The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-07
ASSEMBLY HOLDS OUT
TWO CHAMBERS OF THE COUNCIL
DISAGREE ON THE POLICE
AI.ARM CONTRACT
THAT NEW HAMLINE ROUTE

1t, Too, Is Not Entirely Satisfactory
to the Assembly, Which Suggests
Some Changes-Seventh Street
Paving Is Ordered to Appease
DaytOn's Bluff Residents - New
Market Site COMMITTEES,
The assembly at It's meeting last night
refused to concur with the action of the
board of aldermen in accepting the bid
or the Auto-Electric company to furnish
new police alarm system for SOS, 97O
The vote to accept the bid was lost by
one vote. the roll call showing five in
favor and four against. The vote was
then reconsidered and the bids referred
to the committee on police.
When the report of the committee rec
ommending the acceptance of the Auto
Electric company's bid had been read
Mr.. Kirke moved that the action of the
board of aldermen be concurred in.
Mr.. Benson opposed this action, and
made long talk for the Gamewell sys-
tenn. The bid Of this company, he said,
was $23,S75, and it offered $500 for the
present plant, while the bid of the Auto
Electric company was $29, O0O with moth
ing offered for the present plant. The
Gamewell company, he said, has systems
in over 100 cities, while the Electric
company could show but two cities where
its system was in operation. He moved
as substitute that a committee, consist
ing of Supt. King, Of the police alarm;
Supt Carey, of the fire alarm, and Chief
Goss, be named to draw up specifications,
and that when these were prepared the
city clerk be directed to readvertise for
bids. Mr.. Craig seconded the motion.
Mr.. Albrecht said the present system
was a disgrace, but he saw no chance to
purchase a new one. The charter pro-
vided that all contracts should be let to
the lowest responsible bidder. The board
of aldermen had awarded the contract to
the highest bidder The purchase meant
an additional burden of one-Quarter of a
mill to the tax payers, and the matter
had not received proper consideration
There was not sufficient money in the
police fund to pay for the purchase, and
the charter expressly provided that no
contract should be signed until there was
money in the fund to pay for the same.
Mr.. Thompson favored the acceptance
of the bid of the Auto Electric company,
giving as his reason that the city was
entitled to have the best system and one
which would allow the police department
to transact its business properly.
A communication was read from Presi-
dent Hiss, of the Auto Electric company,
stating that the company would accept
contract providing for the payment at
any time when the city was ready.
A communication from the Municipal
Police Signal company, of Chicago, was
read, which pointed out the defects of
the other two systems, as shown to the
committee, and advised the selection of
the system shown by that company and
the saving of $4,000, as the bid of the
company was S12 $50.
Mr. Kirke said he was satisfied that the
money for the new system could be paid
out of the general fund, as it was a per-
manent Improvement. In case this was
not possible, the new system would not
be Installed before Jan. 1, and then the
amount could be placed in the budget
On the roll call Messrs. Denny, Kirke,
Nelson, Thompson and Warner voted for
the acceptance of the Auto-Electric COM
pany's bid, and Messrs. Albrecht,. Ben
son, Craig and Dix voted against it. AS
1t required a two-third vote President
Dix declared the motion lost. The vote
was then reconsidered and the bids re-
ferred back to the committee on police
for further consideration.
|. The ordinance passed by the board of
aldermen, authorizing a change in the
route of the Hamline street car line, was
sent to the committee on streets, As
semblyman Warner stating that Presi-
dent Wheelock, of the park board, feared
that the turning of the proposed new line
at Como avenue and Blair street would
spoil the driveway on Como avenue to
the park An effort will be made in the
committee to have the route changed
so to run the cars on Como avenue
to Edmund street, on Edmund street to
Western avenue, and on Western avenue
to Blair street.
A resolution by Mr.. Kirlze requesting
the street railway company to operate the
large cars on the Selby avenue line was
adopted by a unanimous vote.
The resolution from the committee on
ways and means directing the corporation
attorney to investigate the transaction
by which the comptroller purchased bonds
for the water board sinking fund, and
then drew warrant on the city treasury
without the authority of the council, was
adopted.
The resolution resembling one passed.
in which the corporation attorney was
directed to bring suit against the bonds
men of the West side bank, was referred
to the committee on ways and means.
The assembly cOncurred in the action of
the aldermen in passing the resolution di-
recting the board of public works to ad-
vertise for bids for the paving of the
strip on East Seventh street used by the
street car company between Hope street
and the Great Northern railway bridge
The resolution discharging the special
joint committee on market sites appoint
ed some months ago and appointing
new one consisting of Aid. Blomquist
Bell and Reeves and Assem- blymen Craig
Dix and Benson was adopted by vote
of to q Messrs Dix and Nelson oppos-
ing it.
The appointment Of Frank O. Noreen
as a patrolman vice George Squires was
confirmed.
The application of the Northwestern
Telephone company to erect poles and
string wires on certain streets
was referred to the comnskttee on
streets. Superintendent Wainman, in
a letter which accompanied the
application, stated that it was the inten-
ton to center all the long distance lines in
the Twin Cities at Selby and Prior ave-
nues, at which point SIS, 900 building was
to be erected by the company.
An ordinance was passed under sus-
pension of the rules allowing bicycles to
be ridden on the sidewalk on the south
side of Acker street between Mississippi
and Jackson streets.
The ordinance extending the pound
limits so as to take in the district bound
ed by Dale and Minnehaha, streets and
Marshall and Lexington avenues was
passed.
The resolution directing tho hoard oF