The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1911-06-06
Warns City to Become Entangled in
Law Suit Probably Would Mean =.
Useless Expense.
SALOON ORDINANCE Is READ
Next Week Will Be Up For Amend
ment, Final Passage Being Pos
sible Following Monday.

After having sunk $500 in a
septic tank which is to cost, when
completed, in the neighborhood of
$4,000, and which is hoped to pro-
tect the health of the city, although
it admittedly is but an experiment,
the city council at it's regular meet
ing last night, voted to finish the
structure, despite reports from the
city engineer that the cement work
of the tank is defective and that by
putting on the cover which weighs
IS tons it may crumble the struc-
ture.
This action was taken after City
Engineer Carroll of Crookston had
been called in to act as a member of
the board of arbitration, Mr.. Carroll
expressing his belief that the tank
can be safely repaired. He estimat-
ed the cost of new retaining wall
at $500 or that it can be patched up
at cost of 5000.
Johnson Presents Bill for $486.
Tom Johnson. who held the con-
tract for building the tank, informed
the council that if it proposed to
condemn the tank he had a bill of
$486. SO for work up to date This
bill was laid on the table.
You are simply up against it,"
advised City Attorney P. J. Russell.
"You can get into law suit but the
chances are against us for the same
thing has been tried out before and
I believe the city would have to pay
in the end"
Alderman - Brown ended the long
drawn out controversy by making a
motion which carried, to the effect
that the septic tank should be COM
pleted at once, the work to be done
under the supervision and direction
VI Cue CITY euSlucel.
Work Will Start at Once.
Contractor Johnson will at once
proceed to make the necessary re-
pairs and to place the cover on the
tank and he believes that SO far as
the construction of the tank is con-
cerned it will prove successful. Its
value to the city as a protection to
health will only be determined by
actual use. Mr.. Johnson believes it
can be completed within two weeks.
The construction of the tank has
been delayed different times, first be-
cause of a fear that patent rights
were being infringed upon and by
the time this was Strengthened out,
the weather had become so cold that
work had to be suspended for the
winter.
City Engineer Condemns Tank.
When City Engineer Everett came
to inspect the work this spring, he
found that some of the cement walls
were in porous and weakened con-
dition and reported to the council
that in his opinion the tank was
worthless and should be condemned.
Later, board of arbitration was
agreed upon, the city naming City
Engineer Everett while Contractor
TIL hoc
two ultimately decided upon Mr..
Carroll for the final word.
Acting under authority of the
voters who last Wednesday author
lied $4,000 bond issue to finance
the paving of eleven blocks, the
council, last night, passed resolu-
ton issuing bonds to this amount to
the treasury of the state of Mime
sofa and authorizing the city attor-
ney to arrange for the proposed loan.
Saloon Ordinance Read.
The ordinance prohibiting saloons
in all wards other than the fourth
was read for the first time. Two
more readings must be made of the
ordinance before it becomes effective.
At the second reading, next week, the
only opportunity to make amend
ments will present itself for at the
last reading none can be made.
Eight thousand acres of state land
in the vicinity of Warren brought
price of $7.75 per acre last week