The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-04-24

Thompson ravine, should be leveled,
drained, and surfaced with gravel or
fine stone.
first removing the large stones that are
in the street, then properly drained
and leveled. The character of the
soil is such here as to require nothing
more, and the expense of putting it
in good condition would be trihing
North Third street, between Vine
and Lafayette, should receive your
early attention since it is a street
much travelled, and was a good street
before the railway was placed there.
North Sixth street, between Main
and Washington, is uneven, not well
drained and in places the crossings
are two or three inches higher than
the street
If in your Judgment, and that of
the city attorney and street committee,
any of this work should be assessed
to the property owners, please proceed
legally with the matter at once.
None of these improvements which
| have above recommended will be very
expensive, and this city cannot afford
to be talking good roads to the farm
er and allow these streets to remain so
badly out of repair. Respectfully sub
mitted, ]. w. Andrews, mayor
Resuming Aid. Atchison said that he
had also received the following letter
from Mayor Andrews, at the same time
with the other communication: Alder
man George Atchison, city, Dear Sir:
sent YOU this morning copy of a
list of work which | asked the board
of public works to have done. Please
take this up with the street committee
and make report of the same as
in your Judgment is wise Yours truly
j. W. Andrews
Sounded Like the Car.
Aid. Atchison said that the street
committee had taken the matter up
during the day, but had concluded to
do all of the work called for would
cost $4,000 1t had been the custom
heretofore to persons wishing improve
ments made to at least consult with
the street committe. The Car of all
the Russians never issued stronger
command than this order of the mayor
to the board of public works. Four
or five weeks ago the mayor had given
the council lecture on the necessity
of being cautious in making expendi-
lures of public money.
'Under the gross mismanagement of
the present city engineer, large part
of the past years expenditures had been
wasted, and the work had been botched,
and the mayor knew it. The street
committee would under no circumstances
cause such an amount of money to be
expended nor. for any purpose where
1T was not absolutely necessary. There
was not an improvement made last
year, about which there was not trou-
bic The street committee had decided
that in view of the circumstances
it would not undertake much work this
year." .. S. s 80
Mismanagement Charged.
Contractor Coughan would fix all the
depressions on Fifth street. The i'm
provement of North Broad street had
already cost, the city $l.5OO whereas
the city engineer had said that it would
cost practically nothing. 1t would
cost at least $1,000 to grade I'D the
streets to the street car track. and
the committee felt that this was a
great amount of money to spend this
year under the present management
About election time year ago the
republican candidates had pleged them
selves to keep down public expendi-
lures.
1t should be done this year, and
$4,000 more of the bonded indebted
ness paid off. The waterworks depart
ment was the most ably managed de-
partment in the city government
Last year a great deal of public
money was paid out uselessly. be-
cause of Encouragement. Money ex-
pended under the present management
of the streets would be thrown to
the winds, and he thought that the
street committee was prepared to prove
this. He would like as much as
anyone to see the streets i'm good
condition, for he had given good
deal of his time to this work. The
street committee would give no.
tice that it would keep the streets in
necessary repair, but would spend no
such an amount of money as
was called for. The mayor means
well, but was not acting wisely.
Would Not Cost Ten Thousand Dollars,
Mayor Andrews took, the floor and
replied with good deal of feeling,
that increased as he proceeded. He
said that he was an ex-officio member
of every committee of the coun-
Gil. He had addressed the com
munication to the board of public
works, because he wanted to see the
work done. At the same time he had
verbally informed the members not to
do anything until the matter had been
brought before the council, and he had
sent copy of the communication to
Aid. Atchison as chairman of the
street committee, asking the commit
tee to bring the matter up as seemed
best. He would be glad to take the
contract to do all the work recommend
ed for $4,000, and would come out
money ahead. The cost had not been
estimated by the aldermen or they
would not have made such statement
as had been made r,
If the city did not have competent
engineer it must have one. 1t was up
to somebody to see to this. But he
believed that the city had one, and
the work should be done. The streets
were worse than the country roads
Farmers had been complaining about
In cd, l. l. Il