St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-04-06
VOTED The MONEY.
The City Council Will Divert
Two Hundred Thousand
Dollars.
FOR THE RESERVOIR WORK.
The Aldermen Decide That
the Work Shall Be Done
by Contract.
GOOD NEWS FOR LABORERS.
None but Minneapolis Men OF
Families Need Apply for
/ Work.
GOOD NEWS FOR LABORERS

|
of success. In spite of the efforts of a
large contingent of aldermen to cut
down the appropriation for the work
to $4,000, the council last night voted
to divert the whole Of the 5000, 600 bond
issue authorized last fall to the COM
pletion Of the reservoir and the piping
from the reservoir to the waterworks.
The special committee of 13, ap-
pointed to consider the reservoir mat
ter, had to have another executive
meeting last night which delayed the
council meeting half an hour or more
The report, when presented, directed
the issue of bonds to be entirely used
| for construction of the reservoir, and
| also that the work be done by con-
| tract. The fight was close one on
| both matters, but especially SO on the
| contract labor clause. The matter of
the appropriate was made the first
order, and Aid. McAllister moved the
adoption of this portion of the report.
Aid. Harvey moved to amend by sub
stituting $4,000 for 100000, giving for
the reservoir, with the $75,0 900 already
on hand, $150,000 in funds.
City Engineer Cappelen was asked
to make a statement in this con-
nection, and said that the work they
had contemplated would require the
whole STE, 600. A vote was taken after
very brief discussion, and the Har-
vey amendment was lost by the vote
of 5 to 20. Aldermen Harvey, Colburn,
Nordeen, Hewett and Miner were then
directed to negotiate the sale of the
$1,000 Of bonds, the bids to be re-
ceiYed April 20.
The portion of the report directing
the manner in which the work is to
be done, was then taken up section
by section. The first section, which
provided for letting out the work and
the supply Of materials by contract,
was the bone of contention, and was
reserved to the last. A motion had
been sent in by Aid. Adams, as chair
man of the waterworks committee,
directing the clerk to advertise for
bids on materials and on work. This
motion was brought up, as con-.
venient basis for settlement, but 1t
hardly proved fair test, as several
aldermen opposed to contract labor
favored advertising for bids, in order
to see just what the work could be
done for, as Aid. Adams said, it was
an educational measure" The mo-
ton, which called for bids on valves,
castings, and other materials, and for
the construction of the reservoir and
the boulevard, was carried by the
following vote:
Yeas, Alderman Loye, Adams, FL
lott, Harvey, Rand, Nordeen, Hewett,
Miner Bradish, McAllister, Fort, Cur
:rier, and President Snyder, 13. 1'''
hl5arpoan Alexander Long
O'Brien, Jennings, Anderson, Colburn,
Rhode, Schwartz, Phillips, Skoog,
Drew, and Dickinson, IL.
Several of the aldermen took oc-
casion to explain their votes or to
ask questions during the roll-call
Aid. Loye wanted to know what Aid.
Rand contemplated by taking UP the
Adams motion; first. Don't you
understand the English language
answered Rand, didn't you hear the
motion?ns-
II Understand the alderman from
the Sixth" retorted the Fourth ward
sachem, land also some of his little
tricks" Alderman Jennings made
vehement speech against the contract
labor system, which was loudly ap-
plauded by the crowd of unemployed,
standing hopefully without the rail-
ing Aid. Rhode stated that he was
contractor himself, but he knew that
if the work was done at cost, it must
be done by day labor, and he also came
in for a choice bouquet of applause.
The question was raised whether the
city could enforce the provisions of
the committees report fixing mini
mum price to be paid by the contract
ors for their labor. City Attorney
Simpson said the provision might not
hold in law, but could be easily car
ried out, as the contract could be de-
clared void if violated. Aid Drew
said the law seemed from that to be a
broken reed in the hands of the city,
but a sword in the hands of the con-
tractor, and the only wise way seemed
to be to do away with contract labor
The second section of the supple
mentary report was then taken up,
providing that no laborer should be
paid less than Is cents per hour. Aid
Long tried to fix the minimum rate at
1715 cents, but the committees figures
were adopted. In like manner the sec
ond section, fixing 80 cents per hour
as the minimum wages for a team and
teamster, was adopted, after killing
an amendment offered by Aid.
Schwartz, to place it at 80 cents. The
report also provides that no man shall
be employed except residents of Min
neapolis for a year previous, and men
having families.
The same regulations will apply to
any part of the work done by the city
itself.
COTINCTIETTES
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