Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-05-17
Councilman sieg Wins In His
Fight to Do Away With
Publication of Minutes
LAW DECLARED TO BE PLAIN
Council Will Let a Contract For the
Publication Of all Matters That Law
Requires to be Published, But There
Will be No Further "offieial Publ
cation" Of Regular Proceedings

Councilman Sieg. of the Sixth ward
won in his fight to do away with the
Official publication" of the proceed
ings of the city council. at the adj
journed meeting of that body Monday
night. For the third time Mr.. Sieg
presented his resolution, which calls
for the dispensing. hereafter, with the
publication of the minutes OF the
councils proceedings. He removed the
adoption of his resolution and the dis
cussion began. AZ
Mr.. Kreutzer was the first on his
feet. He declared that he had been
considered by some, since he became
member of the council. as being
penny wise but in this instance he
felt the same as he had expressed him.
self when Mr.. Sieg's resolution was
first introduced, several weeks ago.
He considered that the public should
know what the council was doing, and
he thought the publication should be
made as has been the custom for many
years.
Mr.. Webster took occasion to relate
some early history, when he was pub
fishing the only good paper in Mar
shalltown." twenty five years ago, he
said the city at that time paid 81 per
square, the legal rate for It's
publications. He suggested to the
council at that time, that the matter
be submitted to competitive bids, and
the result was lower rate was secur-
ed. Mr.. Webster said that II the pres
ent contract were abrogated it might
result in the cost, In the end, being
greater than that now being paid the
Reflector, 90 cents per square, for legal
nnb,iootions and proceedings. Mr..
Webster gave this as possibility
in order to get the thought before
the council, and not as
statement of fact. He sug-
gested that if the council did decide
to do away with the publication OF the
minutes of the meetings. 1t advertise
for bids for the official publication Of
all matters that the law requires.
Mr.. Sieg, in supporting his resolution.
announced that the city had paid out,
during last year. the sum of $4ll.S4 Tor
the publication of the council proceed
ings alone, to say nothing OF what hao
been paid for necessary publications..
He did not care whether 1t cost the city
more or not by some other way. All he
wanted was to have the law uphold the
council in the expenditure OF the
money. and that 1t did not do when one
cent was paid for the ordinary proceed
ings at the regular, adjourned or spe-
cial meetings. He advised that the
council place itself in the proper light
before the public, even tho 1t might
cost more money.
Solicitor Van Law was asked by Mr..
Sieg as to the legal phases Of the sit
uation. The request was echoed by
Mr.. Webster, who stated that II there
was anything illegal in the expenditure
he would not vote for it or even consid-
err what might be the outcome il the
present contract were abrogated. Mr..
Van Law replied that there was no law
the council to pay for the
or have them published.
The solicitor was asked If there was
any law that said the council should
not publish the proceedings. Mr.. Van
Law replied that If the authority is not
delegated it Is necessarily Withheld.
This statement settled the case with
the members. and the vote to adopt the
resolution was unanimous.
Mr.. Webster then moved that the
committee on ordinances and printing
be instructed to secure bids for the
Of all matters that were
compelled by law, and this was carried.