New Ulm review., 1912-06-12
FRANKLIN 81. RESIDENTS 0bEC1
TO EXPENSE
William Emmerich viii Take Place
Of Former Night Policeman
,1.u.r. 1.

The first matter requiring the atte11-
tion of the city council at their regular
monthly meeting, was the laying of
watermains, the placing of gates and
hydrants on Franklin street from
Fifth North to Seventh North and on
Seventh North from Franklin street
to Washington street and the grading,
graveling and boulevarding of Frank
lin street from Fifth North to Twelfth
North. The petition. for these inn
provements was decided adversely
when up for consideration last year.
Enough opposition developed at this
meeting to cause the city council to
lay the matter on the table. Those
opposed to the proposed improvement
contended that the expense of bring
ing the first two blocks to the estab-
hshed grade was so much greater than
for the other blocks that it would
work an injustice to them to have the
total expenses assessed on the abut-
ting property owners according to the
frontage and not according to the &C.
tual benefits received.
There is some justice in their con-
tention. In assessing the benefits and
damages accruing to abutting proper
ty owners for local improvements,
the benefits have been invariably as
sessed per lineal foot according to
the frontage. This rule is frequently
inequitable and unjust and works a
hardship on some of the property own
ers. The charter expressly provides
that the Board of Public Works in
their report to the City Council shalf
! give an estimate of the expense OF
making such improvement and the
proportion to be assessed upon the
abutting property. There must be 81
reason for this provision and, in our
opinion, the property owners should
be given an opportunity to appear be-
fore the council and object to the con.
templated Improvement if the benefits
to be assessed appear to them to be
too high. There must be a reason
also for the provision authorizing the.
Board of Public Works for the sake
of convenience or accuracy to divide
the proposed work and improvement
into several divisions or sections, thus
throwing the greater share Of the ex~
pense where it rightfully belongs
This is not offered in a spirit of criti~
cism, but as our construction Of the
charter provisions pertaining to pub
lie improvements.
The request of Chief Henry Engef,
Frank Niemann and Otto Setter, for
an appropriation of $4,000 to- defray
the expenses of the delegates to the
State Firemen's Convention was
granted. The request of Capt. VIM. E.
Koch, Lieut.. Max Burg and Sergt. Jos~
Smasal, for the annual 800 appropria-
ton for Burg's Battery received fav-
orable action.
The rule of furnishing electric Light
I.globes free of charge was abr0eated.
The, globes including the Tungsten
lamps, will, however, be sold to the
patrons of the plant at actual cost.
A third drinking fountain was
agreed upon. In all probability the
fountains will be placed as follows;
One in front of Mrs. G. F. Dongus'
store; one in front of the State Bank
and one at Buenger's corner.
The complaint of several citizens OF
the east end, that Ninth South street
was partially obstructed, was referred
to the committee on streets and the
city attorney.
The mayors appointments of Will
liam Emmerich as night police to suc~
ceed JOS. A. Tauer and of Ernst Sauer
as special police, were approved
Councillors Retzlaff, Ruemke and
Gieseke were appointed a committee
with full power to enter into a con-
tract with j. F. Johnson, of Waconia,
to tear down the brick work of the
old water tower. Satisfactory arrange
ments have been perfected and this
work is already under way
John Ahrens, manager of the "Pi~
rates" baseball aggregation, request
ed for his nine the same privilege ef
using North German park as is en-
joyed by the Athletics" and this mat
ter was referred to the park commit
tee.
]. P. Bolstad, Supt. of the Electric
and Waterworks plant, was authorized
to purchase a new heater.
Building permits were granted to-
Martin Hose, Christ. Ruemke and