The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-05-02
SARCASTIC WORDS
Brief But Interesting Meeting
of Council.
Attorney Long Suggests Amendments
to Railway Neutrality-suspicious.
ment until tuesday Night.

menl unlil lueSudy NlgHt.
Aid. Deebach was the only absentee
from Fridays special council meet
ing called for the purpose of consider
ing amendments to the street railway
and lighting franchise and the trans
action of general business. No repre-
sentative from the Mankato and st.
Peter Railway and Lighting Co. was
present, as some of them had gone to
LIE Sueur Center and Kasota.
Jay Henry Long, chairman of the
special committee of the Merchants
Protective association addressed the
council, saying that he appeared to
recommend some little changes in the
ordinance granting franchise to the
company. In the absence of represen-
tatives of the company, he thought
that probably the council would not
like to take up the matter.
= Aid. Taylor thought that the council
ought not undertake to make any
changes in the franchise without the
company being represented. He sug-
gested that the council and street rail-
way representatives get together be-
fore the council meets again and talk
the matter over and arrange such
changes as are necessary.
Aid. Heinze suggested that COM
mittee of three be appointed to confer
with the company and see if any sat
isfactory arrangement could be made,
and if so then a meeting could be
held Many business men favor chang
ing the exclusive clause. If there is
nothing TO this clause, as is claimed
by Mr.. Clark, it could be stricken out,
and if there is something to it, the
council had better look into it and
change it. He did not favor taking
action without the company being
represented.
Aid. Taylor did not like the idea of
a committee, but thought that the
whole council should meet informally
with the company. .
1t developed that the company had
not been notified of the meeting.
Aid. Beinze thought that the COM
pany ought to be notified, and if they
wilfully stayed away the council could
then go ahead without them.
Mayor Petersen said that one attor'
ney says one thing, and another says
another thing. Each alderman had
better get an attorney, like the city
recorder has done. There are some
things that it is hard to understand
The recorder signed the franchise
ordinance, and then refused to sigr
the lighting contract based on thai
ordinance He had gotten his head
together with the city company
attorney unknown to the mayor, AND
had then followed the mayor around
and gotten him to sigc the contract
leading him to believe that it was al
right, and that the city attorney AM
railroad attorney had agreed upon it
Now he refuses to sign it himself
This seemed to the mayor to be
funny piece of work. 1t is propose
now to amend the franchise, and afte
this has been done what will happe
next2
Mr.. Long said that he was ava
the week that the franchise was pass
ed. 1t can be amended easily by
new ordinance. 1t was proposed
amend it in two particulars, to limi
the exclusive feature to the street rail
way line, and to permit of other Ion
distance electric lines coming into tn
city, should any be constructed in til
next twenty years.
The mayor remarked that if thes
amendments were adopted, some otht
attorney would pick flaws in them an
there would be no end to the amend
ments.
Mr. Long replied that the franchis
is bad one from beginning to end, ;
matters of fact and law. He though
however, that the council would NJ
care to do more than adopt fe
amendments, as the effect might
bad if complete revision was to
made.
Mayor Petersen said that whatev'
the council dia it should do right.
should not do anything one day al
pick it to pieces the next.
Aid. Eichstaedt thought that
week after these amendments we
adopted there would be an agitatiC
for some other amendment.
Mr.. Long said that he would give
bond that the exclusive section won
be right if the council adopted b
amendment.
On motion of Aid. Eichstaedt, t
council adjourned until Tuesday nigi
and the street railway directors are
be notified to be present.