The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1897-09-23
an EXPLANATORY CARD.

great deal said recently relative TO the
purchase of the brewery property by
the Council. and it is meet and proper
that 1, as president of that body, should
explain to those who placed me In a
position to act as such, just what part
the Council has played.
Every member of this and the pre-
ceding Council knows full we'll that
they were not only encouraged but
urged by some of the best citizens In
town to purchase this property, not
necessarily for immediate, but for flu
ture use.
Until recently nothing could be done
with the holders of the property, but
having secured proposition from
them, the Mayor. on May 18th, called
a special meeting of the Council Ito
consider the proposition to purchase
the brewery property for city use. -
The meeting, with full attendance,
appointed committee and authorized
it to make the purchase. 1t was made
for $3.50 and a warrant for that sum
drawn which the Mayor, for reas ons
given the public, refused to sign.
The Council does not wish to force
any thing undesirable upon the people,
but they do feel that the Mayor should
have attended the meeting called for
determining on the purchase, and there
depressed his views instead of waiting
two months to do SO through the press.
They feel, too that the time is draw
ing nigh when they will have to have
some substantial arrangement for Sc
Touring water for parties with whom
they have contracts to supply. We
have five-year contracts with the Great
Northern and Northern Pacific roads
to supply their tanks at a fair remune-
ration Still, we have no contract
with the pumping powers.
1t is true, we get good service, but
no business man in tits town would
leave his individual interests so un-
guarded as this. J. w. WARD,
| President.
Sank Centre, Sept q.
The above explanatory letter by the pres:-
dent, speaking for the council, and presum-
ably by the book, is remarkable only from
| the fact that it fails to explain and is mis-
leading. Mr.. Ward is disingenuous. That
this and the preceding council were 'surged
by some of the best citizens in town to pur-
chase this property is not to the roint-af-
fords no justification for the action of the
council in assuming to depose the mayor.
The implied criticism of the mayors consis-
tency, in that he called the May 2oth meet
ing for the council falls empty when coupled
with the fact that the mayor called the meet
ing by request of members of the council, in
that perfunctory official way in which most
specials are called. The clerk brought to
the mayor the usual form of summons ad-
dressed to the members of the council for
his signature, and he signed them. There
was no reason why the mayor should have
been PRESENT. certainly never occurred to
him TO recommend such purchase, nor was
he consulted relative thereto. The plan of
purchase then decided upon, as shown by
the records, was wholly different from that
which is of the essence of the present differ
en- ween the mayor and the council.
The assumption that the mayor caused his
views to be given to the public through the
press is wholly unwarranted, when the war
rant for $3.50 was presented to the mayor
for his signature, he declined and in sens-
bic and courteous message to the council
gave his reasons therefor.
The HERALD saw fit to procure copy of
that message, of its own motion entirely,
and presented it as news item. Mr.. Town
send had nothing whatever to do with such
publication, did not request nor could he
have prevented it.
But 1t is in the last few lines of this letter
of Mr. Wards that he is frank, and tells by
plain implication, what the purpose of the
council is-It is not for park purposes that
the property is wanted-at least not primar-
lily, although that was the avowed purpose.
IL was W ClSSl anu CdulP d pumping Pldul
for the city water works, and inferentiallv
for the electric light WORKSHOP they are
closely allied. To carry out this scheme
would require an expenditure of how much?
Well, the HERALD believes it is within
bounds when it says it would require at least
$4,000 to supply adequate equipment for
that purpose
1t is true the city has no contract with the
'pumping powers''-the mill company 1t
| is equally true, and Mr.. Ward must have
| known it. that neither this nor the preceding
council ever asked for one. Several years
ago contract was drawn but never executed
because it was Objectionable to the 'sparty of
the second part''- Davidson. One day
this week Mr.. Ward did speak to Mr.. David
son about contract the first time the lat
ter has been approached upon the subject for
| a number of wears.