The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-28
- LOBt'S MINNEAPOLIS OFFICE,
u 81 WASHINGTON Az SOUTH.
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Tel. 279O il.

The Minneapolis city council last even
ing adopted report presented by the
ways and means committee, which, IN
effect, is censure of City Treasurer
Hubert. Several years ago the council
decided that it was not a good thing for
the city to be in the business Of loaning
money and passed an ordinance putting
a ban on this practice Of past city treas
urers. The rule has held good up to Au-
gust of this year, when City Treasurer
Hubert under pressure from the poaru
of education Of which board he IS also
treasurer loaned that body 100000, the
same to be paid June 80 of next year
with interest at the rate of per cent
per annum.
This proceeding on the part Of the city
treasurer came to the knowledge of the
city fathers a few days ago. Yesterday
the committee on ways and means dis
cussed the matter at considerable length,
and, after a conference with the city at
torney, prepared the report which the
council adopted, as follows:
After careful consideration and con-
sultation with the city attorney. your
committee is Of the opinion that. while
sition for the city, your committee is sat
isfed that there is no legal authority
or warrant for such a transaction, and
that the city treasurer. in making such
loan. acted upon his own responsibility,
and that he and his bondsmen will be
held responsible for the results of said
loan.
City Treasurer Hubert, it is stated,
first loaned S25,000 to the board. This was
in August Of this year, when the board
was particularly hard up. He took a
note for the same, due in thirty days.
The city attorney was away at the time.
When he returned Mr.. Hubert told him
of the facts and asked his opinion on the
legality Of the procedure. Mr.. Healy
told him frankly that he had gone too
far and that he acting beyond the
law in loaning money.
Mr.. Hubert, It is said, replied that the
school board had applied for 900 more
and that he believed that deaSite what
the city attorney said, he would Nive it
to them. 1t was too good a business
chance for the city to be lost The
money was just as safe with the board
as it was In the banks and the one trans
action would alone pay his salary for a
whole year. While it was nothing to
him in any way, he believed that, acting
for the interests of the city, he ought to
make the loan.
There was no debate upon the matter
last night, the report being adopted with
out comment.
A petition was presented asking that
the city buy the exposition property. The
petition embodying that proposition is
signed by some 125 or 1870 of the leading
business men. 1t recites the various pro-
ceedings leading up to the present sit
uation, seys that the claims of T. B.
Janney and the others holding the title
to the property against the stockholders
amount to about 100000, principal and
interest and declares that the above
owners are willing to sell for that
amount The petition was referred with
cut comment.
proposed amendment to that section
of the underground wire ordinance which
required the. removal of all overhead
wires poles, brackets and other fixtures
on or before Dec. l. 1903, under penalty
of a forfeiture of the same to the city,
was discussed and adopted after being
further amended by striking out the for
feiture clause.