The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-17
Hi CALLS IT A Wind AFFAIR
AID. KENNY'S CRITICISM OF AN
ORDINANCE REGARDING RAN
DOLPH STREET LINE
Bell Still Urging the Expenditure of
100000 for a New Police Alarm
Eighth Ward Citizens Who
Claim to Have Been Deceived.

$50, 900 for New Police Alarm
Eighth Ward Citizens Who
Claim to Have Been Deceived.
The aldermanic committee on streets
took up the police alarm question again
yesterday afternoon. Aid. Bell presented
specifications which he said had been
drawn by a gentleman qualified to do
so. They were similar to the ones pre-
pared by City Engineer Claussen, Supt.
King and Electrical Inspector Varnum,
except that the the work Of installing
the plant was to be done by the contract
or instead Of the city.
Aid. Kenny declared that there was
nothing the matter with the present sys-
tenn, and as an alderman and also a tax
payer he objected to the spending of $780,
900. All that was needed was a compe-
tent man to handle the system.
e. B. Birge, former superintendent of
the police alarm system, informed the
committee that for 5000 and the appoint
ment as superintendent he would put the
present plant in condition and guarantee
1t for ten years.
Electrical Inspector Varnum took an
opposite view. saying new boxes were
needed and advised that it would not
pay the city to put much money in re-
up at meeting of the committee Mon
day evening.
A delegation was present from the
Eighth ward to discuss the fast interur-
ban line ordinance Aid Bantz wanted
the ordinance taken up, saying the dele
cation from the Eighth ward had made
three trips and each time the measure
had been postponed. Aid. Sanborn was
of the opinion that the committee had
q nd
would be waste Of time to hear the
delegation further. Arthur Gaines said
the Eighth Ward Citizens union had Sc
cured evidence that the signatures to the
petitions presented by the street car COM
pany favoring the ordinance had been
secured under false pretenses. He pre-
scented aff1davits from P M McGrath, J.
B. Kohler and J. H. Downs stating that
when they signed the petition it was rep
resented to them that it was in opposi-
ton to the fast line.
G. H. Becker said, while the company
had claimed the business men were in
favor Of the ordinance and a fast line, he
had been unable to find this to be the
case. The ordinance was laid over I'M
til the next meeting of the committee
The ordinance directing the street rail-
way company to construct and operate
line on Randolph street, from Seventh
street to Hamline avenue, was brought up.
Aid. Kenny said the ordinance was q
wind affair, and when the council had
the chance to compel the company to OPP
crate line on the street 1t refused to
act. Now that the tracks had been re-
moved. an ordinance was brought in to
compel it to build and operate a line.
The committee recommended that the
$50 sent by the Commercial club to Mayor
kiefer for the purpose of securing the
city a membership in the League of
American Municipalities be returned with
thanks. This was adopted by a vote Of
4 to 8. Messrs. Kenny. Murphy Blom.
quist and Sanborn voting for It, and
Messrs. Bell Shepard and Reeves against
1t. The resolution ordering the city
comptroller to draw warrant for $50.
with which to pay for a mmbership in
the league. was laid over for two weeks
by the same vote.