The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-01-25
CITY NEWS.
DUAL CONTROL
OF COURTHOUSE
DOES PATRONAGE KEEP COUNTY
BOARD FROM GIVING UP?
Municipal Building Commission Kept
Out of Courthouse and City Hall by
County Board and City Council
Serious Results May Follow-Com
mercial Club Not Satisfied.

Does the desire for political pat
ronage to dispense prevent the county
commissioners and the city council
from permitting the municipal build
ing commission to assume the control
of the city and county building, as
intended by the law enacted by the
last legislature?
the members Of the Commercial club
and is being particularly considered
by the committee on public affairs.
Since the county commissioners
have carefully ignored the formal ap-
plication made by the building COM
mission for control Of the completed
portion of the county side of the
building, and since the city attorney
has indicated by his opinion that the
city council will take the same ac-
ton, there has been suggested in the
minds of many the possibility that the
municipal building commission will be
a public body in name only.
Commercial Club View.
Recognizing the advisability, if not
the necessity, of managing the $4,000,
600 county and city building in a
business-like manner, the CONNER
cial club is not disposed to regard
with satisfaction the evident DISPOSE
ton Of the public officials to get be-
hind legal opinion, given by public
official, in their endeavor to protect
certain private privileges.
Assistant County Attorney G. l..
Smith and City Attorney Frank Hea-
ly have expressed the opinion that the
law enacted by the last legislature
creating the municipal building COM
mission is illegal, because coming un-
der the head Of special legislation.
The refusal of the county commits
sioners to grant the application of the
new commission, made several weeks
ago, for the control of the county side
of the building-a refusal followed by
the appointment or reappointment of
the entire service force controlled by
the boards not SO serious as are
the consequences which may follow.
Where Contest Might Arise.
The board of county commissioner
Is now furnishing to the city hall side
of the building light and heat to the
value Of $4,000 annually. Technically
the county has no more right to man
ufacture and sell light and heat to the
city than it has to sell the same COM
mOdities to private parties.
line IOrmal interference OIL any
public-minded or any selfshly-inter-
ested citizen could compel the county
to. refuse giving this service, thus
putting upon the city the enormous
and unnecessary expense of installing
it's own lighting and heating plant.
That some such citizen, possibly in
spired by. a desire to help zone of the
boys' in the heating and lighting
business, will call upon the courts to
prevent the county from giving the
present service is regarded as a not
very distant possibility.
This danger could be avoided by the
succession of the municipal building
commission, authorized by the law to
take over all completed portions of
both sides Of the building. The COM
mission, which consists Of Fred E.
Barney, chairman of the board OF
county commissioners; Mayor j. c.
Haynes, County Auditor Scott and City
Treasurer Hubert, is of unquestioned
integrity and ability, and there are ir
| the possession of the Commercial clut
figures showing that the management
of both sides of the building by one
| body instead Of two would save both
city and county much money an.
| nually. .....
Views of Lawyers.
"There is no more reason why the
courthouse and city hall structure
should be divided into two building:
and managed by two different bodie!
of men than that the Andrus building
or the. Guaranty building should be 81
divided and managed" said c.. S
Cairns, chairman of the subcommitte,
on legislation of the Commercial club!
committee on public affairs. Laying
aside the danger which threatens tn.
city from the interference of any citi
zen who wishes to prevent the count,
from furnishing heat and light to thu
city hall, there remains the common
sense proposition that one body o
men can manage one building bette1
and for less money than two bodies
| cam
Speaking conservatively, I would
| say that there Is strong probabillt.
that the supreme court would ruiz
that this municipal building commits
sion law is constitutional" said Judg
Daniel Fish, attorney for the OLE
courthouse and city hall commission
and Trainer Of the act now. under dis
pute.
II cannot see why the case is no
parallel to that of the 1898 count.
bonds, wherein the supreme cour
held that while the law did specif.
the one city of Minneapolis, the fac
| that there existed but one city court
| house and city hall commission Of thi
sort brought the law under the heat
Of general legislation. The condition
in this county is not duplicated else
where in the state, and any law passet
for the benefit of this courthouse ant
city hall could not affect conditions il
other counties. There has been grea
deal of dispute as to the real mean
ing of special legislation, but thinl
that the supreme court would fint
that this municipal building commits
sion law would not come under tn
head of special legislation
! The board of county commission
ers spent in the salaries of employee
| last year $19,256, and in fuel, freight
supplies and other expenses inciden
to the management of the county sid
of the building, $14,215.44. The boar,
| also charged the city $4,000 for tn
heating and lighting Of the city sid
| Of the building.