The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-07-16
Council In Surrender
License Was Granted

city for the next six months. and was
turned down and then brought suit.
is a winner. The suit will eve come
to trial, for the council at the session
this morning made q complete and un-
conditional surrender. City Attorney
Phillips informed that body that under
the license ordinance, as II stood,
there was nothing for the council to
do but to grant the license. The or
dinance did not leave with the coun-
ell the discretion OF granting or refus-
ing n license. No license could be re-
fused without definite cause. Mayor
Meyer, however, remarked that h
ordinance ought to be amended so
that hereafter the council may have
the power of turning down an appli-
cant, without telling the reason why.
On molten by Councilman Lack h
six-months license was granted, on
the payment of a fee of s75.
The New Bridge
Henry Robel, ST., of North Mankato,
appeared before the council and urged
that that body take definite steps In
the direction of getting the new bridge
over the Minnesota river actually
started. He said a delay might necessi
tate the building of the piers In n
favorable weather, which would be
more expensive and less desirable in
many ways.
p. L. Stevens. consulting engineer
of st. Paul. presented to the city
council his application for the job OF
drawing the plans and supervising the
construction of the bridge. He offered
to do it for $3.50. stating that he
considered that more desirable than
TO offer to do IL for a percentage OF
the cost of the bridge. for he might
be able TO save the city money here
and there. and II his contract was for
a stipulated sum. he could practice
such saving without reducing what
he himself was to receive. He stated,
however. that the city should itself. be
expected TO employ the inspector.
Plans Are Too High Priced.
Mayor Meyer said he had found
most of the propositions Of engineers
| too high. He sail he thought Mr.. Stew
ems proposal was even higher than
that OF ether engineers. to draw plans.
SUPERVISE and furnish the inspector,
all for five per cent. The mayor said
he was waiting for what might seem
a reasonable proposition from some
engineer.
Defect In Sewer Construction.
! II. A. Patterson called the attention
! Of the council to the fact that the san
! itary sewer on South Front street. be-
tween Cherry and Liberty. where he
had property, was higher than the
easements of the buildings. That was
! a bad state OF affairs and he thought
something should be done to remedy
IL before the street was paved. He
4 suggested that the city put in a dead
sewer. that might he used at any flu
ture time. when the property owners
should demand rainage to their base
, mcnts. AS il was, the basement drain
aee could be obtained only by elevat-
ing the water into the sewer. Mayor
Meyer said the matter would be cor =
sidered.
counciimen Were Surprised.
There was much surprise among
members of the cou"|l 'owness
of the bids on cemei.t = }. j gutter
for North Front street. .. X. Fowler
bid 3S cents per line Johnson
Brothers. 80 cents pc: Inca! foot; and
Fowler & Pay. 81 cents. The contract
was awarded to Fowler & Pay.
They cannot kick now about high
prices for curb and gutter" Said the
mayor, Il have paid as high as 80
cents"
A license was granted TO A. Nelson
to put In a merry-go-round from
July IL to II. This will be on the lots
N, n1.ttn Tho Cl,nrl-. ,tara x.hara tho
chautauqua was located.
Only One Bidder.
s. X. Fowler was the one bidder on
some sidewalks in West Mankato and
elsewhere. his figure being eight cents
per square foot, but he asked 60 cents
per lineal foot for doing the exca-
waiting I'm some places, and the council
members thought this rather high
The matter was deferred for two
weeks.
Herman Born, owner of property In
front Of which one of these sidewalks
Is to be built. part of lot one, block
two Dukes addition, appeared to pro
test against his being made to stand
the cost of the side walk. as he owned
only the frcnt part OF the lot. and
1 tustC was ho dSstboniCit VII tuC tuoI
who owned the rea part. However
there seemed little chance of his get
ting any satisfaction. and when he
said he could put in the sidewalk more
Cheaply than to have the city do II
aud assess Il. Il developed that the
thirty-day period within which he
could have put in that walk after be-
ing notified had expired.
License to Take Pictures.
Harry Salpeter appeared before the
council and applied for a LICENSE to
take pictures In the city and sell them
He was charged 50 for Just one day.
He thought 1t was strange that Man
kato should require him to have a
license at all. as he worked In other
cities without a license being requir-
ed. The olice ordered him to get a
license here.
A petition for a sanitary sewer and
waterworks extension on Locust
street was referred to Councilman
E!chstaedt and City Engi.eer Blom :
quist.
City Engineer Blomuuist reported
that IL would cost $40. according Ia
his estimate to build a storm sewer
that would drain out the alley back
of the Perrin garge. Mayor Meyer
stated that he had received informa-
ton of various sums that different
property owners who will be bene-
flied are willing to give. The matter
will be taken up later.