The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1916-04-04
Finance Committee to Meet to Decide
on improvements to Be
Made.
PROPERTY OWNERS PROTEST
AGAINST MINNESOTA PAVING
Contracts Let for Sweeping and
sprinkling Streets; Bids
Are Low.

Are Low.
At a meeting of the city council
last evening City Engineer Tom Swim
son submitted estimates of the cost
of proposed paving on Beltrami and
Minnesota avenues and the construc-
ton of sanitary sewer. The finance
committee of the council was auth
orized to Investigate the project and
to decide on what improvements are
to be made during the coming year.
1t was estimated that the cost of
the constructing of a sanitary sewer
from Sixth street to Fifteenth street
on America avenue, from Ninth to
Thirteenth streets on Minnesota av-
enue, from Twelfth to Fourteenth
streets on Beltrami avenue and from
America to Beltrami avenue on Thir-
teenth street would be $8,41O.4O.
Paving Cost $1O,672.
1t was estimated that the paving
of Beltrami avenue from Tenth to
Fourteenth street and the construct
ing of storm sewer would cost $1O,-
$3.50.
1t was estimated that the cost of
constructing pavement and storm
sewer on Minnesota avenue from
Fifth to Seventh street would cost
$5,797.6O.
A petition was filed, signed by
property owners on Minnesota avenue
protesting against the paving of Min
nesota avenue from Fifth to Seventh
street.
Hahn Gets Contract.
Joe Hahn, city scavenger, was
awarded the contract for the cleaning
of the septic tank. He submitted
bid of $1S8 for the work. William
Pickles submitted bid Of 5000. It
cost the city $3.50 to have the tank
cleaned last fall.
Sweeping, cleaning and springling
the streets contract for this season
was awarded at decrease of about
$64 over last year. Last year it
cost the city about $273 month to
have the streets, cleaned, swept and
sprinkled. Contract for this work
was awarded to Tom Schadrow last
evening for 5000. Bids submitted
were as follows: Elmer Marin,
1854, Joe McTaggart $262.50, Wes
Wright $247.9S, James Miller $266
and William Pickles $247.
Alderman Erwin urged the council
to consider the buying of a motor
sprinkler for Bemidji. He stated
that upon investigation that he found
that the sprinkling and cleaning OF
streets could be secured at much
lower cost than the city is now pay
ing.
Miller Lowest Bidder.
Frank Miller was awarded the con-
tract for the building of private
office in the city hall for the use OF
the chief of police. His bid was $81.
A petition signed by property own
ers urging the vacation of the end OF
Fourth street for site for the naval
militia armory was filed.
C. G. Johnson was granted jitney
license. The jitney license in Be-
midi is $50.
The council was split in their opin-
ions in regard to the enforcement OF
the ordinance which provides for an
indemnity bond of $4,000 for jitney
operators. Alderman Erwin protest
ed against the enforcement Of this
ordinance, stating that he did not be-
lieve in making a hardship for the
jitney operators. He stated that the
jitney service was a good thing for
the city as a whole and that he did
not believe that the council should
take into consideration whether OF
not it was injuring other private en-
terprises in Bemidji.
Bond Cost $16O.
It was pointed out that bond
would cost each jitney owner about
$160.
City Attorney Russell stated that
the city is absolutely under no rlsA
and that bond is only to protect
the passenger if the driver of jit
ney was unreliable. He stated thai
Duluth had at one time considered
the same matter and that the matter
was dropped there.
Alderman Bailey stated that in hl'
belief that the jitneys were a God
send to Bemfdji and that they should
be encouraged.
Alderman Smart urged the enforc
ing of the ordinance.
Insurance Men Benefit.
President Lycan pointed out tina
the citv would get no benefit Whil