The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1916-12-21
CITY COUNCIL NOTES.

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The Gray Robinson Company was
there with communication explaining
why they cannot carry out sewer
contract in the 7th ward. They say 1T
is mainly because of bad weather and
lack of labor. 1t went to Nc 'Keough
and he came back later With demands
to know why the city engineer.isn
present TO say whether he permitted
the contractors to quit till spring as
has been alleged. The mayor defend.
ed the engineer and said that an officer
cannot alter city contract. Nc.
Keough said: "He changes 8 out of 10
of them" He then moved that the
engineer be ordered to be present at
all council meetings unless he has
good excuse and then wanted to change
it because, he said, "hell have a good
excuse, all right" 1t carried with
Georgenson and Thompson voting
No" The sewer matter went over.
The property owners on the block
OF Lake and Fourth streets between
Chicago and State streets, the i'm
provement of which was actually
started last week, protested against
the carriage way of "A feet and want it
80 feet. They also want all under
ground work done before it is surfaced.
One of the owners, Miss Rechcygel,
wants her assessment remitted entire
ly for work which she says she has
done in saving the street from the
lake. 1t was all referred.
Some property owners on St. Clair
street had a counter petition on file
protesting against the paving of that
street. Some similar petitions pro
testing against paving 10th street
were also read and referred.
Several matters respecting the
Chamber of Commerce investigation
into the high cost of living were re-
ferred to Thompson. He seemed to
doubt their finding that it costs less to
live here than elsewhere and said
Sheboygan pays thousands of dollars
less for the same quantity of bread
per year.
Tax paying time was extended from
February first to March first. Me-
Keough initiated it but said he did it
SO that II it is to carry it be done now
a. the beginning SO everyone will know
o. il before paying.
The mayor thought the pending or
dinance to add to sewer district ter
ritory is illegal and said that they
have II districts in Janesville through
inability to add TO the old ones. The
ordinance will come up later.
The High Falls Company's communi-
cation asking for approval Of power
transmission line waa tabled on rec
ommendation OF the comTittee on
utilities. They said that it can be
taken up at any time that action
seems to be necessary.
The utilities committee were auth
orized TO have light AID water bills
distributed hereafter as is the Gas
company's practice.
Georgenson started something by a
mJtlon to ascertain who the street car
company is selling power to and in
structthg the attorney TO file written
opinion as to its authority to do so.
Nc keough was insistent in demands
to know why it had been permitted to
sell power. The mayor said he had
former electric company had no day
service. The molten to find out who is
buying carried unanimously.
Nc keough then amended the other
part to read that the attorney report
whether the company ever had auth
GRITTY to sell electric power. The dis
cussion wandered all over the land
scape. The mayor said; Don't get
excited about the High Falls question.
1t is not political but economical.
Shall we buy from the coal trust or the
water power trust? That's the ques.
tion. We cannot condemn the coal
mines but we, or the state, can acquire
the water power electrical plants. We
can't keep them out but we can get
the price down and maintain our city
monopoly of distribution. Bigel
wouldn't trust low price contract
saying that the railroad commission
will raise the rate and the mayor said
the contract could be bonded.
Schuetze said that they couldn't give
lower rate than Green Bay gets and
the mayor replied that the city as sole
local consumer would be big consum.
Ell and also could get large rental for
its plant as a reserve auxiliary. Get
ting back to the question the attorney
was instructed to hold his opinion till
it is called for the idea being TO not
work a cessation of the Traction Com
pany's power service until the city's
plant is ready to offer the service.
Georgenson moved that the old reso-
luton TO purchase the West Side Pow
er Company's properties (rhe VIM.
Rahr plant) be taken from the table
and referred to the utilities committee.
1t was SO ordered without debate.
Then the lake intake came in for al