The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-12-29

questioned Mr. Humiston about some
of the matters. He had heard that
! the macadam had been taken QUE
! too deep, and that the cost had been
unnecessarily high. He thought it
queer that this stone should be TAX
en- out of one street and simply
! transferred to another.
! Commissioner Humiston could not
say for sure what the cost was but
that three men had been employed
! for about two or three days on this
| day for steam rolling.
Remark BY Judge Cray.
Judge Cray asked him if the prop
erty abutting this street We're not
benefited and if it had not been
wise and proper to assess them for
this paving, to which the witness
replied that he thought it would be
all right, but that it was done to get
rid of the stone. He said that most
of this work was done in hurry
and had to be done before time
could be given to advertise for bids
and let contracts.
The third charge had reference to
the work on retaining walls and
filling on the Eagle Lake hill lead
ing to the green house. Mr.. Humis-
ton said that this was located on an
ordinary street within the city linn
it's and that it was Absolutely neceS-
sary to make the improvement. Sur
plus rock at 81 a load was hauled
to the place and some cement was
used in making the wall, which ell
tailed a cost of $500 or SO. He adj
mitted that it would have been bet
ter to make some plans to start
with, but at first it was not thought
necessary to eXpend very much
money on it. Later it was found
that more money would be needed.
! Did you have contract let?'
was then asked him.
Thought 1t Not Worth While.
mo, because in the first place
while as the cost would not be over
$1C0, but we kept adding to it until
/ it reached this amount"
Judge Cray then called City At
! torney G.. o. Daley. and asked his
advice regarding the letting of con-
tracts, and said that he thought the
| letting OF one contract for number
of small jobs would have been ad-
visable Mr.. Cray thought a joint
contract for the separate pieces OF
work would have proven much bet
ter and cheaper. Mr.. Daley did not
reply to this and Judge Cray then
advised Attorneys Daley and Schaub
to be prepared to argue this ques-
! ton this afternoon.
| With regard to the fourth charge
/ about the filling in of bOulevards
! on Second street from Cherry to
! Byron, Mr.. Humiston said that there
was nothing to show on the min
utes of the books that this matter
: had been taken up in the open coun-
Gil, but that it had been talked over
before the council Mrs. Randall at
tended the meeting at which it was
discussed and simply asked If the
boulevard in front of her residence
would be fixed. The council promised
| to do this.
The cost of this work amounted
! to about 200 Mr. Humiston said,
regarding the street work, that the
property owners themselves took
care of this usually, but in this case
they had neglected to do SO, and the
council then proceeded to do it for
them. "
The retaining wall on Fourth street
and Jackson was the subject of the
fifth charge. The stone used in this
wall also belonged to the city. The
wall was a decided necessity, and
that as long as the stone did not
cost anything, it could be profitaDIy
built. g@ e g.
Mr.. Humiston's Contention.
Mr. Waters said that the dump
was at the foot of Rock street and
that the stone was not dumped but
simply unloaded there for the pur.
pose of storage until such time as
they would come to use. Mr.. Will
lard then asked if Mr.. Humiston
thought that this work was such
as would benefit the property own
ers who should be assessed in case
| this was SO, to which Mr.. HumiSton
replied in the negative. Quite a
J discussion arose as to the question
whether or not the property across
the street would be benefited Mr.
Humiston contended that this piece
of work did not benefit the property
on the north side of the street. He
advised the commissioners to go
over the ground in company with
the city engineer.
I Charge No. 6 was in regard to the
work on Pike street between Cherry
and Jackson streets. This improve
ment was wanted to make sidewalks
There was no overhaul and under or
binary circumstances the property
adjoining would have been assessed
Here Judge Cray thought that the
commissioners should have made
no scruples but that they should
have assessed everything, even the
minute improvements, just as the
property owners were assessed small
sums because the snow from the
sidekalks had been cleaned. He
thought that by reason of these i'm
prOvements the property would in