New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1914-01-28
Armory Petition
Is Chloroformed
Fire Fighters Put Quietus on
Further City Donations
Typhoid Fever Quite Preva.
lent. City Water Sus-
pected.

,"How many times may a man
change his mind" seemed to be the
question before the city council last
Monday evening. The big bone Of
contention was the deferred action on
the petition for further funds for the
new armory. Petition, counter-pe-
tition and protest in which the same
names were featured on both sides
Of the question confused the council
till they laid the matter on the table
till further light should be shed on
the complex problem.
Before the Armory fireworks be-
gan the meeting was opened with a
report from Doctors Schoch and
Reineke, stating that New Ulm seems
to be threatened with serious Jy-
phoid epidemic. DR.. Reineke, speak
ing for the Board of Health, re-
quested that proper steps be taken to
see if the contagion could be traced
to the city water supply. It seems
that early last November a test OF
one of the wells upon which the city
depends for its water supply was
found to contain typhoid germs and
was promptly closed. A later report
from test Of the water from this
we'll, dated Jan. Gath indicates that
typhoid germs are still present tho
not in dangerous quantities. 1t was
finally decided to call in the State
Board of Health to investigate the
situation.
With this matter closed, the ar
mory project was taken up. Captain
Albert Steinhauser appeared in be-
half of the signers Of the protest
against any further aid for the ar
mory from the city council. Mr..
Steinhauser made it clear at the
start that he was friendly to the band
but, nevertheless, felt called upon to
protest against further aid to the
project. He said in part. ."sYou must
consider, gentlemen, that the money
appropriated for this purpose goes
into a state building over which New
Ulm will not have the slightest con-
troll. The city of New Ulm will have
absolutely nothing to show for their
money. This certainly is not good
business. During the last year the
tax rate in New Ulm has been raised
twenty per cent. Now $4,000 has
already been raised for the armory
and you will find this $4,000 more
than any city outside the Twin Cities
has spent on a like project. We are
told that this additional expense is
needed to house our band But with
only two companies practicing in the
building there would seem to be no
reason why the band could not find
an evening to use the main floor of
the building for practicing purposes.
Now New Ulm could use this mon
ey to much better advantage for
really needed improvements. A mile
of concrete road could be construct
ed; five city blocks might be paved;
it would go a long way toward a
municipal slaughter house or a heat
ing plant or a gas plant. Finally it
might be used to house the fire de-
partment that has done SO much to
protect your property during the last
thirty years without receiving the
slightest part Of the recognition they
deserve"
Mr. Henry Engel then warmly
championed the cause Of the fire de-
partment and presented protest
signed by 43 Of the 49 members of
the fire department against doing
any more for the armory until the
fire department had been cared for,
Phillip Liesch then appeared on
behalf of the armory enthusiasts.
His remarks on the whole were a
rebuttal of the statements presented
, by Mr.. Steinhauser He submitted
that the city has frequently voted
funds for projects which offered no
immediate returns to the city and
nothing had hitherto been said about
it. The taxes had been raised, to be
sure, but if the town could afford to
raise the tax rate by voting 100000
for school purposes, the council was
certainly justified in voting a sum
for the band. The increase in the
tax rate was not alarming for it
was general thruout the country. The
plea of the fire department he desig-
mated as a club held over the heads
of the council by the opposition. The
large armory was needed for public
exhibitions such as poultry shows.
Finally he presented a counter petit
ton in favor Of granting funds for
the armory. One fourth of the sig
natures Of his petition he said were
those OF men who had changed their
views from the time they signed the
first paper opposing the armory.
Ferdinand Crone then made a for
NAL request for $4,000 from the
council for the project and submitted
that the request was not at all out
4 of the way when the concerts given
kby the band were considered.
Councillor Pfaender then declared
that the council had already appro-
~ 4
that $4,000 more would mean 500 of
the 1914 tax levy. It would be i'm
possible, he declared, to carry on the
business Of the city for the coming
year if such a sum as this was voted.