The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-08-13

ing of the council last night, includ-
ing representatives of the two cleo
trio light companies which had bid
on the city lighting.
All of the aldermen answered to
the roll call, and Mayor Pfau announc-
ed that the lighting question would
be taken up first.
The members of the lighting COM
mittee announced'th they had held
no meeting to consider the bids, and
that they had never received the bids
from the city recorder. This was
surprise, as the bids had been srefer-
red to the committee Saturday night.
Aid. Bradley moved that the bids
be placed in the hands of the commit
tee, to report during the meeting.
and this was carried.
A recess was taken to allow the
committee to get together.
When the committee returned, AID.
Peterson reported that it was not
ready to report and asked for further
time.
Aid. Bradley said that the commit
tee did not agree and that the chair
man refused to make report unless
it was unanimous. He therefore pre-
sented minority report recommend
ing that the old company be awarded
the contract.
Aid. Peterson said that he and Aid.
Zimmerman thought that it was an
important matter and that they had
not looked into it long enough. Things
have been cut off short too many
times in the council.
Aid. Bradley said that there were
people present awaiting the action of
the council, and that it should do
something. The committee refused
to report, and he felt that the coun-
Gil should take hold of the question
and settle it.. The delay seemed to
be without cause.
Aid. Zimmerman said that he be-
lieved that the only right thing to dc
is to put in municipal plant, but it
did not look as though the present
council favored that, so the question
came to contract. He had never
yet voted to award acontract to the
highest bidder. Unless there was
some offsetting advantage offered by
the highest bidder, the contract
should 90 to the lowest.
Aid. 81 Peterson said that Aid.
Bradley, chairman of the printing
committee, had time and again asked
for further time to report, and he had
never accused him Of refusing to
report. If the home company had
been the lowest bidder he would not
have hesitated moment to vote to
award it the contract.
Aid. Fowler said that he would like
to know something about the new
company. There was nothing to show
that the Independent Electric Co. is
a bonai fide company. He had not
made up his mind how to vote, and
would like to hear from the represen-
tatives of the companies present.
Aids. Zimmerman said that the
alderman ihad better find out who
owns the stock of the old company.
Aid. Fowler said that everybody
knows who the old company is.
An application for liquor license
was received from Richard Peterson,
and Sept. 4th was set as the day for a
hearing.
The liquor license committee re-
ported favorably upon the application
of Henry Zimmerman Jr. for liquor
license. The application and the
bond, with H.R. Weicking and Henry
Zimmerman Sr. as sureties, was ap-
proved.
The resolution of the board of trade
requesting the council to award the
lighting contract to the old company
was read and ordered placed on file.
Aid. Fowler said that the council
has nothing to do with regulating the
price of commercial lighting. A dol
lar or two on street lighting mattered
little to:the 'city. But the price of
com mercial lighting was important.
He movedithat the lighting commit
tee ascertaini what can be done in the
way of getting lcheaper commercial
lighting.
Aid. Himmelmani said that when
the city advertised for sprinkling bids
the council ibid not 60 around to see
about sprinkling somebody's lawn.
When the sprinkling was first done,
the price was q to 80 cents 100 feet,
but now that there is competition the
price has dropped to Is cents. The
council ought not to 60 around in
curing the price of tea and coffee.
Aid. Peterson suggested that the
committee also ascertain the price Of
gasoline street lighting. This is