The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-06-28
This Cry Goes to City Council;
But Nothing Is Doing.
STOP THE SWITCHING
Rev. A. F. Winter Requests Paving Ter
ritory Be Extended; Business
Before Commissioners.
From Mondays Daily.

FToUi WofiudJ LAZY.
Mankato's city council will take
steps to have the railroad companies
stop their switching across Main
street. w. H. Pay, chairman of a
committee appointed by the Com
mercial club recently to take up this
matter, appeared before the council
this morning. He said that this
switching must be discontinued, and
the necessity of this need not be
discussed. If the council went at
the matter in business-like way,
there was no doubt but what the
thing could be accomplished. If the
railway companies refused to COM
ply with a request, Mr. Pay said
that upon legal advice, he was told
that the council could pass an ordi-
nance prohibiting this switching on
Main street. Mayor Taylor said
that Superintendent E. G. Perkins
would be in the city this week, and
that the council would then take up
the matter with that official.
Judge Lorin Cray also appeared
before the council on behalf of sew
eral business men who had spoken
to him about the stringent traffic or
dinance in Mankato. He said that
the city ordinance ought to be modi-
fed, so as not to be so rigid, es-
pecially concerning the leaving of
vehicles on the wrong side of the
streets, or without lights.
State Law All Right.
Judge Cray stated that the state
law was good one, but it is not
the spirit of any law to have it en-
forced to the letter Two persons
have been arrested so far for leav-
ing their vehicles on the wrong side
of the street. The enforcing sof these
laws on the farmers especially, had
a tendency to drive them away from
Mankato and invite them to go to
other cities on business.
IF anyone is fool enough to drive
into an automobile that is standing
by the curb without lights, he ought
to be run into. Buggies stand for
hours without lights, and I do not
see how unlighted automobiles are
any more dangerous than buggies,"
he said
The traffic officer, said Mayor Tay-
lOr, had done good work At many
llihCo hC was fCIy Will pei
sons who were violating the city or
dinance, advising them to comply
with the law. and often helping
drivers to light up. No action was
taken, however, on this matter this
morning.
Manager E. r. Brown of the Con-
sumers Power company desired to
be given permission to put up a
large electric sign over Front street
on the hill, advertising the Bier
bauer Brewing company. 1t was sug-
gested that he see the property own
ers within block of the place
where the sign is to be raised, and
to get their permission first, after
which the council would take action.
Wants Paving Extended.
Rev. A. F. Winter appeared on be-
half of his parish and wanted the
ond street one block further north,
from Washington to Spring street,
as it was intended to build new
church soon, and hence the paving
was needed. The council decided
that public necessity requires this
paving, and a motion was then made
that the plans and SPECIFICATIONS
made for the other paving, also in
clude this new work.
Bids for the construction of the
base at Washington park were open
ed, the Johnson Brothers being
awarded the contract at their bid of
1928. E.. D. Wilmot's bid was for
$3.50 and that of George E. Char
land was $575.
Liquor licenses were granted to
the following persons, upon their
furnishing of the necessary $4,000
bond:
Frank J. Mettler, 1T South Front
street: sureties, Jacob Wagon and
Joseph Stahl. Peter Klages, 81
North Front street; sureties, Henry
Fricke and Nick Kleinschmidt. John
c. Hagen, 225 South Front street.;
sureties, American Surety company
of New York. Gust l.. Thurm, 221
North Front street; surety, Ameri-
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