The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-08-14
Messrs, Porter and Haynes
Must Face Certain Charges
COUNCIL DECIDES TO PROCEED NOW AGAINST
THE TWO CITY OFFICIALS.
Both Men Decline to Resign Take Statement to the
Aldermen Last Night; Want to Wait Until
Investigating Committee Reports.

! The council held a short meeting
last evening and decided to proceed
with the charges against President Por-
! ter of the board OF public works and
I City Engineer Haynes without wait
ing for the report of the investigating
committee. City Attorney Schmitt has
been out of the city, and to allow him
time to prepare the charges, an adj
! iOurnment was taken until Thursday
evening, when it is expected that for
NAL charges will be filed against the
two officials mentioned Ten days no.
tice will then have to be given, before
the hearing on the charges can take
place.
included members OF the investigating
committee and attorneys who will
doubtless appear for the accused when
the time comes. Mayor Andrews in
vited these to take seats within the
railing.
Mayor Andrews explained the pur
pose of the meeting. He said that after
the last council meeting the matter
of having the two officials resign
had been taken up privately by the
council at a meeting with these Off
Gals and they had asked until this
evening to decide what they would
do.
Mayor Andrews also presented the
following communication from the in
vestigating committee:
Urge Repair of Well.
"Hon. j. w. Andrews, City. Dear
Sir: Your committee of investigation
has commenced it's labors, and realizing
that one of the immediate needs is an
adequate supply of pure water, we
have examined the artesian well at the.
corner of Broad and Washington
streets, and find that water variously
estimated at from $50 to $50 gallons
per minute is coming up outside of the
well casing and going to waste.
s'We believe that an effort should be
made to. clean. out this well and to
put down AN inside. casing and fasten
same into the. rock. securely with a
wall packer, cand recommend that this
work be undertaken immediately. If
successful, it win result in saving the
flow of water at small cost, and the
well can be connected directly into
the city supply pipe, which is within
a few feet of the well, insuring pure
water =i'S+a~1s So S~51 -
sAs the city now has an abundant
supply of good water from the last
well put down and from the gas COM
pany's wells, we further recommend
that the matter of letting a contract
for another well be deferred until the
result of work on the Broad and
Washington street well can be ascer-
tanned. If the water now flowing from
the Broad street well into the sewer
can be added to our present supply, it
will be of material benefit If this
cannot be done, the well will have to
be- plugged in some manner, so as to
avoid future trouble. Respectfully sub
mitted, IF M. Currier, chairman; r. r..
Brown, secretary '.
is2 & Purpose of Committee. 4'
Mayor Andrews said that there was
a misunderstanding as to; the purpose
of the investigating committee, and he
asked Chairman Currier to state what
the purpose of the committee was.
Mr.. Currier said that there seemed
to be misapprehension on the part
of the public as to the. scope of the
committees work. 1t did not intend
to investigate individuals, but the wa
ter and sewer systems. 1t would prob
ably have to take testimony, but it
had no legal power to secure it, and
witnesses summoned did not have to
comes 1t would take several weeks and
possibly months before report could
be made, as it was proposed to make
the investigation thorough.
AID. Gary moved that the communi
cation be referred to the committee
on waterworks and George NJ. Palmer
with power to act, but it was found
that the records showed that this had
already been done.
Aid. Atchison moved that the COM
munieation be placed on file, and said
that all of the aldermen would be
glad to appear and give what Informal
ton they could to the committee. The
motion was carried.
Mayor Andrews said that the meet
ing was now open for any business
coming before it.
Refuse to Resign.
Aid. Atehison said that he took it
that the object of the meeting was to
hear whether the two officers in ques-
ton were prepared to resign, and he
wound like to hear from them.
President Porter said that he had
been considering the matter since the
last meeting, and he, had come to the
conclusion to ask the council to defer
further action until the investigating
committee had reported. He had not
expected that it would take as long as
stated to complete the investigation.
He made this request for the reason
that most of the citizens are unaware
of present conditions and how they
| have been in the past. When the re-
port is presented, there might be a