The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1897-08-28

now the CITY mas the moor duC
should take a stand accordingly
Mr.. Crassweller reviewed the diff
terent projects for buying the
water plant that have been
sprung since the agitation first
began, and discussed the numer-
Gus comittees that had been ap-
pointed. He had reports before
him and read them to the coun-
Gil, telling of the results, and
proved that the committees had
availed nothing up to the pres
ent time, and he believed they
never would. The speaker did
not hide the fact that he believed
the water company had been
doing missionary work among
the aldermen. He said the sub
tie influence of the company
about the council had been no.
ticeable for a long time. Efforts
had been made, coming from the
company, to get both himself
and Alderman Row1ey to intro
duce this resolution; then they
wanted him to introduce any
resolution on the subject. The
next week the resolution was in
the hands of the aldermen from
the sixth ward; then it turned;
up in the hands of the member
from the eighth, and here it has.
got around to the hands of my
colleague from the first. This
motion to appoint a committee.
he said, was a feather bed for.
weakened aldermen to fall on,
something with which they can
excuse themselves to their con-
stituents. He showed the futility
as we'll as the lack of necessity
for the appointment of any more,
committees, and concluded by
saying that if the water com
pany wanted to do business
with the city, let it come on to.
the council floor and make a fair.
business proposition. Through
out his address Mr.. Crasswellef
was loudly applauded by the
assembled audience despite nu-
merous efforts to suppress all
such demonstrations.
Alderman Hale made a char
acteristic speech in reply, the
burden of which was that a com
mittee of citizens could do a
good deal better with the water
company than the council.
President Cochrane agreed
with Crasswel1er, but said he
favored Hale's motion because
mo city council that he had ever
seen was fit to be trusted with
the city's business"
Sang favored the appointment
of the committee, and Simpson
got in the star shot of the ses-
sion when he blurted out in his
peculiar style:
~ presume the committee will
find the report already prepared
for them in the company's
Office"
The moon turned to blood.
= Cochrane retorted: "Any man
that was mean enough to make
that remark was not ht to sit in
this council" "
1t never phased him, for Simp-
son came back with the inter-
rogatory, "What about the man
who will sit in: this council and
serve tie gas and water COM
pany?"
During the discussion Simpson
had moved an amendment that
the gas and water company be
asked to file with their PROPOSE
tion a sworn statement as to
the extent and condition of their
plant and it's business. The
amendment was renewed, after
being modified on suggestion of
Alderman Cochrane, to exclude
any reference to previous propo-
sitions from the company. It
was carried by a vote Of II to 8.
The resolution provided for a
commission of eight to- be Sc
lected by Aldermen Crassweller,
Burg and Stevens. All three of
these gentlemen declined to act
on the committee, and just as
the clerk called the first name on
the roll, Cochrane moved to lay
on the table, assigning as his
reason that he had become con-
yinced that. on account of it's