The labor world., 1897-12-25
ALDERMANIC HUM0R
Jefferson and Mayor TrueIsen
Express Their Admiration
of Each Other.
mavor Authorized to Bid For
Water Plant at DoIin-
quent Tax Sale.

Vice President Rowley called the
council to order in the absence of the
president, but the absentees coming in
later, there was full house. The first
business was the adoption of resolutions
on the death of DR.. Salter. After dis
posing of numerous routine matters the
aldermen INDUCED in heated contro-
versy over the report of the special COM
mittee to adjust the differences between
the water and light and the general
funds The committee found that the
water and light fund had been charged
up with number of items that prop.
erly belonged to the general fund, the
ono most talked about being the salaries
of the city engineer and his assistant,
and it recommended that the amount to
be transferred to the general fund from
the water fund ne reduced by $5,508.
Richardson took issue with Simpson,
who made the report, and wanted to
know how the committee arrived at
these figures. His report, he said, was
correct; aldermen were trying to make
people believe that the the supple
mentary systemlwould be built inside
the estimate. sssIt couldn't be done; and
he moved to substitute the figures Of the
finance committee. i
Jefferson replied that some of the al
dermen were doing all in their power to
make the supplementary plant exceed
the estimate. Simpson said the city
attorney recommended the changes.
Hale said he could not vote for Rich
ardson's amendment if the city attorney
had recommended the change; he
thought the time of the city engineer
had been taken up with building the
plant and the general fund, having been
charged with his salary, should be reim-
bursed. Il
Simpson said city council had spent
two thirds it's time wrangling over water
works; why not charge the water works
fund with the salaries Of the aldermen?
Richardson asked city attorney how
about it? The latter replied that he had
so recommended; and then the resolu-
ton was tabled for a week.
An ordinance was introduced by Hale
authorizing the mayor to bid $500, 600
for the property of the Duluth gas and
water company at it's sale for delinquent
taxes, and making the nesessary appro-
priation therefor. :,
Alderman Fischer at this point set
things afire by introducing resolution
to pay the bills of the special policemen
for November, amounting to S165.
Jefferson attacked the resolution. The
mayor was supposed to know the law as
we'll as the council; he had violated both
the law and the charter; the latter pro-
vides that he cannot keep such an Off
cor on more than six days without
reporting to the council; the mayor,
however, had kept one man on seven
days and another 80. The mayor must
have thought himself back in his be-
loved fatherland where the law is made
for the common people ouly and those
who execute it consider themselves
above it. "His trip to Chicago has evi-
IDENTIFY swelled his head as we'll as his
stomach" It was time call him down.
Sang moved that the bill be allowed,
but that no man be paid for more than
six days. Jefferson seconded the motion.
The mayor was given an inning. He
said spiritedly: II explained this matter
before; as for this talk of Alderman
Jefferson, he likes to hear himself talk"
He defended both the appointment of
these specials and his trip to Chicago.
He said he didn't want to be insulted.
1t wasn't necessary for the alderman to
| remind him of the law, 'for I have for
gotten more law than he ever knew.
ThisIwater works question is going to be
settled. The people are not all fools"
Sang said he wasn't making any fight
on the mayor, but he thought when
man was put on for special purpose as
in this case, one OF the regular force
should have been laid off.
! Jefferson said he had been told that if
he had kept his mouth shut tese men
might have stayed on all wintt. -.
Crassweller sided with the mayor and
said none of this fuss would ever have
been made were it not that an election
is approaching. Dahl said two members
of tho police committee had been con-
suited, and Stevens said that the mayor
ought to be allowed to ride over the
charter for SO good purpose as closing
up the gambling. houses. Duren moved
to refer to the city attorney. Sang said
there was no necessity; the mayor ad-