The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-06-20
Heated Debate Follows Motion to Adopt
Report Of Accountants Announcing
Outside Engineer Had Beea Hired
for Service Of City.
ALDERMAN HERITAGE SAYS
he RESIGNS GUARDIANSHIP
President Boy|an and Alderman Matson
Hold Fast to Principle that Local
People Should be Givea Pre-
cedence in Hiring Men.

Following debate characterized
throughout by heat and fervor, dur.
ing the course of which the lie was
passed between members of the
council and Alderman Heritage
rendered his resignation as chair.
man of the finance committee, the
city council at it's regular meeting
Tuesday night failed to confirm the
report of Mellis, Pirie & Co., char
tered accountants, now conducting
an audit of the books OF this city,
containing the announcement that
a Minneapolis engineer had been
hired to measure up all the curb
and gutter and paying improve
ments made during the past three
years. Aldermen Boylan and Matt
son opposed resolution approx
ing their report on the ground that
they did not believe it necessary to
go outside the city to hire an engi-
neer. The report contained the in
formation that the engineer was to
receive $40 day, rain or shine, for
his work.
The matter first Came to a vote
early in the council session, before
Alderman Heritage arrived, Alder
men Harvey and Keller being ab-
sent also. President Boylan de-
clared himself opposed to the prin-
cipie of going outside the city to
hire an engineer Alderman Nc
Ghee, of the tina nee committee,
stated to the, council that the mat
ter had been left entarei,st to tae>ac-
countants in the interests of the
best service, that the finance com.
mittee might not be open to charges
of bias, and said he believed it was
in the best interests of an efficient
administration Of the service re.
quired. Alderman Boylan express
ed serious doubts as TO the efficien-
cy of the accountants. When the
matter came to a vote the votes OF
President Boylan and Alderman
Mattson were sufficient to defeat it
as under the provisions OF the char.
ter it requires two-thirds vote OF
the council to appropriate money
and the hiring of the special engi
neer was in the nature of appropri
ating funds.
Later in the evening Pr--i,len
| ROylan stated he was willing TO re-
consider as he had no desire tc
hamper the finance committee ir
the matter. An argument followed
in which personalities developed
President BoyIau said he refused
to be bulldozed and when the mat
ter again came to vote it was de-
fea,ed by the same vote az when i
first came up for cons,dera tion
Members of the council did no
tnince words in discussing the out
come. Alderman Heritage accuse,
Alderman Nattson of lack O
judgement.
"That's about as much Judge
ment as you ordinarily use," sal,
Heritage III addressing Mattson.
II see no reason for going outsid
the city to hire people to give u
service which we can secure her
at home" retorted Mattson.
, Alderman McGhee in a sho,
speech deplored the fact that tn
council did not seem to be willin
to stand behind the finance CON
mittee in the discharge of a dut
which had been deleg ated to it wit
full power by the council as a con
mittee of the whole. He said thu
every member of the council ha
> been asked to attend the meetin
of the finance committee at whic
I the action questioned was take
! and regretted that objection ha
not been made at that time.
Following the meeting Alderma
Heritage announced that he wonl
resign the chalrmanship of III
finance committee. His resi- N;
ton to be effective must be file
with the mayor and his friends O
q the council are urging him to r
consider.
The tilt at the meeting of tt
. council, according to informatio
n secured yesterday morning wi
I, have no affect on the plans of II
= accountants. Engineer Sandho
will be retained aud the tinan,
cornmittee will stand on the oronn
O that its action in delegatine f.,
authority to the accountants. mr.
Iviously had the endorsement of II
council.