Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-01-15
|kREU|Z[R RET AL.0N |OP
Electric Power Plant Contract
Referred to Attorneys For
Opinions.
"Antis" Temporarily Win a Vic.
tory But Mayor Pierce Will
Veto Proceeding.
Old Straw Vigorously Thrashed
Over..-Anti-S Splitting Ordi-
nance Adopted.


The city council spent considera bic
time at the meeting Monday evening
in threshing over old straw, and the
mayor was made uneasy for time for
fear his pet scheme of electricity for
power plant for the sewage disposal
plant would be knocked in the head
AS it was the opponents of electricity
won a victory, which will be only tenn
|;porary, az the mayor will resort to the
lveto power to overcome defeat.
| The matter came up in council on
resolution submitted by Mr.. kreutzer,
asking that the contract with the st.
Louis Electrical Supply Company be
submitted to two attorneys for the de-
Termination of its legality. The resolu-
l,tion named Mr.. r. Bifnord as one of the
attorneys and gave the judiciary COM
lmittee the power to name the second.
and in case these two could not agree
lthey were to call in a third. OF course
1 this brought on a lively discussion, and
1.-THE mayor chucked his rules of parlia
mentary practice under the table and.
took a leading part He said he could
not see the use of paying Mr.. Binford
$40 for an opinion when that gentleman
Ihad already ex pressed an opinion 10 the
effect that the contract was Illegal and
had beer instrumental in creating OPP
| position to the electric plant.
MIR lSreutzer denied that Mr.. Binfords
had given definite opinion, and said
his only idea in presenting the resolu-
ton was to be on the safe side. If the
contract was held to be legal, ne would
be satisfied to allow the work TO pro-
|ceed Mr.. kreutzer made an earnest
4 plea for his resolution, and this caused
Mayor Pierce to declare that he did not
believe MIR. Binford could honestly rep-
Present the city and the street car COM
l5paiy ut the same time; that the attor-
lsney in question was working against
the city because he. was the legal repre-
sentative of the light and power COM
A pany
Mr.. Kreutzer said he could not see
4 that the light company question figured
lin this matter at all, and he considered
4 that he was meeting the mayor and his
followers more than half way Mr.. Good
was of the opinion that if the contract
was declared invalid ii would precipi-
4 tate the city into litigation with the ST.
Louis company. Mr.. Kreutzer said we
would be no worse off than
4 II the contract Was proceeded
with and some of the citizens
CURE agreed M.tn Mag nv kreutzsr Iri in ss Ne
4 respects but thought 1t a late day 10 re-
Il vive the question. Also he was opposed
4 to the attorney named because he rep
\ resented the light and power company
4 in its suit against theacity. DR.. Harris
remarked that the council had adopted
!. just as important measures as the pow
4 ers contract, that he considered the mat
tier settled and would stand by that po-
sition
Il Mr.. Fisher made the point that the
electric company was willing to chang.
Its contract TO a direct connected MAJ
s chine which was q confession that the
contract VAS worthless as such a
change would invalidate it it. He die
not believe one fair-mnded attorney
8 would say the contract was, legal, Mr.
Benson said all that was wanted was d
fair opinion. He amended the reacl,l-
ton by substituting the names of "A. C.
DAILY and j. f. Meeker for that of Mi
Binford. Mr.. Kirby thought Mr. Daily
as he is at present employed by the
city. might also be prejudced. and it
was pointed out that Mr.. Meeker was al
). present Interested in suit against the
Il city. Mr. Henry, who had previously
,lvoted with the electricity exponents
+ seconded Mr.. Benaon's amendment, and
n this scared the mayor, who said he
would agree to get five opinions one
way and five another, and that an at
y torneyss opinion is worth just what you
) l3pay for it. MIR. kreutzer said this
sounded like charging all our attorneys
+ with being damned scoundrels,' but
4 / personally he did not believe a few dol
lars would secure a yea opinion today
and a nay opinion tomorrow. The may
, Tor said he did not mean that an attor-
iney would color his opinion TO suit tbs
Il fee. but that attorneys as We'll as othel
people disagreed.
The discussion proceeded at greater
length along these ines during which
, the mayor answered Mr.. kreutzer'.
declaration that the mayor and hi
!, friends We're getting the best of 1t un-
der the resolution by declaring that il
!, the resolution was adopted you vii
have us skinned to fare-you- we'll. (
: Finally the Benson amendment, substi
, tuting the names of AIesses DAILY ant
!, Mesker, was adopted, Messrs Benson
Fisher Henry, Kirby and Kreutzel
and Mcclure against. The resolution
was adopted by the same vote, bu
Mayor Pierce advised the committee Il
Idelay employing the attorneys until AFT
tier the meeting Thursday night, wher
he would present veto to the resolu
: ton. As a three-fourths vote of the
entire council is necessary to pass
matter over q. veto, 1t is apparent tina
the mayor will win in the end, as the
three councilnen voting against TIL,
resolution will not change their votes
The anti-spitting and loafing ordi-
!. rance cams up on its third reading
Several councilnien We're absent wher
? the ordhnan was upon its secone
7 reading and open to amendment ant
they did not like the ordinance in 1t.
: present form and wanted TO amend Ii
. but II was TOO late and was adopted
Messrs. Benson, Kirby. Kreutzer Hen
~, Harris and Good voting for ant
Messrs. FISHER and Mcclure against
$50
Several reports in regard to the sew
age disposal plant We're made-one t,
: the effect that the cinders contrac. hat
: not yet been closed owing 10 a misun-
a derstanding as to the wording. Mr.
Kre,ftzer wanted the forty car loads OF