leaving the grade as it
is now. The matter was laid upon
the table.
GLENWOOD AVENUE.
Aid. Schlingerman thought that
the grading of Glenwood Ave-, as be-
ing done, is an outrage and sQuander-
ing of money. He wanted an assess
ment upon the property, and moved
that the work be stopped until an as
sessment can be made. He had heard
that Aid. Hubbard is directing the
work, and he would let him pay for it.
Aid. Fowler called attention to the
fact that 1000 had been raised by
private subscriptions and spent upon
it last year. AS the work is
being done, boulevard is being made,
and he would have the work proceed
upon a less costly plan. The gravel is
twenty feet wide and a foot deep.
Pres. Swan said that the job was a
good one, but that it is costly and
perhaps more costly than the city
could afford. He knew they were do
ing too much, and had tried to stop it,.
J.Bowen thought that he was being
injured by the grade.
1t was stated that the work had
never been referred to the Board of
Public Works.
On motion of Aid Fowler the