St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-08
A SCHEME FELL out.
Reformeps Had Planned a
Coup to Gust Inspector
Morris.
Two Characteristic EpistleS
From the Lordly Comp
trolleP.
A Lady on the Hill Writes
Council an Amusing
Letter.
The City Cross-ToWn Track
Sent Back to the Old
Committee.

"The good thing" which was to have
been pulled off by the reform stable at
the board of aldermen meeting last
night was postponed until the condi-
tons were more favorable. The scheme
was to pass an ordinance, or rather the
old one passed by the assembly last
June, declaring the Office of the build
ing inspector vacant after Feb. Il, and
ordering the election of a new Inspector
at that date. The members credited
with endeavoring to put the thing
through are Aid. IngerSoll, Copeland,
Zimmerman and Montgomery. The
plan was that, i'll ease only six or seven
members of the board were present,
the resolution was TO be sprung
and carried by the four members
voting for it. Enough members of the
assembly, it was claimed, would at the
meeting Thursday night approve of
such action, and Aid. Ingersoll. being
acting mayor. would Immediately ap-
prove the resolution. In some way the
scheme leaked out, and Building In
spector Morris consulted with the other
ten aldermen about it. The result was
that at $50 all the members of the
board except Aid. Cullen, who was out
OF the city, were in their seats. A large
lobby and several members of the as
semblv sat through the session, waiting
for the resolution to be introduced, but
were disappointed. Several members
of the body opposed to the scheme were
questioned about the matter last night,
and each one interviewed said such ac
ton was to have been taken had the OPP
portunity presented any chance for
success.
Filed in silence.
Comptroller McCardy submitted two
lengthy communications, one relative to
the lighting contract just awarded to
Robert Seeger. and the other relative to
economy III the appropriations from the
general fund. The ScreedS are given
below:
In view of the rapid development of
the use of electricity and the possibility
of lighting the city Herewith within
the next five years, the following III
reference to the Seeger gasoline con-
tract is respectfully submitted for your
considerations:
II. ". Phillips, Assistant City Attor-
ney. City-Dear Sir: l sbeg to return
YOU herewith the draft OF contract
with Robert Seeger for furnishing gas
oIine lamps. etc. with the following
objections thereto:
FIrst-The advertisement by the city
clerk. under date OF Dec. IL, 1892,
asks for sealed proposals for furnish
ing the necessary materials, and light
Jig such streets and public grounds of
the city of st. Paul, ETC.. you will
note that the advertisement requires
the bidder to furnish the necessary
MATERIAL etc. Mr.. Seeger's bid in re-
Spouse to this advertisement, reserved
i'll him the ownership of such lamps as
he should furnish under the contract,
at the expiration Of the contract The
common council passed resolution re-
verSing this point, that is TO say, that at
the expiration OF the contract the lamps
should belong to the city. Now lamp
without burner is of no value as Il
lamp; this proposed contract re
qulres all gasoline lamps to be sup
piled with Seeger'S improYeds yapOr
burner, and that said burners are to re-
main his property at the expiration of
this contract. | do not think this COM
plies with the spirit of the resolution of
the common council above referred to;
he is to furnish all the material for
doing this work, and burner is neceS-
sary part of the material. If ne chooses
TO use SeegerS patented burner he can
DO so. but is not required to do so under
the proposal as published; take it that
it is immaterial whether he uses See
gers burner or any other burner. so
long as it produces SiXteen-candle power
as required. That he is not sure that
his right to the patent is good is evil
denced by the clause on the fourth sheet
of this contract, where the saving clause
is noted that he may use any other
burner, in case legal proceedings shall
be instituted in regard to the Seeger
burner named III this contract.
Second do not think it advisable
for the city to enter into contract
which, at the termination thereof, gives
the contractor the power over the other
bidders that the reservation herein
noted gives TO him, that is to say, that
the burners belong to him. By such a
contract he could shat off the light from
all the city covered by his lamps prior
to a new contractor taking possession Of
the plant.
Third-The penalty attached for
lamps not lit is but four cents for each
night the lamps are cut; this is simply
loss to him of the cost OF material and
profit OH that lamp. which practically
amounts to 10 penalty at all. | think
this amount should be increased, SO that
he will be compelled to light all lamps.
FourtIl-I'Hder the provisions of sec
ton l9of the Bell charter do not think
the city has the power to make & con-
tract like this for longer period than
one year. The common council may
levy an annual tax for certain pur-
poses. and one of those purposes is the
''lighting fund" They may not do so in
the year 1895; now no ordinance appro-
priatug money is valid unless there is
specified therein the fund out OF which
the same is TO be paid.
Section 10 says the council shall have
no power to allow any claim unless
there is money in the treasury to meet
t, or embraced in a then existing tax
levy. Now contract for material and
services rendered implies all appropria-
ton to pay for same; there is no money
now in ehe treasury to pay for lighting
in 1885, and no tax levy for 1895 now
exists.
The clerk was interrupted during the
reading Of the above by Aid. Conley,
who asked as to the length OF the COM
municatlon. and moved its acceptance
and filing. Aid. Franklin thought il
better to listen to the communication,
as it came from a city officer, and then
refer it 10 the committee on gas. The
clerk proceeded with the reading, and
at its conclusion it was accepted and
filed on motion Of Aid Conley.
Important il 'Erue.
The second cpistle, reading as fol
lows, was referred to the committee OF
licenses without any comment from tht
members:
For your information, l beg to say
that there was paid out of the genera
fund in the year 1892 for msceilaGe0u
purposes, the sum of $40, 1921.
A very liberal estimate of receipt
from all sources for the credit of Tho
fund has been estimated at $460,000. /
will not exceed that sum. BY your res
CLINTON already adopted, all of the $500,
600 has been appropriated except $33,