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

City Engineer ii. 4. BlOmQulSt looh
the witness stand yesterday after
noon before the investigation COM
mittee which is looking into the
charges preferred by former Street
Commissioner E. V. Waters. Both
gentlemen explained what the i'm
provements, for which the council is
charged with doing by illegal meth
DDS, consisted of, and how and why
the work was done. They explained
the cost as nearly as they could
ascertain, and showed just how the
council dealt with these improve
mentS.
Arthur Schaub, who is attorney
for Mr.. Waters. did a little cross
examining, but did not secure any
admissions of Importance. The
charges were taken up in the same
order as on the previous session and
these were then answered by the
witnesses.
The chief questioning seemed to
be in regard to the right of the
council to make these improvements
without bidding and letting contracts
and the alleged violation of the
charter in not assessing the prop
STly UeuSul6u. MI. "do
asked to explain the work actually
done in each charge and then give
the cost or approximate cost. He
explained as nearly as he could re-
member the details of construction
and the benefits derived by such i'm
provements, and also gave approx
mate costs. There were, however,
only two charges that he admitted
that he alone was to blame.
Regarding Charge No. I.
Charge No. l had reference to the
work on Sixth street between Madi-
son and Vine. Mr.. Humiston said
that this work consisted Of a sewer
which had caved in, and the charter
made provision that the street force
was to repair the sewers, especially
in such dangerous places. In mis-
opinion the cost was not more than
500. He admitted that the state
ments against him brought up under
headings one, two and three as fol-
lows, were true:
First. This work was never order
ed by the council, and the minutes
of their meetings show it was never
considered at any meeting
Second. That the commissioners
did not advertise for bids on this
work as directly required by Sec
ticns SO and 80 of the city charter.
Third That the cost was never
assessed to the property benefited.
However, he said that this was
not new work, but simply repairs,
and therefore the above rules did
not apply. -,:-.U. agga ..-g
Explained the Work Done.
Commissioner Humiston explained
that the street commissioner kept a
card on which was marked the time
mt IN bv the men on each job, and
he salaries for labor that was ex.
Derde6 At first. he did not know
Or such card system, and had or
dered book printed in which he
marked these records for himself
after receiving the information from
the street commissioner. He later
learned that Commissioner Waters
had kept this system, but he con-
tinued to keep his own book system
for his private use until recently.
AS soon as he stopped marking down
these figures in the book, he said,
Mr.. Waters also stopped using the
cards as formerly, but that he did
not know it until recently. Hence
no accurate figures could be given
as to the cost of these improve
ments.
Waters Marked Bills.
When the bills came in for thu
labor, he said that Street Commits
sioner Waters marked on each one
from what fund this money should
be drawn and as he had had former
experience along this line of work
the councilmen merely looked the
bills over, saw that the money was
taken from the proper fund, and paid
the bills. 1t was the custom of Mr.
Waters to make reports from these
cards to the city engineer
Charge No. was then taken up
which pertained to the work on
Main street between Fifth and Sixth
Mr. Humiston explained that the
rocks used here were such as would
either have to be made some use
or or taken to the dump at Rock
street. So he suggested that the
rock be used on Main street, which
was done. The only cost was thai
OF hauling the stone and rolling 1t
Judge Cray, who presided, ther