The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1896-05-15
BOARD OF TRADE.
TWO IMPORTANT MATTERS con-
SIDERED TO-DAY.
The Board Will Try to Act as rledi-
ator Between the City Council and
Local Lighting Company--A Com
mittee Appointed for the Purposes
Opening of Hickory Street to the
Union Depot is to be Asked For.

| L ucSudy, duu SCNCldl I'LL pOI UdhU
matters were considered.
A communication was received from
the Mosher Music Co.. of Tracy and
Webster City, Iowa, stating that it
desires a location in Minnesota and
asking as to the prospect for organ
izing a company here for the manu-
facture of pianos and organs.
| Geo. T.. Barr said that last winter
while on train he met a man who
spoke to him about an improvement
in organs which he had, and asking
as to any wood work machinery owner
IN Mankato who might be interested
in the matter. Mr.. Barr had given
him M. o. Sundt's address.
The matter was. referred to Secre-
tary Chapman to investigate.
The proposed removal of the Mil
waukee depot from it's present loca-
tion came up, and the opinion was
expressed that the road would not
move the depot out of the street.
NJ. B. Haynes took the ground that it
was desirable that it be moved, in
order to give an entrance to the
union depot, as the thirty foot alley
by the city hall is,the only other way
from that direction, and that ends at
the Milwaukee track. With Hickory
opened, Pike can be used to Walnut.
He held that the board ought to do
something to get the road to move
the depot. On his motion, the
matter was referred to the railroad
committee.
The delay in work was talked of.
Jno. @. Noe answered several ques-
tions in regard to it, saying that the
requirement of title by purchase
could not have proceeded faster, and
in this statement Jno. n. Hall bore
him out. Mr.. Noe said that an ar
rangement had been made with the
Mather estate whereby the road
could enter upon it in few days.
The price had been agreed upon, but
objection had been made to allowing
the road to enter upon the ground
before the deeds had been passed.
1t would take four weeks to get the
deed from the Otter Tail county
probate court. This is the principal
unsecured tract between the old ball
ground and the Blue Earth river.
The plans for the new union depot
are completed, and the depot will be
a fine one.
| Jno. A. Willard brought up the
lighting question and characterized
the action of the council at the last
meeting in voting to put in acity
plant as unwise and the most insane
idea conceived of. He said that if the
city could sell the bonds it would not
have h alf the money required, and
the city is way behind in it's finances.
If plant were put in by the city, in
five years it would be out of date and
would not be worth running and new
machinery would have to be purchas-
ed to take it's place. He preferred
letting a company take this risk. The
city can never light the streets
anywhere near as cheaply as a pri-
vate company can. The proposition
madeby the local company is good
one, and in the face of such an offer it
would be the greatest misfortune for
the city to put in such plant, which
would be failure and costly one.
The company cannot afford to lower
the price of commercial lighting and
gas unless it has the city lighting con-
tract. Were the city to put in a
plant, any prospect of reduction to
private consumers would disappear.
W. M. Farr said that if the city
were to build plant, the private con-
sumers of electric lights and gas
would be left at the mercy of the COM
pany.
M. G. Willard did not think that
the council was taking care Of the in
terests of the public. 1t did not make
any difference on what issue the al
dermen were elected, men change
their opinions and should do so when
they get new understanding on ques-
tions.
| DR.. Andrews was called upon to
tell what negotiations athe council
had had with the local company in
regard to gas rates. He said that the
lighting committee had proposed a
meeting with the company, but ow-
| ing to the absence of Mr.. Hubbard
the others would not make any pro-
misses, and no meeting was held pre-
vious to the last council meeting. At
that meeting the committee reported
unfavorably on the compapy's PROPOSE
tion, and the speaker had moved to
accept this report and that the city
proceed to put in plant OF its own.
He had done this to bring the matter
to an issue, for the matter has been
talked of for two or three years and