The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-17
MAY BE NO PAVING
BOARD OF ALDERMEN LAID DOWN
THE LAW LAST
NIGHT
INSIST ON INDEMNITY CLAUSE
1t Remains for the Board of Public
Works to Say What
Course Shall Be
Adopted.

| fit to work in harmony with the poafu OIL
aldermen ana the assembly to the extent
of Incorporating in all Of It's paving con-
tracts the indemnity resolution paSSeti oS
| the two bodies, there Will be no more
paving in st. Paul, for this year at least.
The board of aldermen gave supstan-
tial evidence of this fact last night, when
it refused to sanction the immediate pass
age Of the final orders and awards for as
phalt and brick paving resulting from
| the war between the paving companies.
The streets affected are the following:
Paving with asphalt, Jackson street;
! engineers estimate, $500; Barber conf
pany, Sc, 1851.
Paving with brick Decatur; engineer s
estimate $11, 439; Barber company, $1'Sie..
Paving Minnesota street with asphalt;
engineers estimate, $1,000; Barber COM
Pa Paving Central Park place with as
/ phaIt; engineers estimate, S6,6l5; Conway
company, $4574.5O.
Paving Western avenue with asphalt,
engineers estimate, S43,2S7; Conway COM
pany, $2s,900
MANY TACTICS EMPLOYED.
s.HorsepIay', Invecttves and ugly insin-
uations characterized the meeting, but
through it all the opposing element was
solid and won out in a manner that lett
little room for doubt as to their future
attitude. Aid Dobner was instrumental
in defeating the immediate approval Of
| the bids, and in each vote taken he was
solidly supported by President Huber and
| Aid. Moriarty and Dahlquist- They con-
stituted the necessary two-thirds major
ity for the legal approval Of the BIDS and
! though an avalanche of invectiyes and m
situations were hurled against them, re-
fused to bulge from their position
The first of the awards to come UP Tor
| consider alton was the paving of Jackson
street, from Ninth to Eleventh, the hnitl
order presented from the board of public
works naming the Barber Asphalt COM
pany as the successful bidder.
It's reading brought Aid. Dobner to MS
feet and he asked to be Informed If the
specifications on which the company
bid was made, conformed with the IN
demnity resolution passed by the Two
bodies of the council. 4-.a
C,itv Engineer Claussen replied that it
was not but added, that they had been
drawn I'D before the resolution was gwen
passage
To this Mr. Dobner replied In caustlc
language remarking that if the city
council was on earth only to DOW to the
board Of public works it had better re-
sign. The resolution, he held, was
binding one, and what was more, 1t
was a measure that favored the tax
payers.
eve must insist on the observance or
that resolution" said Mr.. Dobner, ana
for that reason I move the rejection OF
the award"
Aid Knauft got in ahead with a me-'
ton to approve the award, but he was
forced to acknowledge his motion lost
when the clerk announced the votes to-
4. 1t lacked the necessary two-thirds
majority where money is to be expended.
Hoping for a change of heart Aid.
Knauft secured a reconsideration of the
vote, but an attempt to force immediate
consideration of the awards was useless,
and instead the matter was laid over to-
be Refreshed at a future meeting
Aid. Hunt, heretofore silent quantity,
became active, and on an opinion from
Assistant Corporation Attorney Griggs
proceeded to score the opposition for
what he considered Inconsistency nahd
against the best interests of the property
owners concerned.
To Aid. Dobner principally he directed
his remarks, prefacing them with the
statement that the board was to be con-
graduated in having among its members
authority on paving who was bet
ter versed than an official to whom
high salary was paid.
REFUSE TO RECONSIDER.
The reconsideration scheme and the
ic(t of laying the awards over to a future
meeting originated with Mr.. Knauft, who
took an active part in the fight. and
this called forth point of order from
Aid Dobner, who commended that a mem
Der not voting with the majority could
not attempt a reconsideration.
Up to this point no favorites had been
played, all the paving companies being
turned down, but in this particular case
the brick firm of Fielding Sc Shepley
was concerned. The outlook was for a
complete shut-out for this firm, but the
legal department and President Huber
came to the rescue and the day was
saved.
AS compromise measure and with
the hope of saving the awards from the
wreck, Aid. Schiffmann introduced res
olution specifying indemnity provisions
in line with the specifications on which
the awards were made but the opposition
was still as strong as ever and he was
compelled to accept defeat. He wanted
it laid over, but a vote was demanded.
and only Aid Hunt and Knauft could
be obtained as supporters.
| Considerable horse play" was Injected
into the consideration of the resolution.
and this caused Mr. Schiffmann to throw
UP his hands in disgust and refuse to
vote, remarking that it was "boy's PLAY"
and the people would have their day.
! 1t was here that Aid HunH got In a
suggestive ''Amen!"
On the basis that property owners pre-
| ferred asphalt to brick, in view of IT'S
low price, Aid Dobner secured the redec
/ ton OF the final orders for the paving of
/ South Wabasha, Decatur and Minnehaha
| streets, and had them referred back to
the board of public works with instruc-
tons to prepare specifications in which
| asphalt would be the paving material.
Like all other matters pertaining to
paving, discussion and insinuations pre-
vailed but the vote was sufficiently large
| to insure victory and the members con-
+ eerned made no reply.