The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1907-06-07
HOME RULE CHARTER MENTIONED.

HOME RULE CHARTER MENTIONED.
The Sanitary Condition of City is Also
Brought to Councils Atteotioo.
The council was given an exem-
plitication of the accruing wrath of
residents along the "big ditch" be-
tween Poplar and Cedar streets
Tuesday evening, when II. Bur-
chell, j whose residence property
abuts on this pestilence breeding
hole, addressed the body on exist
ing health conditions and the utter
neglect given any proposition for
the Improvement thereof by the
city administration.
Mr.. Burchell stated that he did
not desire to be classed as "kick-
er," but felt impelled to make OBJ
lection to existing conditions, which
he portrayed in realistic manner,
declaring the ditch to be breeding
hole for fever, smallpox and dis.
ease of every description, a menace
to the public health. He further
stated that if the city authorities or
board of health did not take action
to abate the nuisance within linn
tied time application would be
made to the state board of health
for an investigation of the matter
and the reason of this continued
neglect.
The "big ditch" runs along the
course of the proposed lateral sewer
in District No. BE, plans and speci-
tications for which improvement
have been made and are on file. and
for which improvement the council
passed a resolution which, for some
reason known perhaps to himself
and few others, the mayor has
thus far neglected to sign. In JUS
titication of the neglect the Virgin
ian of recent date ascribed the &C.
tion of the mayor to the stringency
of the municipal purse, but this ex-
cuse scarce holds good in the face
of the tact that D. B. Mcdonald,
nearly year ago, offered to finance
the improvement and accept sewer
warrants in payment thereof.
The committee to which was re-
ferred the matter OF numbering the
houses of the city in anticipation
of the prospective establishment of
free postal delivery, reported that
it appeared to be beyond their ef-
forts to formulate plan for this
work which would meet with the
mayors approval, and recommend
ed that the mayor be appointed as
a committee of one to formulate
plan which might meet with his
ideas and report at the next meet
ing. After short recess, however,
and an explanation of the plan now
in vogue in the city it was decided
to continue the present system and
a resolution authorizing the clerk
to purchase numbers for such work
was passed.
A petition for an extension of the
lateral sewer in District No. sc was
presented, and the city engineer
ordered by resolution to prepare
plans and specifications for such
work. This does not take in the
"big ditch" district, 80 presumabl
city finances will not interfere with
the work.
The street railway franchise was
brought forth, but the clerk was in
structed that no reading of the
document would be demanded un-
til after the franchise had been
granted, after the changes made
therein to conform to the ideas of
the Mesaba Traction Co., or the
financial interests behind the CON-
pany. These bids are to be in on
June 18th, and copy of the fran
chise to be bid upon may be seen
at the Office of the city clerk.
The question of sidewalks was
fought out, the attorney quoting
the law relative thereto, and numer-
Gus petitions for such improve
ments were read and notice for con-
struction of same ordered given.
The red tape in connection with
the ordering of sidewalk improve
ments brought forth a matter of
more than passing importance to
residents of the city-the adoption
of Home Rule charter, and while
the talk on the subject was of an
informal nature the proposition for
the drafting of such charter for
submission to the voters at the next
election seemingly met with ap-
proval. If drafted, such charter
should guard against one man
power and should also specifically
DENY the right of any administra.
tion to legally adopt the beauteous
cowslip as the city's municipal
flower. Otherwise the necessity of
changing the present charter would
not be 80 great as present coudi-
tions demand.
Getting New Varieties,
Andrew Johnson, of Maple street,
who has become one of the leadino