Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1916-08-18
COUNCIL HAS LIVELY SESSION
HOUSE MOVING ORDINANCE DIS:
CUSSED AND LAID OVER
LIGHT MATTER ALSO UP

LIGHT MATTER ALSO UP
The city council held a regular
adjourned meeting Tuesday evening,
Aldermen Hall, Moeglein, Blake,
Brown, johnson, John, LaFond and
Farrow being present.
A communication from J. s. Murphy,
| offering his resignation as alderman
from the Second ward, to take effect
Immediately, was read and accepted.
The council decided that new alder
man should be appointed to fill his
place at once ana they proceeded to
take an informal ballot. In this j. W.
Falk received four votes, N. N. Berg
helm, J. F. Kenkel and G.. w. Firm
stahl one apiece. A formal vote was
then taken and Mr.. Falk was elected,
the vote standing five for him, one for
Mr.. Bergheim md one for Mr.. Firm
stahl. The term of Alderman Murphy
was for two years and it expires next
spring, when a new alderman will
again have to be elected from that
ward.
A bill from the Commercial club for
1925 for work done on the Pike Creek
road, was referred to the street COM
mittee, report to be made at the
next meeting. This work was done
by the street commissioner, upon re-
quest Of the Commercial club, but they
felt that it should be paid out of the
road fund, which cannot be spent for
any other purpose than to fix up roads
leading into the city.
A bill from Axel Setterstrom for
s., $40, for the construction of the Sec
ond street northeast sewer, was allow
ed in the sum Of $4,000, the balance to
be held until the street is put back in
it original condition.
An ordinance presented by Fred
Specify of St. Cloud, district CONNER
cial manager for the Northwestern
Telephone company, created a1engthy
discussion, and the ordinance was final
ly laid over to the next meeting for
further dicussion. The ordinance was
in relation to house moving, and, ac-
cording to Mr.. Specify, was intended
to prevent accidents caused by persons
moving houses and tearing down wires
charged with electricity, which might
result in serious accidents. He cited
one instance recently where in storm
| a high tension wire was cut by light
ming and girl came in contact with
the wire fence which the wire fell
onto, killing her instantly. The pro-
| visions Of the proposed ordinance were
that the person desiring to move a
house through the streets or alleys Of
this city, first notify the companies
having wires on the streets where the
| house was to be moved, and make sat-
| isfactory arrangements with them for
the removal of such wires to permit
the house being moved, and then get
| permit from the city clerk to do such
moving. The ordinance specified that
the applicant must give the size of
the house, the route to be taken, when
work would be started and when COM
pleted, etc. It also specified that the
applicant should furnish a bond for
indemnity to the city, for any damage
to streets, sidewalks, etc., by way Of
such moving. The penalty provided
for in the proposed ordinance for vio-
lation Of its provision was maximum
fine Of 800 and a maximum Jail SEN
tence Of 90 days.
A. H. Vernon stated that the clause
relating to the person making satisfac-
tory arrangements with the company
for the moving of the house, might
place an unjust burden on the people,
! To this Mr.. Specify answered that
the company had never had any trou-
BILE in collecting for the removal of
wires for housemoving, and that this
part would be taken care of entirely
by the company in the future as well,
but Mr.. Vernon said that he believed
there was question as to whether the
company can legally collect for this.
He said that the company is given a
franchise to operate in the city with
the understanding that they must al
low reasonable use of the streets. and
house-moving is considered as such.
The clause in relation to this should
be more definite, he said, and he sug-
gested further that persons desiring
to move house make application to
the city clerk for a permit and that
he notify the company.
| Mr.. Specify said that all he want
ed was an ordinance which would
guarantee the company such notice in
ample time to clear the streets of the
wires for such moving: and that any
alteration of the proposed ordinace
would be satisfactory so long as it
would result in their getting notice
to the proper department in plenty OF
time. The proposed ordinance fixed
the time at twentyfour hours. -
Frank Renick stated that in his
opinion the passing of the proposed
ordinance would take all rights. Of
regulation away from the CITY. Val.
E. Kasparek said the city and the
various companies might compromise
and he SUGGESTED fha+ oe - .~oo. e
getting away from the necessity Of an
ordinance such as the one proposed the
city council pass an ordinance reouir.
ing the various companies to put their
wires underground. To this Mr..
Specify answered that the company
would do so if they could be quaran-
teed high enough rates to pay for the
cost of the installation. After consid:
erable discussion pro and con the coun:
Gil took short recess and when thev
reconvened they voted to leave the
matter until the next meeting.
| City Janitor VIM. Batters Tas