The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-06-16
William Lennon, Former Mayor, Says
Council Has Been Doing Best
1t Could.
IMPROVEMENTS VALUED AT
MADE SIS, 900 ON S., 900 DEBT
Warrants Will be Paid Off in a Few
Year. if Water and Light Plant
. Keep Operating.

- ..1ts T.A.@ EFEEE5 81 taESg. %.-E#.-@5
Kelliher, June 16-Considerable
excitment has prevailed in Killiher
during the last few days owing to
the public examiners recent report
on the condition of the school, vii
lage. and township funds, which it is
alleged was secured by a faction
which lost in recent political fight.
The village and township are in a
rather peculiar predicament.
The village council for the last
two years has been doing the best
they could for me aud for the re-
sidents of Kelliher," said William
Lennon, former mayor of the village.
in an interview last evening. The
actions of the city officials have
been necessitated by our conditions.
Our power house, city hall,
electric light and water plant, in
Guiding steel tank, cost the city as
its share about $4,000, and we did
it on $4,000 bonded indebtedness
and cash and warrants to the extent
Of the balance" said Mr.. Lennon.
We have a village at present show
ing $4,000 Improvements and only
$4,000 bonded indebtedness.
Naturally. some ofthe warrants
had to wait for payment, but it
was absolutely uecssabysto keep our
water and light plant in operation
as we have no other wells, so we
diverted the current income to the
payment of the current expenses.
Our plant here is certainly pay
ing proposition. For instance, this
last month expenses were $3.50 and
the income was $3.50.
We have $4,000 annually coming
into the treasury and are we'll able to
take care of all the warrants within
few years, and what is more, Smith
and Johnson, who petitioned the
board of county commissioners to
send the public examiner, as we'll as
every citezen and tax payer in the
village and township, knew and know
today these facts as we'll as do"
Recorder Pfund, formerly mayor
of Kelliher said, Every dollar of
money paid out by former Recorder
McGill and myself can be accounted
for with receipts and it was all hon
silly spent. In fact the village owes
McGill sos as was shown by the
public examiners report. ...~
The two liverymen of this town
are both members of the council.
We have to get teams once in
awhile. How in thunder are we
going to get liveries without paying
money to one of these two men?
When members of the council sub
nit the lowest bids for road work
they get it."
The examiner objects when we
pay out cash to local people in
stead Of warrants but he did not
declare illegal the item in our
accounts of $3.50 in each to the,
state treasurer for the state ineb-
rate fund. We sent our order
down the state treasurer and he
demanded the cash, there being a
10 per cent discount on our warrants
at that time. We finally gave the
state treasurer the cash, but the
public examiner has not marked this
illegal.
We got one over, through, on
the public examiners Office a few
days ago." Mr.. Pfund half humor-
ously added. Two books were.
sent to the village by express from
that Office. Thes charges had not
been paid in advance and as l
could not pay the company, under.
the examiners direction, wrote to
ST Paul and asked them how they
expected me to get those books. I
also mentioned that there are con-
stantly freight and other items simi.,
lar to this coming to the village
which must be paid for in cash and
the companies refuse to accept war