The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-05-28
CONTRACT
IS UP In THE AIR
MAYORS REFUSAL TO SIGN CON-
TRACT DELAYS MATTERS.
The Council Is Hampered by Its Own
Rules and Can Do Nothing New
Bridge Bids Are Opened Showing
Minneapolis Company as Lowest
Bidder.

Mayor j. G.. Haynes refused to sign
| the kreodane wood paving contract
in hope that the council would take.
some action at last nights meeting.
This the council failed to do owing
| to impediments imposed by its own
rules. The whole matter is tied up UNI
| til Mayor Haynes is willing to unite
| it, which may be this week and may
| be never.
| In his communication to the council
| the mayor explained that his signature
| was withheld at the request of several
aldermen. However, he improves the
opportunity to give the council hard
rap for it's recent tendency to award
] large contracts on a mere motion, the
most informal of all proceedings. This
practice, he holds, ought to be discon-
| tinued, as it is. of doubtful legality.
It deprives the people of the benefit
! of mayors veto and might deprive
| the aldermen themselves of the right
of further consideration. The mayor
/ believes that all contracts involving
public improvements should be acted
upon by formal resolution.
After this communication had been
read, Alderman F. M. Powers moved
for the suspension Of rule rs which
requires that no matter can be recon-
| sidered at a subsequent meeting of the
/ council unless there are as many
aldermen present as when the original
4 action was taken. The Powers motion
! secured a majority, but failed to carry
i as another council rule requires a
two-thirds vote to suspend the rules
i The vote would indicate that quite a
number of aldermen have changed
their opinions on the value of kreo-
done. 1t was as follows:
Yeas-Gerber, Nye, S. E.. Adams, Mer-
j. ,;JI Mol Ma rI< T,ar
Duryea, Peter Nelson, A. S. Adams, Van
!, Nest, President Jones-13.
Nays-Ryan, Lane, Mumm, N. J. Mel
son, Rand, Vaughan, Mccoy, Dwyer,
Westphal, BoW-10
Absent-Chatheld, Holmes and Schoon-
maker. Be-.
This ended the matter for the time
being Alderman Duryea gave notice
+ of an amendment to rule rs, which
. is likely to impede legislation in its
present form.
5 Titus Would Treat Wood.
President E. D. Titus of the Chem
ical Manufacturing company submit
ted a communication offering ar
agreement to operate a creosotlng
!, plant for five years provided that the
city would build the plant. Under
such an arrangement creosoted Wooc
blocks, using Norway pine, coulds be
furnished for $1.35 per square yard
and if the oil, was redistilled thu
blocks would cost $1.47. On a ba
sis of Sill for kreodone, Mr.. THU:
figures that there would be a saving
of $751; on this years work, which
would pay for a creosoting plant anc
. leave a balance Of $6,440 for future
= work. The communication was re
ferred to the committee on paving.
,;,,;x, ~,
heads Of departments to give prefer
ence on all city work to American
q citizens and heads Of families, wa
n passed without opposition. Alder
S man Westphal took a step further b.
e lacking on an amendment directing
: that all who could not qualify unde
t the Mccoy standard be dropped from
: carried.
q q To Abolish Grade Crossings.
y Notices of ordinances to abolisl
q grade crossings were presented by AL
: dermen S. E. Adams and Peter Nc
l. Coy.
;, Alderman w. F. Nye gave notice Q
=. an amendment to the anticipating or
- dinance, which will make it a mis-
demeanor to spit in any public place
1t is intended to apply to reach elias
q Of spitters who surround themselve
e with puddles Of tobacco juice in thea
IS ters and similar places.
4 The predictions that a readvertise
y, ment for proposals for the iron wor
for the Thirty-second avenue N bridg
would result in higher priced bridg
were amply verified The lowest bi
submitted last evening was that {
the Minneapolis Steel and Machiner
company, which quoted a price {
. $47,774, or about $4,000 less than il
former price, but about $4,000 abov
,r the previous low bid Of the Moder
y Steel Structural company of Wauke
% sha, Wis. This latter company
4 now about $500 higher than the locs
"a concern, which was responsible fc
>. the rejection Of the first bids.
q President Jones and Aldermen /
i, E. Merrill, A. s. Adams, Oscar La
son and Michael A. Gerber were dele
:, gated to represent the city council Q
I. the local reception committee for tt
"a Liberty bell ceremonies.