The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-27
HOT G. j. REPORT Fl
Various Abuses Not Worthy Of In
dictment Will Be Shown
Up.
Several City Officials Have Been
Interested in Securing Munic-
ipal Contracts. B

Some attention is likelysto be paid
by the grand jury to practice by the
heads Of municipal departments Of i
giving business to aldermen or other
city officials - These matters Will
probably be handled in the final re-
port Members of municipal boards
who have obtained business from their
respective boards or other city depart
rnents are also likely to receive atten-
ton. Under a strict construction of
the law, all these officials are guilty
Of misdemeanor. THERE'S a state law
which prohibits any public officer
from being financially interested in
any sale, lease or contract to the city.
In law any commercial transaction is
a contract and no matter what the
emergency might be, no city employe
could obtain anything from a firm in
which any city official is interested or
even employed, 9>.s - :~ss
This law. has never been carefully
observed lin this city,: In the first:
place it is;a state law and has been
generally assured to apply to- state Of
ficers, but it is commended by the law
yers that it applies to everyone who
holds a public office. It is not con-
tended that the city has ever lost a
cent thru the violation of this law,
or that excessive. prices have been
charged in these instances. AS a mat
ter of fact the city will be a loser If
the statute is enforced.
| Thus the Harrison & Smith Print
ing company has certain facilities for
printing bonds by which it can, and
| invariably does, submit the lowest bids
for; this class of. work, but because
Mr.: Smith is a. member of the park
commission the city is prevented from
I accepting the lowest bid. ..s-
Long. before p. P. Jones became an
IT, n ~ tn,
wrote insurance on schoolhouses and
other public property. There was no
competition as all the agencies can
| quote only one rate and every agency
was supposed to have a share Of the
business: There was no change when
Mr.. Jones went. into the council and
\ it is not charged that Mr. Jones used
| his position to gather in more insur-
/ ance business. AS it is. however, Mr..
Jones says frankly that if the people
| think there is anything improper OF
| irregular in. that method Of doing
business, he will very willingly aban-
don writing. insurance for the CITY,.
! One of the results of the enforce.
ment of this law will be to keep mer
4 Of affairs out of*public positions, espe-
= cially on the boards, which pay nj
salaries to the members. 1t may ever
cause a great many designations, a:
the members cannot afford to throw
4 away good business in order to serve
1 the public. ~ef. @s@ ''",.. .-' q
4 Among the aldermen and board
members who have personally or thru
their firms furnished supplies to the
city during the past three months, are
the folloWing: ~: =. - =
+ Library Director Jacob Stone, fire in
surance; Park Commissioner D. w. Jone
of the Jones Mcintyre agency, fire insur
| ance; Park Commissioner Howard M. De
Laittre of the Bovey- DeLaittre company
| lumber; Park Commissioner Fred +
Smith, printing; Park Commissioner J
4 E. Northrup Of: Northrup, king G. Co
y seeds; Park Commissioner Harry W
L itJones,r services as ssarchitect;. Park Com
= missioner j. S. Bradstreet, Efnishings a
7 city hail. School Director j ohm "A. Schlen
> err, stationery; Commissioner I'D Holtz
; erman of the board of, charities and. .cor
/ rections, furniture and dry goods; Alder
: man, D. p. Jones, @Jones-Davis agency, fir
insurance; Aldermen r. S. Lane Of Ian
Hardware company and "A. S., Vaughan
hardware; Alderman M. A: Gerber, boo
l binding; Alderman E. w. Clark, agent fc
Y Jones & Adams company, fuel; Alderma
T Fred M. Powers Of Powers Brothers. feet
4 Alderman James Dwyer1 Of the Cryst
Lake Ice company, ice; Alderman Clal
Murnm, wagon repairing; Alderman job
:; Ryan, livery; alderman Peter McCo
'. hauling sawdust.'
n Jury at Work Again.
e After three day Grest the gran
r jurors assembled this morning to" RI
: new their investigation. The fir
e thing taken up was the Miller case,
n which the defendant was held to tt
n grand jury for assault with a bolt
: upon E.. S. Wagner. There are; a fe
: more Jail cases to be considered, aft,
:. which the inquisitors will probab
=. endeavor to return additional mum
ipal indictments, before making the
1t final report. Whether they will SUI
. coed in this. latter endeavor is
I'd mooted question which only time &C
- answer. = ..@t,~5' 4 - 49,. S'' "
\ ,-.sE -. - t..t-. 70 A.
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