The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-12-22
COMMITTEE HAS WORK
NOW WELL UNDER WAY

Investigation into the acts and
methods of the city council has now
begun in earnest. The investigation
committee, which was recently ap
pointed by President Frank Crandall
of the Commercial club, held its
first meeting yesterday afternoon in
the Commercial club rooms in the
city hall. A number of citizens
were present but toward the close
of the meeting they were seen to
leave the hall as the interest waned
Twenty-Five distinct charges were
brought against the city council by
former Street Commissioner E. V.
Waters. He was represented by At
torney Arthur Schaub, who had
drafted the charges. These were
practically the same as those recent
ly printed in The Free Press, with
the addition of fifteen others.
Judge Lorin Cray, chairman of the
committee, presided and took the
charges up in systematic order,
the object being to complete the in
vestigation in as quick time as pos
sible The members of the council
with the exception of Commissioner
Robert Lamm, were present.
How Charges Were Brought.
The charges brought against the
council were not against the work
the city had done. In fact, Mr.. Wat
tiers said that the permanent i'm
provements that the council had made
were all right and that the work
was done in a first class manner
His charges were, therefore, not
against the improvements the coun'
Gil had made, but the manner IN
which the operations were carried
on. He claimed that the methods
were illegal. He also claimed that
the city was little too lavish in
its expenditures.
After Judge Cray had opened the
meeting, Attorney Schaub read the
provisions of the charter in regard
to the charges made. He read Sec
ton eighty-nine and ninety. These
had reference to the letting of con.
tracts.
After the reading of these two sec.
tons. Attorney Schaub then read
sections 144 and AS, which had ref
erence to the assessment of these
improvements and thereupon began
to question Mr.. Waters in about
the following manner:
Waters Was Questioned.
During the time that you were
street commissioner, were you or
dered to do any work Oh Sixth
street between Madison avenue and
Vine street, and if SO of what did
il consist?"
YES, sir, was. The work con.
sisted of making a retaining wall
ard q lot of filing"
"You did the work" asked Schaub.
Yes, sir, with men under me. of
course"
"who ordered you to do this
work."
"Mr. Humiston"
"How much did the work cost?''
About $780,"
state the exact figures"
This Mr.. Waters was unable to
do, as he had never taken any eX.
act record of each job except in a
few cases, but he said that he esti
mated the work to cost about $3.50
which was paid for by the city, out
of the permanent improvement fund.
Did Not Keep a Record.
tiers for few moments, in which
he elected the admission that Wat
tiers did not keep an exact report
of the expenditures on the different
jobs, for the reason that he had
never been asked to do SO.
Judge Cray took up the questioning
He asked about the necessity OF
building this wall. Waters admitted
that it was an absolute necessity as
it was positively dangerous at times
After marking down few notes,
Judge Cray then took up the second
charge in regard to the macadam
road on Main street between Fifth
and Sixth streets. According to
Waters this work was never order
ed by the council, there was no ad
vertising for bids, and the cost was
never assessed to the property bene.
fitted. This charge contained four
statements, the last being that the
city commissioners wrongfully took
out of the city treasury over $3.50
to pay for it. On the whole, the
same set of questions were asked
by Attorney Schaub for every charge
to which Waters made answers
often figuring at length in his mind
the cost of the various improve
ments. He was uncertain at times
about the figures.
In each case Waters was called
upon to explain in detail what each
job of work consisted, and to state
the estimated cost, when it was
done, and out of what fund it was
paid.
The work in charge No. 2 was
done in July and was ordered by
one member of the council. Waters
claimed that the adjacent property
should be assessed and that bids
should have been advertised.
Eagle Lake Hill Improvement.
The charges in No. which had
to do with the filling on the Eagle
Lake hill. leading to the green
house, were then considered. These
were practically the same as in the
former ones. and Attorney Schaut
said that they could be proven by
looking through the minute book oil
the council proceedings. He sub
mitted these charges to the minutes
and records of the council. The cos
of this improvement was charged
to the permanent improvement fund
Waters then explained that the
time put on each job was not shown
and that no records had been KEEP