The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-07-17

y ira uuty at k0c CAtUtNdi Was
. allowed to the extent Of st2. ,
9 Chief Of Police klugherz also .
= claims the honor Of having =
. captured the guilty sutolst, =
. but presented no claim for =
. the reward. =
Attorney II. L. Schmltt and the
city council are far from being OF
one mind as to what the city owes
that attorney for the services he has
rendered as special council for the
city in the gas rate Investigation
Mr.. Schmitt at this mornings meet
ing OF the city council put in claim
for 1920, but the council allowed
him only 500. ."
In his communication, Mr.. Schmitt
states that according to the under
standing he had with w. J. More
hart of the gas rate investigation CON-
mission, the, city was to allow him
500 for his services, in addition
to what expenses he had to meet, and
II was further understood between
them that in case the city had It'll
cation over the gas question, Mr..
Schmitt was to be further employed
as council for the city. Mr.. Schmitt
went on to state that the city had
failed to live up TO It's side OF the
agreement after the fling OF a suit
over the gas rate ordinance, and
had engaged a different attorney.
Mr.. Schmitt figured out that the city
now owed him, taking into considera-
ton the 500 that was to be paid
for his services in the original in
vestigation, the expense he had been
under and the city's failure to live
up to its agreement, a total OF 800.
What The Mayor Understood.
Mayor Meyer remarked that he had
never understood that Mr.. Schmitt
was TO have more than 800 for
what he did for the city, and at
his suggestion a motion was passed
ordering a check to be drawn in
his favor for 800, provided he was
willing to accept that amount in
full settlement. =
City Attorney Schaub is being as
sisted in his litigation between the
Consumers Power company and the
city by Attorney S. B. Wilson.
A hearing was held by the council
today on the assessment for the
grading and boulevarding OF North
Fourth street from Elm to Lafayette
and Madison avenue from Broad to
Fifth, the total assessment amount
ing to S4,SSs.65. City Engineer
Blomquist stated that the assess
ment had been made the same on
both sides, except that the corner
property was assessed for the length
OF the long side only. The frontage
of these lots was assessed, but
from the assessment of the sides
of Madison street was deducted
the length of the front. He said
that on Fourth street the assess
ment amounted to SIPS per front
foot. A.-E.
Property Owners object.
There was quite an aggregation of
property owners who did not wish
TO be assessed for the grading of the
whole width OF Fourth street, as 1t
was extraordinarily wide. and part OF
II was TO be made into boulevard.
They said they did not believe in
paying for that part of the street
that the city owned In fee simple,
having bought Il from the railroad
company. Mayor Meyer reminded
them that the city at it's own ex-
pense had put in the storm sewer.
At this, several declared that the
storm sewer did them no good, and
one man was heard to exclaim that
1t was a detriment. Some said they
ought not to pay so much as their
neighbors, because In the grading
less was cut away from their own
property. To this the reply was
made that the benefit of the street
and boulevard was about equal to
all the property abutting,
The result of It all was that the
council merely went through the
form OF setting the time for hear
ing on the confirmation Of the as
sessment two weeks from today.
Hearing on Curb and Gutter.
This was the day for the hearing
on the question OF curb and gut
ter on the two blocks of Byron
street and James avenue, where
those two thoroughfares meet end
TO end. A protest was read from
Misses Caroline c. and Mary c. Hall.
to the effect that they did not deem
the improvement at present neces-
sary. Theodore Williams, another
property owner. said he did not
think the curb and gutter should
be ordered In before It was deter
mined where the street actually was.
-. - 4.