The Mankato free press., 1903-10-23
Council Defines to Accept Sure!ees
Who Do Not Justify.
Practical Gas Company Given Three
Weeks More Time.
N. W. Telephone Company Cannot Lay
Wires Under Front Street.
Flood of Bills Paid, Cutting Down the
City's Cash Balance.
From Saturdays Daily.

From Saturdays Daily.
The council had very busy session
last night, and disposed of good deal OF
business. The lobby was filled with spec
tators, and the mayor and every alder
man was present The session was pre-
ceded by a private consultation be-
tween the mayor and aldermen, during
which it is said that the cramped condi-
tion of the city finances was considered.
Little or no new work was ordered by
the council, but tide of bills, footing
up many thousands of dollars, were al
lowed.
Recorder Hodapp stated that the Prac-
teal Gas Construction company of North
Chicago had accepted the franchise re-
Gently granted to j. A. Bower for the
erection of a gas plant and the operation
of the same A bond had also been fill
ed.
w. E. Young, representing the COM
pany, said that Mr.. Bower had assigned
the franchise to the Practical Gas Con-
struction company. The bond technical
ly complies with the requirements of the
ordinance, and it is for the council to
pass on the sureties, who are j. A. Bower
and one G. W. Alt who is president of
the company Messrs. Bower and Alt
are each worth $4,000 to $4,000, and
the company is capitalized at $l5OOOO,
thirds of which is paid in. If there
is any question about the bond, an ex-
tension of time will have to be asked
for. There is no truth in the state
ments that the franchise has been offered
for sale in Chicago. 1t was learned late
in the afternoon that surety bond to
indemnify the city in case of accidents on
the streets can be secured. A surety
company will not insure the building of
the plant. The company has moved
to build the plant, and it thinks this
point is passed. Money has been hard to
get. If the company did not put in a
plant, it would not damage the city, so
there was no need for a bond to insure
this.
Aid PIymat raised the point that the
sureties on the bond had not justified"
or made sworn statement as to their
financial ability.
Mr.. Young admitted the defect and
said that it was an oversight. He asked
that the council accept the bond sub
ject to the defect being rectifed within
two weeks
Aid. Plymat said that the company had
brought bond almost worse than the
one which it had at first proposed, and
and which the council had rejected. 1t
amounts to nothing more than con-
tract of the company, as the sureties
are officers of the company and do not
justify.
They may be worth a great deal and
may not. No alderman would accept the
bond in his private business. He would
rather not have any bond than take one
so defective and deficient. The council
does not want to throw anything in the
way of new enterprise, and he suggest
ed that a smaller bond be required, and
that when work starts the company fur
nish the city indemnity insurance so as
to protect it from negligence. He would
be willing to waive the strict terms of
the ordinance in order to allow the com
pany to go ahead. He was not in favor
of accepting bond given by people who
live outside of the city. ].
Mr.. Young said that the company had
invested some money, and he thought
it intended to act in good faith and put
in a plant. He would try and secure
people in Mankato who will sign the
bond, and about whose financial ability
there is no question.
Aid. Plymat suggested that bond for
$1,000 would be enough
Mr.. Young said that if the council
would allow two weeks more the COM
pany would have a $1,000 bond signed by
local people, to guarantee the building
of the plant, and would give an indem-
nifty insurance to protect the city from
suits over accidents.
Aid. Coy moved that three weeks ex-
tension of time be given. This was sub
sequently withdrawn at the suggestion
of Aid Plymat, who said that the council
could pass new ordinance or amend the
present one at the next meeting to fit the
bond.
1t was decided informally that $1,000
personal bond signed by Minnesota
bondsmen, to insure the construction of
the plant, would be satisfactory, provid-
ed surety indemnity bond be given to
save the city harmless on loss in case
of accidents during the construction
work. The $1,000 bond will be received
at the next regular meeting.
Telephone Petition Denied.
The petition of the Northwestern Tele-
phone Exchange company for permission