The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-09
That EXPO. DEAL
CITY COUNCIL PROPOSES TO AGAIN
HAVE A FINGER In THE
PIE.
SUITS WILL BE BEGUN
TO TEST TITLE TO THE SITE IF
COMMITTEES RECOMMENDS
TTONS ARE APPROVED,
TELEPHONE
COMPANY
NEW
Wants to Spend a HaIf-MiIIion in
the Twin Cities-FTood Steadily
Decreasing.

The special council meeting on ex-
position consisting Of the committee
on ways and means and an alderman
from each ward, will recommend at the
council meeting tonight that steps be
/ commenced Immediately to determine
| once and for all time the ownership
/ of the exposition property.
This action was reached at a, meet
| ing of the committee, held yesterday
4 afternoon, when City Attorney Healey
was instructed to commence action at
once against the present owners Of the
property, Messrs. Janney and Nelson,
ct al. to decide whether or not they
or the city Of Minneapolis should ex-
ercise proprietary rights over the prop
erty. In plain words the city will seek
to Dust the men VINO have set them
selves up as owners from the premises.
Il believe" said City Attorney Hea-
ley, that the courts will decide that
the city owns the property on which
the exposition building stands, at least
Of course, there will be rather a nice
question to decide, but 1T seems to me
that the alleged owners have practical
ly admitted the city's ownership, and
the chances were that, II inlmedia e
steps were not taken, the future CT
| the new city hall would be lost sight or
altogether.
The committee ON ways and means
deferred action upon the communic;-
ton from Expert Accountant Nimocks.
calling attention to a discrepancy ex-
listing between the books of the city
and county treasurers and stating that
there was considerable money due the
city from the county. Mr. Nimocks
also suggested that the affairs of de-
funct banks in which city money was
deposited be Investigated and that
the books Of the late city treasurer
be carefully gone over up to the time
of Mr.. Hulbert's accession to office
Mr.. Nimocks modestly offered TO do
the work within a weeks time
No definite action was taken with
regard to a communication from City
Treasurer Hubert asking for advice
as to the proper manner in which to
apportion among the different funds
the &c., 900 which he received from Mr.
Haugan, and other amounts which he
! is constantly receiving from other
sources. 1t is probably however, that
Of Comptroller Nye and recommend
that the different amounts be appoI-
toned among the library, sinking and
| interest funds, to which 1t is claimed
they rightfully belong
A new telephone company put in d
bid for recognition at the meeting of
the telephone committee A Mr.. Ha-
zen, representing the Mississippi Val
! ley Telephone company, with head
quarters at KeOkuk, To-, addressed the
committee in behalf of his concern
and advanced arguments showing why
it was entitled to recognition, and even
to franchise In the local field.
In the first place he said that 1t
would give to the people of Mime
apOls a much cheaper rate of tele-
phone service than was at present at
forded by the company now in the
field The rate for a business tele-
phone one and half miles from the
central Office would be $48 per year
and the rate for a residence telephone
for the same distance would be but
$50 per year, a little over half as much
! as was being paid for the same privi-
leges at present. For a half mile or
fraction of a mile beyond the distance
designated the rate would be but 25
| cents.
He made the assertion that the enor-
nous rate charged was the only rea-
son why Inere was so Few residence
telephones in Minneapolis In Sioux
City, a much smaller city, where his
company had a franchise. there were
| three times as many residence tele-
phones in service as in MINNEAPOLIS.
If the company secured a franchise.
100000 would be spent in Minneapolis
and about 100000 in the Twin Cities
The same number Of free phones
would be given and for the others but
half the rate now paid would be ex-
acted The low rate would be perma-
| nently fixed and never exceeded The
company would give any reasonab bic
bond for the faithful performance OF
whatever contract might be entered
into and would agree to commence
work on it's plant within ten DAYS after
notification of the granting of fran
chise.
No action was taken on this latest
proposition or on the proposed ordt-
nance granting a franchise to the
Western Telephone Construction com
pany. 1t is understood that a third
company is in the field, and each of
them will propably ask for a separate
ordinance at the council meeting to-
night.