The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-05-24
POWERS FAILS TO
MOVE COUNTY BOARD
:
Mounds View Commissioners
= Read Appropriation Is
Turned Down.

County Commissioner Powers, repre-
Senting the Mounds View district on the
county board, was again, turned down
yesterday in his efforts to secure an APP
preparation to be used in improving the
county roads in his part of the county,
and as a result of the turn-down the
Mounds View member started an argu-
ment which came near terminating the
meeting of the board IN a row of larger
proportions than even that pyrotechnic
body has accustomed itself to.
Mr.. Powers has for some time been
endeavoring to have the board appro-
pirate money to be used on the roads in
his district, but has met with poor suc-
cess. The amount asked by Mr. Powers
was In the neighborhood OF 5000, and so
persistent have been his demands for the
appropriation that the commissioners
hired carriage at their own expense last
Thursday and made a trip out through
the Powers district
While on this tour Of inspection some
hot words are said to have passed be-
tween the members of the board, and
Mr.. Powers declared that if he could not
secure enough money to do the work as
he liked, he did not care for any. Some
of the commissioners were In favor OF al
lowing Mr.. Powers the $4,000 asked for,
and supported their arguments, accord
ing to statements made by Commissioners
Seng by pointing out that there was still
money in the road fund which would
have to be spent in some manner before
the year was up.
Wanted Bigger Appropriation.
Although unsuccessful last Thursday,
Mr.. Powers attended the meeting OF the
board yesterday, determined to carry the
fight before the meeting, and had Com
missioner Nash supported his argument
with his vote, a part of the money, at
least would have been voted. Commas
siOner Nash thought Mr.. Powers should
have the entire amount asked Tor, and
when the vote was put on proposition
to allow part of the money, Mr.. Nash
voted mo- because it was not enough,
and the proposition was defeated by a
The open proceedings of the board were
preceded by an executive session, in which
the members agreed to allow Mr.. Powers
$1,000. and when this proposition was Vot-
ed on later it had the support of Com
miSSioneTS Powers, Wright and Pott-
gieser, but the other four members voted
no, and the Mounds View member was
left without anything.
Assistant County Attorney O'Neill was
called up to determine the validity of such
an appropriation should it be made, and
he was not sure that such an appropria-
tiOn would be legal The law provides
that the board may spend money for
permanent improvements, but does not
authorize the expenditure of any money
whatever for road repairs" The ques-
ton of whether this work was repairing
or permanent improvements would have
to be determined. Mr.. O'Neiu told the
board.
Mr.. Powers told the members of the
board what he thought of their action,
being careful not to use his choicest Ian
guage in doing so, and even the conserva-
tive and usually quiet Mr.. Wright, of
North st. Paul, who stood by Powers,
lost his temper and said he was getting
id tired of this nonsense" He said
there was no doubt that the work such as
had been suggested was permanent i'm
prOVement, and it was rot to call it any
thing else.
Not Helping Minneapolis.
Commissioner Seng opposed the appro-
priation because, he stated, several of the
roads under consideration led into Min
would never vote to spend l cent on roads
leading to Minneapolis.
The matter was finally disposed Of,
much to the disgust of Commissioners
Powers and Wright, by being laid on the
table, which means that the roads out
Mounds View way will not be repaired at
very soon.
With the road matter disposed Of, the
board considered bids received for equip
ping the wells which have been sunk at
White Bear with view of furnishing
a supply of water to raise the level of the
lake. Each well must be equipped with
motor small house and machinery for
pumping. The bids received were for one
well, equipped ready for power connec-
tion. Former bids were in excess of
$1,000, but the bids received yesterday
were much lower. Following are the bids
received:
Mcbride Downing company. 80. 81, S95 90
r. e. Johnson, Minneapolis .. 1 1884 90
Dwyer Heating and Plumbing
company (fOur propositions -.
$2,313. $1,SSS, $2,112, 1857 90
German Electric company. ..... 1856. 90
No action was taken on the bids, other
than to refer them to the committee on
wells for tabulation a special meeting of
the board having been called for Thurs
day, at which time the matter will be
taken up again.
The contract was also let for the con-
struction of the 500 crossing at Rice
street, the work going to Charles e. San
deem, whose bid was the lowest Mr..
Nash protested against awarding the con
tract to Mr.. Sandeen, contendipg thai
the work could not be done at the figure
named by the contractor, but the con-
tract was let in the face of Mr.. Nash's
protest. The bids for the work were as
follows: -
JOSepH L. Lang ........s....$ IS, 6SS 90
Charles E. Sandeen. ...........2 1888 OO
IL u Huebner. ................. $500. 90
TENDER RECEPTION TO