Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1912-03-12
PEOPLE TO VOTE ON CITY
HALL.
Council Has Heated Argument on oues-
ton at Its Last Session.

At, the council meeting held last
Tuesday evening the city hall ques-
tion was again brought up for discus
sion through communication pre-
sented by alderman Fred Mohr, and
wherein he attacked those aldermen
opposing the letting of the contract
for building new city hall at for
mer meeting, questioning their hon.
esty and sincerity in the matter. Mr..
Mohr's 0mmunication set forth the
following facts, which he intended
should guide those members of the
council, who were not fully Informed
on the matter, in casting their vote
on a motion to reconsider the resolu-
tion, which called for putting the
building of city hall this year to a
vote of the people:
"The city owned two lots of the site
known as the market square; in 1903
the city purchased four additional
lots for $4,500, and two more lots
were decided over to the city at the
same time: in addition to the market
square site another lot of eighty feet
frontage on the corner of Second and
Forest streets was donated to the
city for market square purposes.
A condition governing the sales
and donations to this land was, that
the city within ten years erect city
hall on this site, or otherwise the
property must be decided back to the
original owners for the purchase price
of 81, 500, this amount not bearing
any interest nor were there to be any
taxes charged against the property.
The time for building the city hall
to expire in April, 1913. Further, that
the city would have to pay for the
buildings that were on the property,
and were sold and caused to be moved
away. The city would lose a con-
siderable sum by relinquishing It's
rights to the property, the same now
being worth considerable more than
at the time of the city acquiring the
ownership. The city now has $40, ,00C
! in the city hall fund, which with the
sum that could be obtained fol the
present city hall property, from 5000
to $4,000, would very nearly pay for
building new city hall-the con-
tract for the proposed building being
S57, ,O0O These facts should be suff1-
cient for every sane man to consider
that the opposing members of the
council have no honorable argument
against awarding the contract for q
new city hall. A plain proof is that
the leading opposition. members Of
the finance committee, underhandedly
juggled with the city hall fund above
supreme court decision"
1t is a surprise that some members
of the council can see no danger IL
losing this most valuable site, some
of them being so small as to say that
the city could build city hall in sly
days, to retain the rights on the
ground. One of the opposing mem
bers originally voted for the city hal
fund, to gain political prestige. That
every one who opposes the city hal
shows he is an enemy to organized
labor, for the new city hall would bt
the first public building in WausaU
to be union job. Two members
told and admitted that they were
seeking personal revenge, regardless
of what the city would lose thereby
In concluding his communication
Mr.. Mohr says: 81 will further make
broad statement that the resolution
introduced by the Hon. of the Fourth
ward was not the genius of one man
for it sounded so much like the one
introduced two years ago, and thai
there was a consultation in a wes
side paint shop cannot be denied"
Alderman Schulze made motion
to reconsider the resolution calling
for a submission of the question to ;
vote of the people at the election OF
April 2, whereupon very heated de
, bate enSued between Aldermen
Schulze and Delaney. Some very bit
ing remarks were passed between
these two gentlemen, which alsC
caused Aldermen Ellenbecker anC
Rifleman 10 take hand in the de
, bate, and things became so persona
and contrary to the rules of debat,
that Mayor Lamont was forced tt
call halt and put the motion to
vote of the council. The motion tt
reconsider was lost by the following
vote: Ayes-Grob, Weisbrod, Mohr
Ed. Lemke, Eggebrecht, Schulze
Peters, H. Lemke, s. Noes-Delaney
Koshman, Rifleman, Schmidt, Fecht
ner, Pierce, Ahrens, Sorges, Ellen
becker, Ronek, 10.
The question of whether or not q
new city hall should be built thi
year, will be left to the voters. Al
they decide so the new council will
act in the matter, and eYerybod!
hopes that this will finally settle tht
city hall question.
The car shortage seems to be no
as pronounced as it was a few colo
weeks ago. Milder weather has eyi
IDENTIFY put the wheels in motion