The record-union., 1894-12-18
NO LICENSE FOR THE KENNY PLACE.
The Trustees Maintain Their Ground
Firmly
Auction Ordinance Approved, But the
Mayor Favors More
General One.

The City Boafo OF trustees neId Its
weekly meeting last night, Trustees Law
ton, Wachhorst. Kent, Davis, Bragg, De-
vine Leonard, Tozer and Pennish being
present.
The following messages were received
from the Mayor:
AUCTION ORDINANCE APPROVED.
TO the Board Of Trustees: l approved
to-day ordinance No. -, entitled. AN
ordinance liking the amount OF license to
be paid for selling at auction jewelry,
diamonds, watches, opera glasses, plated
ware ana silVerWare and other articles
such as found in a jewelry store, and pre-
scrIbIng penalty for breach of the ordi-
NANCE" anu filed the same with your
Clerk.
in the consideration of this ordinance.
1 hesItated somewhat before approving
1t, because l thought it was special legis-
latlon and aimed at particular class of
people. In my judgment, however, our
merchants who pay taxes and licenses
the whole year and carry on a legitimate
business are entitled to protection against
those who come into our city and trans
act business for short time.
1t would have been better, in my iudg-
ment, to have made the ordinance more
general.
There may be some question as to the
legality OF the ordinance. but this is
question for the courts to decide.
l understand that the city of Los An
geles has recently enacted an ordinance
The provisions Of which are almost iden-
tlcal with the one just approved. Re-
spectfully submitted,
b. U. STEINMAN, Mayor.
THE PUBLIC POUND.
To the Board Of Trustees: / herewith
transmit to your honorable body for your
information areport OF the Sacramento
County Humane Society in reference To
the pub pound of this city. Respect
fully submitted,
b. I. STEINMAN, Mayor.
This report was published in full in
the RECoRD-UN a few days ago.
ELECTRIC LIGHT POLES.
To the Board Of Trustees: I herewith
transmit to your honorable body. with
my approval indorsed thereon, Ordi-
nance No. =, entitled San ordinance
providing the kind OF poles that may be
erected on sidewalks for illuminating
purposes, prohibiting the use OF other
Kinds and providing penalty for breach
OF the ordinance" Respectfully submit
ted, b. u. STEINMAN, Mayor.
A DEFECTIVE BOND.
To the Board Of Trustees: l herewith
return to your honorable BODY, without
action thereon, the contract between j.
w. Casper and q. A. Long and the CITY
In my Judgment the BOND accompany
ing the contract is invalid, because the
contractors, as principals, are not bound,
1t will be observed that the bond is signed
by the principals, as well as the sureties,
but that it is stated that each surety snail
be bound in the penal sum OF $1,000,
while it is not stated in what sum the
principals shall be bound. or whether
they shall be bound at ali. AS this is
quite an important matter, prefer the
bond should be i'll proper form before L
act upon the contract. The charter con-
templates that all contracts should be
drawn under the supervision Of the City
Attorney, and l presume this viii in
clude the drafting OF the bonds.
Ia order to avoid such mistake as oc-
Cured in the bond referred to, l recon-
mend that in the future all bonds be
drawn by the City Attorney before the
contract or bond is presented to me, and
that he approve the same as being correct
as 10 form.
The bond also provides that the penal
sum for which it is given is 30 per cent.
of the contract price. This is not correct,
IS the contract price is $1,000. Great care
should be taken III the preparation of
these bonds and in the acceptance of the
sureties. Before the bond is complete it
Is necessary that the suretles should be
acceptable to your board, and that the
bond should be approved by you. Re-
spectfully submitted,
Is. \. STEINMAN, Mayor.
SPRINKLING-WAGON CONTRACTS.
To the Board Of Trustees: l herewith
return to your honorable body without
action thereon the contract between the
city and j. +. Hill for the construction of
five sprinkling wagons. My reasons for
doing so are as follows:
The specifications are that the carts
shall be painted and striped and finished
IA ~ o1 -, l,
some brand equally as good, and accept
able to the committee.
In my judgment no committee of YOUR
board is vested with a discretion which
should be exercised by the whole board.
nor can your board delegate such dis
cretion to any committee. / have never
been able to see how any of your COM
mittees could possess discretionary
power, and l therefore am unwilling to
approve any contract made by your
board in which such discretionary power
is given to committee.
Another objection, which may prove
serious, is the fact that the contract pur-
ports TO be entered into on the 3lst day of
Octo Der, 1894, and provides that the work
shall be commenced on or before Decem-
ber l, 1894, while the bond is dated De-
cember q, 1894.
The bond Is inaccurate in this: The
bond is In the penal sum OF 81 800, and
further on II IS said that the said penal
sum does not exceed 80 per cent OF the
amount of the contract. As the total con-
tract calls for less than s., ,000 il is plain
that the recital in the bond is not correct
This contract was presented TO me Oh
Decem Der 18th, thirteen days after the
work was supposed to have been COM
menced. Respectfully y 81 omitted.
J>. L. STEINMAN, Mayor.
Accompanying this communication
was similar one relating TO the contract
made with Brown Bros. Tor the construc-
lion OF i've sprinkling wagons.
President Lawton stated, in relation to
the bond of Casper IL Long for the Y
street pumping contract, that the Cor
poration Counsel approved the bond be-
lore he signed the contract Tor The city.
COMMITTEE REPORTS.
Leonard. of the Police Committee. re-
ported that be had ordered the blankets.
etc. for the City Prison.
Devine moved that as Christmas was
close at hand the bills Of the employees be
allowed during the present meeting. as
the next meeting would be too late. The
motion WAS carried.
Leonard preferred holding a special
meeting later III the week for that pur-
pose.
ELECTRIC LIGHT BILL.
The Chief OF Police reported that the
electric lights were out last month only
on one occasion, and for less than half an
hour.
Leonard thought that the police were
not looking after the electric lights, and
Bragg thought SO. too. The bill was then
passed.
HUMANE SOCIETY REPORT.
The report of the Humane Society was
read, and on motion OF Devine the Super
tnI RI