The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-03-30

Dinnie refused to prostitute the citizen
ry to state politics and support the
Winship gang.
"Shnll we have ms mayor of the
City Of GRIND Forks n mnn who has
the time to devote to his private
: interests, but not to the interests
ind welfare Of the people, or shall
: always stands ready to give his best
F: time md brains to the city's up
building, ms John Dinnie has done
in the past" were the clarion words
of Mr.. Bangs.
This is matter of absolute i'm
portance and is vital to the prosperity
of the city. We have had as mayor
for the past two years man who is
engaged in Il private business, which,
to be as successful as it has been, for
he came here not more than six or
eight years ago with nothing and is
reputed to be worth from $4,000 to
$4,000 now, of necessity requires his
entire time and attention. / say,
gentlemen, that no man can success
fully do two things at one time. His
oath was to serve you as citizens, but
this he has failed to do. Neglect has
been disclosed in almost every depart
ment. The records show it. l ask no
man to take my word for it. Visit
the Offices of the auditor and treas
urer and learn for yourselves
"All this hue and cry about the
gang" and the machine. is being made
to conceal the true state of affairs.
The Duis crowd has practically adj
mitted defeat on every issue that has
been presented, and they know it and
have attempted to inject state politics
in order to mislead and distract atten-
ton from the real issues.
Referring to Mayor Duis' wanton
neglect, the first matter I would call
attention to is the matter of the raise
in the personal property assessment
of Grand Forks by the State Board OF
Equalization. Four years ago when
an unjust raise was threatened, at the
request of Mayor Dinnie, City Auditor
Brown journeyed to Bismarck and ex-
planned conditions to the members OF
the board. AS result there was no
raise.
''In August 1905, however, the board
raised the assessment on personal
property in this city 16 per cent, fur
Their burdening the business men and
citizens, and nothing was done by
Mayor Duis to try to avert the raise.
"In the conduct of our filtration
plant is to be found another instance
of gross negligence. You have un-
doubtedly read of it in the papers.
The water in the filter was always pure
during the administration of John
Dinnie, but what is the record of his
successor in Office. l hold in my hand
a chemical analysis of water taken
from the filter about three weeks ago.
The analysis was made by Prof. Bah
cock of the State University and 1t
shows contamination by organic mat
ter which should not be there were
the water properly filtered. You all
know that the efficiency of filter de-
ponds almost entirely on the sand.
Prior to 1905 from eighty to hundred
carloads of sand were brought into the
city every fall for use in the filter
ing plant during the winter months
THE real trouble with the filter to-
day is that insufficient amount of sand
is being used, and what sand is used
is clogged with filth taken from the
river. According to a statement from
DR.. H. NJ. Wheeler, printed in The
Herald four years ago, the safe limit
on depth of sand is four feet, but the
record of month ago shows not to
exceed thirty inches"
Il assert again that there has been
no actual head to this city for the past
two years, but on the other hand too
much experimentation and tomfool-
cry"
Mr.. Bangs then took up the matter
of the expenditures and cost of con-
Quoting the city's affairs during the
administrations of Dinnie and Duis,
comparing the two and showing the
average cost per year under the lat
ter's administration was many thou
sand dollars greater than under the
formers. The exact figures are given
elsewhere in this issue.
The expense of maintaining the
health department has been practical
ly doubled under the Duisl regimeS
the street department has been more
expensive to the extent of $1,000 per
annum; and all other departments
show like increases.
At this juncture a gang of hood
lums, presumably in the employ of the
Duis workers, gathered around the
outside of the opera house and made
a demonstration. Beating tin pans and
shouting seemed to be the main
method of showing disapproval of the
rally in the opera house. The noise
interrupted Mr. Bangs temporarily and
he caustically remarked that he
guessed Duis was having a meeting
outside. This is fair sample of the
methods of campaigning that have
been waged by him the past four
weeks"
The speaker then took up the matter
of franchises. He cited as fair ex-
ample of the inattention of the present
executive to the welfare of the people,
his utter lack of knowledge of the
fact that by the terms of its contract
with this city, the Tri-State Telegraph
& Telephone Co., is liable for the
payment two per cent gross earn
ings tax. Reference was also made
to his granting right of way in per-
petuity to the International Harvester
trust for spur track to be built by
the Great Northern to its warehouses
I'm this evenings edition of the Plain
dealer. or Evening Press or whatever
may be its latest adopted name. an at 3
tempt was. made to justify Mr.. Duis
In thus swearing away the property of
the citizens forever and without q
cents compensation. l think you with
all agree with me that this is no
pauper institution. 1t can we'll af-
ford to pay for what it gets in fact
did nav 81 500 to the American Buscuit