The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-01-19

the chief executive of the city in the |
legal publication found elsewhere in
this issue, we append the document in
full herewith.
Read it:
RESOLVED, BY the common council of the city |
OF Mankato, that the City Recorder be instruct
ed 10 advertise for bids for lighting the city for
ten years, in accordance with specifications, to |
De adopted by the Electric Light Committee, |
the right being reserved to reject any or all bids
! II not satisfactory.
| RESOLVED. That should no bids be received |
that are satisfactory to this CT uncll that i'm |
mediate steps be taken to establish lighting |
plant to be operated by the city.
Adopted January 18th, 1891
HENRY W. BROWN, EDGAR WEAVER
| Recorder. Mayor
have signed this resolution, thinking 1t will
do no harm, as we may get desirable informa
ton, but have little faith in being able to a.,
tract the attention of outside companies who
| might absorb our street railway system. Am
| uucompromsingy in favor OF putting IN our
| own plant, and should a scheme in this resolu-
| ton become apparent, 1 shall undertake to
defeat the entire matter so far as private
| plant is concerned. EDGAR WEAVER,
Mayor.
For unmitigated gall, extraordinary
| assumption of official dictatlon
and downright egotism, the appendix
added 10 this resolution surpasses any
thing ever before assumed by a public
official. Tie language used by the
mayor is an insult to every member of
the council, and can only be construed
as notice to any company who may
desire TO submit proposition, that it
will be only waste of time, as hiz-
zonor is ''uncompromisingly in favor
of putting in cur own plant" This
expression ought to have satisfied the
egoGism of Weaver, as it would that
of any official who did not seek addi
| tional opportunity to insult his own
| intelligence and heap further indigni-
ty upon the members of the council.
But he goes on to say: 'should scheme
in this resolution become apparent, I
will undertake to Defeat the entire
matter so far as private plant is con-
cerned." Shades of Grover and Queen
| Lii The craftsmanship exhibited
1
| that Of Blount in the Hawaiian af-
fair, which has brought humility and
disgrace upon the intelligence of our
| American administration. AS the
resolution was passed by the council
| without division. it should make the
members Of that body feel proud to
be held up before the world as scheming
highwaymen, whom the Lord Mayor
will "turn down" if he catches them!
upon what doth this our Caesar
feed that he hath grown so great?"
Where, in the annals of municipal adj
ministra tions, do we find counter
part of mendacious audacity contain
ed in the mayors proclamation The
s'holier than thou" position assumed
by Mr.. Weaver is clearly inspired by
his antagonlsm to the Mankato Gas
& Electric Light Co. He has boldly
and publicly proclaimed that this
company will receive no consideration
for any bid they may see fit to submit.
To say the least, and put it in the
mildeSt form, such position as the
mayor has taken in the lighting ques-
tlon is unbusiness like, unreasonable,
and unprecedented. He has perfect
right to favor city control, and use his
Influence to that end; but he has no
moral or legal right to attack reso-
luton passed by the council in the
manner he has, forestall it's effect and
defeat it's object, much less charge
the council with scheming to fOist an
obnoxious contract upon the taXpay-
ers.
The resolution is fully hedged in
with reserved rights. The intelli- |
gence of the members of the council
will guide them Alright in protecting |
the city, while their honesty as bust
ness men and taxpayers will prevent
any skulduggery from beinglpracticed.
If bid is received which iscepta &C
Bile in point of cost, and a ten years
lease should be granted, provisions
will be made for REIMBURSEMENT of |
prices every two or three years, so
there need be no cause for alarm in |
this direction.
Now that this question of owner
ship Of city lights is up, it may not be
improper to note some facts connected |
with our municipal Indebtedness and
to ask the question pertinent to the
case" Whittier are we drifting?"
The bonded Indebtedness Of the city
of ManKato stands today at S211 500,
with an annual accommodating interest
OF $12,840. On the 31st day of next
October, the railroad bonds amount
ing to S81 900 fall due and we will have
about Sis, 900 in the sinking fund with
which to redeem this obligation. The
city had overdrawn January 1st, 1894,
from sundry funds, the sinking fund
included, SO, 243.34. 1t is deficient in
the fire department fund 1915 20 and
it has bills payable S1,420. Accumu-