The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-10-27
SESSION
OF COUNTY BOARD
Commissioner Powers Gets I'm.
dignant Over Attitude ofthe
City Members.

was the disturbing element at the
meeting of the county board yesterday.
He had the floor the greater portion of
the time taken up by the meeting, and
in his TRADE against his fellow COM
missioners none escaped
All attempts to quiet the member
from Mounds View were in vain, and
at different times four or five members
of the board were trying to talk at
the same time. Mr.. Powers voice,
however, was stronger than the voices
of his colleagues, and the latter finally
gave way to him.
Mr.. Powers had number of griev-
ances and he had not finished telling
them several hours after the meeting
had adjourned.
The first trouble started when As
sistant County Attorney O'Neill in
formed the board of the effect the re-
cent decision of Judge Bum would
nave on road building in Ramsey coun-
ty. The court declared the 1903 road
law, under which the board has been
working, void, and Mr.. O'Neill inform
ed the commissioners that hereafter
they would have to do their road work
in an entirely different manner and
under the provisions of the general
law.
right to make repairs on either town
| or county roads, permanent improve
ments upon county roads or the con-
struction of new county roads being
the only work for which the county
road and bridge fund might be ex-
pended.
The board was informed that it made
no difference what the board might
| have done in the past, it would have
| to comply with the law hereafter, and
any bills not provided for by the gen.
| eral law would be turned down by the
| legal department.
Under the ruling made by Judge
BUM. the county has no power to eX-
pend money in repairing a washout on
a road or in any manner making tenn
| porary repairs.
Powers Would Defy the Law.
Commissioner Powers was wroth
when informed of the wide scope of the
| courts ruling.
ut is about time we found where
we are at shouted Mr.. Powers, as he
| pounded his fist upon the table. I'VE
can do so by ordering a man to go
ahead and repair washout and then
test the legality of such action in the
courts.
"All of this talk about it being the
duty of the town commissioners to re-
pair the town roads is bosh. The town
commissioners have no money with
which to make such repairs. What
does it cost us to keep our roads in
| repair? 1t costs us $4,000 or $4,000
per year, and we have more than 200
miles of road to look after. Still the
people howl about the cost of the coun-
ty roads. They do not stop to think of
the cost of keeping this court house
| and city hall clean. Why don't they
| turn their attention to the joint com
ion Of I,ie,
pending 100000 or $40, 600 every year
to keep this building clean? Then it is
not kept clean.
'"rhe howl goes up that the two
country members of the county board
spend all of the road and bridge fund
l am getting tired of such talk. It is
about time we went ahead and kept our
roads in good repair, law or ne law,
Mr.. Powers was so excited by this
time that no further Interruptions were
offered, and after a few more remarks
he resumed his seat.
County Surveyor Irvine, following
the TRADE by Powers, found time to
submit the following estimates:
Culvert On Geravis creek, Lahore
ROAD .s.ss..... $679 10
Culvert, same creek. Centerville
road 634 90
West Town road, repairs. ......... 14S. 90
Cleveland avenue, repairs ........ 232. %
Commissioner Powers was anxious
| that the repairs on the West Town
road be made and he made a motion
that the matter be referred to the conn
| mittee on roads, with power to act
Commissioner Pottgieser was will
| ing that the matter be referred to the
committee, but he did not favor CIV
ing. the committee power to act. AZ
ter some discussion, Mr.. Powers mo-
ton was put to a vote and lost, tho
hnIN
| gieser, Seng and Gray voting in the
negative. Mr.. Powers later secured an
appropriation of 5000 for both West
Town road and Cleveland avenue.
His Indignation Again Aroused.
More trouble was started when Com
| missioner Powers endeavored to have
the board appropriate enough money
for three culverts, two on Victoria and
one at the west end of Long Lake On
this proposition the vote was again
to 8, and Mr.. Powers waxed warm
You city commissioners act as il
you thought the country members
were thieves said Mr.. Powers, point
ing his finger at the city members
You fellows expend thousands of dol
| lars; but you are afraid to trust us
with $50 or $50 with which to build a
| culvert.''
Nobody called you thieves" said
| Commissioner Pottgieser
Il have been given authority to con-
struct one culvert," said Mr.. Powers,
but l will relinquish the right If I
can't be trusted to build one l can't
| be trusted to build another
At this point Assistant County At
torney ONeill found time to inform
the commissioners that hereafter when
they went out to look at county roads
| that they would have to go at their
| own expense. With the 1903 law
knocked out. there is no provision for
carriage hire for the commissioners,
and resolution, introduced by Com
| missioner Seng, informing all of the
liverymen men in the city Of the law,
was passed.
The county attorneys office had
turned down a bill for SIS, claimed by
John Houle for maintaining a water
trough in New Canada township.
Commissioner Wright was in favor OF
paying the bill, but Mr.. Seng objected,
Mr.. Seng said he had travelled over a
large part of the county last week and
had found all Of the water troughs
emDty