The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1904-04-21
ALDERMEN ARE
WARNED ABOUT
CITY CONTRACTS
Must Not Be Interested In Any
Way In The Furnishing
Of Supplies To The
Municipality
SYSTEM OF CLAIM CHECKING
Time Sheet To Be Employed For Lab
orers Amendment To FOndy
Ordinance Read-TractiOn
Routes Change

The meeting of the City Council Mon
day evening was colorless. While a
number of matters came up, no one
was of sufficient moment to give the
session q distinctive character. Per
haps the most important piece of bust
ness before the board was the report of
the committee on labor claims. Chief
Kratz of the Fire Department filed his
first annual report and certain provis-
ions of the Fond du Lac Interurban or
dinance We're discussed.
There was some delay before quor-
um was obtained and the meeting start
ed with only ten present The others
came in later.
Property owners on Franklin Street,
between Thirteenth and Fourteenth
Streets, petitioned for sidewalks on both
sides of the street. City Attorney
Schmitz presented map which he had
had prepared showing the property OF
the Wisconsin Central Railroad Com
pany which had been already assessed
by the State Tax Committee. He said
that considerable trouble had arisen of
late over the assessment of railroad
property in this city and that this map
and one which was in preparation re-
garding the G. q n. w. r.. h. Compa-
nys property would obviate much of
it. The map was placed on file.
Alderman Lorenzen then requested
that the ordinance regarding the time
sheet which the committee on claims
had drafted for the better auditing Of
labor claims, be read. This was done.
Among other things the ordinance pro-
vided that each laborer shall collect his
own account from the city treasurer and
81 u sign voucher therefr, Mr..
Lorenzen, after the reading, stated that
the claims committee would meet every
Monday evening for the auditing of
bills and that no bill which was not o.
K.d by the committee would be present
ed to the council He invited any of
the aldermen who cared to do so to be
present at these committee meetings
and render such assistance regarding
the bills as they might see fit. He said
that merchants should be notified to pre-
sent their bills the first Mon
day of each month. He then went on
to enlarge upon the fact that no alder
man could according to law be connect
ed in any way with any contract to
which the city is party. This precipi-
tated considerable discussion, some Of
the members entertaining different
views as to what constituted a contract
with the city. The city charter on the
subject was read rs was also the state
law. Both specifically prohibited alder
men from having anything to do with
any city contract The question arose
as to whether the purchase of one or
two articles from a storekeeper who
might be an alderman would he cOnsid-
cred illegal. The city attorney gave it
as his opinion that the council need not
be particular about small isolated pur-
chases, but advised the aldermen to be
careful about not being connected with
larger purchases. There was evident
ly no hard and fast line. A resolution
on the matter by Mr. Lorenzen was fin
ally passed.
Alderman Plumb presented request
from the Sacred Heart Congregation
that portion of the cemetery be reserv-
ed for its members This was support
ed by Alderman Mulholland and refer
red to committee.
An application from the j. G. John
son Coal Company for channel at its
coal docks, deep enough to permit col
liers to come alongside and unload, was
read The company asked that the
shoal between the channel of the river
and the docks be dredged out to a depth
Of II feet. The company intends doing
the dredging alongside the docks but
wants the city to cut a passage by which
the vessels can enter City Engineer
Pitz reported on this matter that strip
could be taken out of the shoal wide
enough to permit vessels to enter to the
dock channel without the necessity of
dredging ont the entire shoal. He stat
ed that the shoal was very hard one
to dredge and that no dre3ge would un-
dertake the work by the yard He said
the city would have TO pay Sl2 an hour
to have tho work done and that the cost
might mount up to over 5000. The mat
ter was referred to the board OF public
works with authority to act as it might
see fit
An ordinance granting the c. q n w.
r. r. Company the right to build a
short spur of track for the benefit Of the
Landreth Pea Packing Company was
ordered published. An ordinance
changing portion of the route for the
Fond du Lac Interurban from along
Washington Street to along Franklin