The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-10
ENGINEERS ARE WROTH
ALDERMEN CONDEMNED FOR PASS.
ING IMPERIAL MANUFACTURING
COMPANY'S FRANCHISE
Regarded as an Attempt to Saddle
Semi-PubIic Corporation on
the City - A Snap
Judgment.

Local Union No. So, International Union
OF Steam Engineers, at its last regular
meeting, adopted resolutions in regard to
the ordinance granting a franchise to the
Imperial Manufacturing company. con
demning the snap judgment taken by the
aldermen in passing the ordinance with
out giving the union a final hearing in
the matter. The resolutions are as fol-
lows:
The Stationary Engineers Union No.
sc, st. Paul, calls the attention of the
Worklngmen and other citizens OF the
city that more than six months ago there
was introduced in the board of aldermen
IN this city an ordinance to grant tIc
Imperial Manufacturing company a frau
chlse to furnish steam and electric Iigh:
to the people, coupled with extraordinary
privileges to use and occupy the most
important streets. This union, acting on
the general principles Of the American
Federation of Labor unions, which is OPP
posed to the granting of public fran
chises and in favor of municipal owner
ship, appointed a committee to investi-
gate the proposed franchise, employed
eminent counsel, and together with the
president of the International Union OF
Engineers, carefully investigated the
proposed franchise For months the com
mittee waited upon the board of alder.
men.
upon careful investigation it was as
certained that the franchise is an
attempt to saddle a new semi-public cor
poration on this city, to interfere with Tie
fundamental rights of the people, that
1t IS an attempt to get possession of the
best streets of the city, tear them up ct
pleasure, at the expense of the property
owners; that under the guise of serving
the people with a public utility it is an
attempt to procure valuable rights for
nothing, without compensation to the
city. If adopted most of the engineers
and firemen would lose their jobs at indi-
Vldual plants where now employed and
cheap labor be- substituted therefor at the
proposed central plant. At the last meet
ing of the board of aldermen the ordi-
nance was called up without notice or
knowledge to this union. The chairman
OF our committee and our counsel who
We're present accidentally, requested 1ne
aldermen for a continuance. to enable
most OF our union men to be present N
defeat Of the ordinance. Continuance
was denied. The ordinance passed near
ly unanimously, only Aid. Knauft voting
against It, and standing by US.
Aid. Huber Dahlquist and Bantz
each of whom honorably- promised to
vote against it, then and there. in orr
absence all voted for the ordinance. thus
going back upon their pledges
Now, therefore, resolved. That W.,
again condemn the ordinance, Just as il
was condemned by the Trades and La
Dor assembly, when it was first intro
duced; We condemn it as ininnical to orr
union and as dangerous to the welfare
and progress of the people of this mu-
nicipality
1--WE render our thanks to Aid. Knauft
who honorably stood by Us through the
fight. We censure Aid. Huber, Dahl
quist and Bantz for breaking their WORD
of honor to us and their pledges. We
censure Aid. Murphy for imputing anv
improper motives to our committee in
our opposition to the ordinance.
we condemn the snap Judgment TAX
en- by the aldermen in passing the crdi-
nance without giving us final hearing.
I'VE hold the present administration IN
charge of the affairs of the city respon-
sible for the passage of the ordinance
before the board of aldermen"