The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-05-02
MEMBERS THINK FILTRATION
SCHEME Is BEHIND IT,
WHY THE BOARD WILL NOT
MAKE BELT CONTRACT.
Civ Counselor Schumacher Al.
viscS the commissioners That
the Ordinance Is Valid.

The Board Of Public improvements met
in regular session yesterday morning. and
| after transacting routine business went in
To committee Of the whole to consider the
| CITY ordinance directing the Board Of Pub
lie improvements 90 authorize Fred Il. Belt
Z" place and maintain waste boxes on the
| streets without expense 20 the city.
The board also considered the alternative
| writ Of the Supreme Court directing Presi-
| dent Robert Z. McMath and Commission
era Charles Narrelnann. Edward Flad.
| Henry Alt. Franklin l. RidSely. Edward
Hermann aud Secretary Emory s. Foster
to proceed To execute the contract with Mr..
Belt or else apuear in court OF May S and
show cause why they should not do 50.
CITY Counselor schumacher was pres
en:. and reiterated his opinion that the
ordinance as passed by the Municipal As
sembIy is a valid one. ard suggested TO the
member OF the board that they secure the
services of one or more competent attor-
news tn argue the points involved.
Il will be present To represent the May
or said MIR. Schnurmacher land | will
represent this board il you So desire. But
| tell You in advance that. in my opinion.
tn. ordinance directing you To proceed to
execute n contract with Mr.. Belt ia a valid
one for the reason that il is not a contract
for public work involving the disbursement
of city funds and is. therefore. not in con-
fict with the City Charter. which provides
hat all ordinances for public work to be
paid for by the city must originate with
the Board ~ Public improvements"
Mr.. F1ad asked the City Counselor If. in
his opinion, the Municipal Assembly nigh;
pass a bill directing the Eoard Of Public
improvements to execute n contract with
Whenever the assembly might see fit to
specify for the erection and maintenance
of a city filtration plant.
That question l would not like t. answer
without preparation said Mr.. Schnur-
maCher.
The Belt ordinance was approved March
10. and on the following day was sent tn
the Board of Public improvements. That
body, contendinS that the ordinance is in
valid. because il did not originate with the
Board of Public improvements, ignored the
bill.
On April 3 II was referred to the Commit
tee on Street Department. of which Charles
Narrelmdnn Is chairman. That committee
returned the ordinance to the board ON
April 10 with the recommendation that IL
be referred TO the committee of the whole.
ON APRIL - Belt addressed a letter to the
BoarG of Public improvements. in which
ne Threatened to go ahead and execute his
agreement with the city under the ordi-
nance without authorization from the
board unless il should. within five days.
execute the contract and designate the
places at which the waste boxes should be
located. The next step in the matter was
Mr.. Belts application TO the Supreme
Court for an alternative writ.
The members of the Board Of Public I'm
movements have stated several times that
they do not object TO the Belt ordinance
as an ordinance. bot believe that II is
merely a wedge by means Of which the
Nuricipal Assembly hopes to force the
board a. execute a contract for a filtration
plant with the assembly may
designate. The contention Of the board, in
:: nutshell. IL simply this: That the Mu-
nicipal Assembly has no right to direct the
Board of Public improvements to execute
any contract for public work with a GER
tain man or corporation for "A certain price.
on this point will be based the
of the board before the Supreme Court and
the contest on the Belt ordinance as il now
stands.
Previous 10 going into committee of the
whole, the Board of Public improvements
approved a permit for the paving of Nor
gan street from Grand avenue to Theresa
avenue with Green River, Kentucky, rock
asnhalt. the work to he done at tho ex-
pense of the applicant property owners. un-
der the supervision of the Board of Public
improvements
The board voted to receive. bids on May