The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-05-31
BOARD OF TRADE.
The Union Depot Committee Will
Hold Another Conference With
Railroad Officials This Week.
A Committee Appointed to Wait on
the Council For Information Con-
corning the Proposed Electric
Light Plant.

meeting Monday.
DR.. Andrews from the committee OF
union depot said the committee haC
no written report to submit. The
committee had appointed May 29tl
as the date for the second conference
with the railroad officials, but hat
since received a telegram from Mr.
Winter, of the Omaha road, that il
would be impossible for him to be here
that day, but could on any other day
of the week. Accordingly the com
mittee had fixed upon Tuesday, May
2Sth, and had had the assurance of the
officials of the various roads except
the ST. Louis, which had not been
heard from, that Tuesday would be
suitable to them. While the matter
was being considered he received word
that Mr.. Mohler, of the st. Louis,
could not be present on Tuesday, SO
some other day, probably Friday, if
agreeable to all the roads, will be Sc
lected.
Gen. Pope addressed the council re-
garding the publication of the recon-
mendation of the committee, which
was submitted to the board at the
special meeting last Monday, and pub
lished in the other dailies of the city
but not in the FREE PRESS. Mr.. Pope
said it was the unanimous opinion of
the board that for several reasons the
report should not at this time be made
public, and this was well understood
by the reporters present, yet only one
paper needed the request. He believed
it but simple justice to say, however,
that he thought if Mr.. Wise had been
present or had known of the action of
the board, the ReUieao would not have
published the report, and he thought
that papers should be careful to see
that their reporters observe the
wishes of the bodies, the proceedings
of which they are sent to report. He
believed the board was the best Judge
of what it desired made public. and
while it was not star-chamher body
there were times it was best that
some of its deliberations be not given
to the public for time at least.
Mr.. Christensen from the committee
looking into the more extended use of
Mankato stone for building purposes,
said that inquiries among the quarry
owners had resulted in the informa-
tion that as good stone could be fur
nished by Mankato Quarries for build
ing purposes as at Kasota or else
where, and that they could furnish all
the stone that is needed for building
purposes in Mankato this year.
Mr.. Hall thought possibly the
trouble had been that our quarrymen
had paid more attention to the large
contracts and not enough to the small
ones, and that the small ones, es-
pecially for building purposes, must
be of better grade Of stone.
Others thought the fault might
rest with one and some with
another, but the general sentiment
was that Mankato stone should be in
sisted upon, and that the best quality
would be forthcoming.
There was long discussion as to
what the union depot committee
should do at the coming conference,
and the matter was well gone over,
during which the fact was developed
that there is a very strong, in fact q
most unanimous sentiment in our city
that the time had come when some
thing should be done in this line.
Mr.. John A. Willard was requested
to meet with the committee at the
conference, if it would be possible for
him to do so.
Mr.. j. A. Willard called the atten-
tion of the board to the fact that
the city council had called a special
election to vote on the question of is
suing $4,000 in bonds for the purpose
of putting in an electric light plant
by the city. For one he would like to
know what he was voting on, and just
what was proposed to be done. He
did not believe the city could put in
such plant as it needs for $4,000. If
it could he should like to know some
thing about what it will be. If not
he would like to know what the de-
ficiehcy would be, and how it is to be
met. He believed the people wanted
To know, and it was but right that
they should, SO that they eah vote in
diligently upon the Subject. He
thought that a mistake had been
made by the council in buying steam
roller, Ia that they had purchased
something the city did not need, and
would have little or no use for it
through coming years. They should
mot make mistake in this matter.
He moved that committee consist
ing of President Shoemaker. Longini
and J. N. Hall be appointed to wait
upon the council and find out what it's
intentions are upon the subject, and
the motion was unanimously adopted
| What the people want, said Mr.. Will