The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-02-10
Bills of Mayor and Aldermen Ag-
gregate SPA, 900 inTwoYears
Attorney Says His Bill Is No
More illegal Than Theirs.
Council Pays Big Bill in AS
phalt Paving Appeal Case.
From Saturdays Daily.


is sick. The paving matter did not come
mn in any form. not even being referred
to, so it is presumed that the present
council does not intend to press it fur
Their, as it holds but four more regular
meetings, which is too short time to
get it under contract,
II. l.. Schmitt again appeared before
the council on behalf of the bill for
1890 of himself and w. +. Young for
work on the proposed new charter. lie
spoke of the opinion of Attorney Cen
eral Z. T. Young to the effect that the
bill is illegal, and thought that the
attorney general had not given it SUI
ficient consideration to pass an opin-
ion on it that would be of value. He
had studied the decision and still eonsid-
cred that the bill was legal. The opinion
is based on the decision in the case of
Stone VS.. Stone, which does not apply
if this case applies, then it also applies
in the case of the $4,000 of bills passed
upon and allowed by the mayor and
council, for merchandise furnished the
city by the mayor and members of the
council, during the past two years.
Mayor Taylor stated that he had
no vote on allowing of bills.
Mr.. Schmitt said that the mayor had
signed the vouchers. He did not raise
the question of the legality of these
bills. Then the city attorney has re-
ceived 1854, part of it for preparing
pleadings, copies of papers, etc., for
which he is employed. The council
has also voted $45I TO the hospital for
not ask the attorney general whether
there bill were legal? The same rule
should be applied to all. The city en-
gineer works hard and has been paid
$40 month extra as horse hire, and $40
to $40 month for assistance part of
the time. These items amount to over
$4,000 a year 1t could be charged that
they are illegal with much more certain
ty than in the case of his own bill. The
charter was drawn many years ago, and
it may be that the city cannot be run
as it should be under it, and that these
l.; 10 ha
ell also voted to pay the band $3.50, but
this was not legal. The city has also
paid for arches for celebrations. This
was not legal, but has been done. The
city has had the benefit of the work
and material furnished In the case of
the charter BILL the work has been done,
and the new charter has been prepared
The council has the charter and ought
to pay for the work, Mr. Schmitt
thought.
AID. kleinschmidt said that it would
be well to look into the matter, and
he moved that it be laid over until
the next meeting and then disposed Of
This was carried
The committee on claims and accounts
held out the bill of $3.50 for water
rent for the hospital, and that for $ll 80
for livery rigs for the police during De-
cember and January. The former was
laid over until the next meeting, and
the latter was allowed.
City Attorney Daley was asked what
he is doing about enforcing the bond of
the Practical Gas Construction company
that was given to ensure its building a
gas plant in this city. He replied that
he had given the notice to the surety
company required in the bond, sending it
to the home office in Maryland. He had
received an answer that the company
would take up the matter with the Chi
cago office. The letter also said that
the home office had supposed that the
gas company had completed the plant
in this city. The mayor has since receiv-
ed letter from he home office, saying
that a representative of the gas COM
pany would soon be in Mankato to
present proposition for compromise
or for an extension of time. AS long as
there was talk of settlement, he thought
that he would not enforce matters.
Mayor Taylor said that the ice break
ers are in very bad shape, and should
be fixed if they are necessary to protect
the bridge. The matter was referred to
the street committee to report at the
newt meeting.
The committee on printing reported
thct it had awarded the contract for
p, ,iting 300 copies of the annual report
0 the city engineer to the Free Press
I'D Review at $751;
= Chief Donahue reported two arrests