The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1897-07-03

cuRluccI, luc DOdAu VI puOA4N
works and the comptroller.
"Are these men afraid to come
to trial ?" said Cochrane. "The
report merely asks for a trial,
and l will use my best efforts
to see that it is fair one"
"This committee was organ
lied to get up justsuch a report,
said Sang. 1--WE expected it.
The man behind it is the man
who designed the waterworks
and the man appointed to act
with him on the expert CON-
mittee had concerted with him
to discredit the members of the
board. It was all done for a
sinister purpose
Cochrane retorted: "As near
as parliamentary language will
permit me, I want to say that
what that gentleman has said
is totally false"
And so the storm waged until
Crassweller began to pour oil on
the troubled waters. He said he
didn't think the committee was
Intentionally unfair, but it was
mistake to order these men up
here for a trial before giving
them a hearing. Cochrane off
cred to withdraw from the CON-
mittee in Crassweller's favor.
The latter would not have it
that way though, and after
some further sparring, in which
the previous antagonisms of the
members of the committee to
the board of public works was
exploited, the matter was tenn
porarily fixed up by adding
Dahl, Crassweller and Shannon
to the committee, and substitu-
ting Stevens for Jefferson who
could not be present atthe spec
ial meeting Friday night, at
which the committee will further
report.
WATER PURCHASE DISCUSSION.
Early in the evening a CON-
munication was read from Mr..
Gay renewing his offer to sell
the gas and water plants to the
city at the old price 81, ,695,OOO.
The discussion began when Mr..
A. NJ. Miller later was given the
floor, ,as Alderman Jefferson put
it, "to speak on diverse and diff
ferent matters.'' Mr.. Miller
came right to the point. "This
company was a scheme, born in
iniquity for the purpose of un-
loading this plant on the city,
An election for that purpose
was called before the plant had
been rebuilt. The city could
afford to be liberal, but there
was a limit; he did not believe
in throwingin million dollars.
The Keating valuation was it.
self an overestimate, some of
it nearly double what it should
be. The speaker compared the
prices of iron when that esti-
mate was made and now; rock
work, he said was figured at
S., it was now only worth half
that. Another estimate figured
the cost of the reduplication at
81 ,114,OOO. "To think that any
one would have. the audacity,
the cheek, the gall, to tell the
council we ought to pay 81, $685.
900 in order to keep our credit
good" Again he said, doubt
if there is one agreement in
that charter that the company
has kept; until recently the city
has done everything it agreed
to do. The company has killed
our people, it has never given
us wholesome water. 1t has
been paying interest on $2,0OO,-
900. Who has? The people of
Duluth. He concluded by ex-
horting the company to follow
the example which other busi-
ness men have to, and since it,
made a bad bargain, stand the
consequences.
After the pump house was
out of the way, Mr.. Gay was
given the floor He was at a
disadvantage. Magnetic con-
ditions in the room were hostile
end he seemed to feel it. He
characterized Mr.. Miller's re-
marks as unfair, prejudiced;
the company's plant cost up
wards of $2,20O,0OO; the origi-
nal pipe cost $54 per ton; pipes
are in excellent condition and
experience shows that iron
pipe have been dug up after
100 years and found in perfect
condition. He belittled Pat
tons estimate; said the supple
mentary plant would cost much