The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-05-07
CITY COMMISSION
JOSEPH HENkIN JOINS THE
BODY-ALLOW BILLS-NO
APPOINTMENTS.

About the only Feature to mar an
otherwise delightful social function
of the commissioners meeting in the
city hall last night at their regular
monthly session was the necessity of
passing on a whole pile of bills.
Joseph H4nkin was installed as com
missioner to take the place of the re-
firing commissioner, T. A. Johnson.
There were certain other business
transactions, but they were of minor
Importance, and their consideration
was necessarily brief, except where
they chose to make the discussion
sluggish. The retiring commissioner
and the incoming one were equally
tickled with the progress of affairs,
vieing with each other in offering a
banquet at the conclusion of the
meeting.
There was a bale of claims read
and allowed. Among them was that
of the flusher. it being allowed in the
sum of s1,700. Election costs fig
ured into the sum of $3.50 for judges,
clerks, registration and rentals for
polling places. The t%reasurer's re
port was read, and except for a few
items it looked wan and weak at the
End of the month.
The bonds of Joseph Henkin as
commissioner and of E. l.. Bieder-
5taedt as city plumber were read and
approved as to form and s%ufficiency.
The ordinance providing for the let
ter carriers riding on walks and the
parking ordinances were not touched.
n fact the commissioners view the
latter ordinance askance, and dislike
to poke or probe the squirming mess.
1t is declared that they would have a
hard time to find a supporting con-
s~tituency for the provision-any
more than 1t would to find a con-
demning jury for an automobile
which killed a nan 1t looks as
though the poor thing would lie in a
pigeonhole till it smothered or went
into doddering senility.
Marcus Aus asked for an extension
CT the sewer on VanEps avenu in
order that the mill and other places
might connect with it. They have
water to get rid of, and no place to
throw it except on the street. This
was passed to Commissioner A. G.
Schmidt to investigate.
J. c. Schultz made a pointed in
quiry as to the prospect for repair
ing the disposal plant, limiting that
there were those in the affected ter
ritory who were retaining legal ad-
visors with a view to bringing suit OF
prodding the city in the ribs. 1t was
explained that preparations were be
gun last fall with a view to fixing the
plant, but the contracting company
failed to connect. Certain pipes and
traps are rusted out, and filtering
beds in certain of the compartments
require washing and renewing. An
engine and force pump had been or
dered last fall, but the company
tract, and the matter had not beer
brought to the commissioners atten'
ton. They settled tentatively upor
a pump and engine last night anC
will open negotiations for its pur
chase. Ii is to be a gasoline engine
direct connected to a centrifugal
pump, will be portable and will b'
used to force water through thu
gravel to wash it. After a sever
criticism of the plant a long and no
very enlightening discussion ensueC
of the character of the water flowing
through such parts of the plant a!
are in good working order.
Bids were opened for buildin,
crossings and walk extensions, t.
conform to the later decision tina
city gravel should be used and tina
il be ~unwashed. They decided tina
il would not do to open the city pi
for public consumption of the con
tractors, as they would ruin tn
beauty. symmetry and utility of tn
Mace. The commissioners decided
not to consider these bids, but to al
low the work on the basis of the bid
:. formerly submittct, which provide
for washed gravel with no place +
get it. j. S. Thompson was give
the crossings and W. G. Marquart tn
walk extensions, at whatever price
the for,tcr ti9s showed.
The dog license matter was con
sidered, and Mayor Robertson dis
) played a tag which he had cecure
upon the payment of the license
and which he, instead of the dog wa
wearing. Questions arose AS to tn
. expense attached to an enforcement
of the law and the officer to act a
dog detective. 1t was found on refer
ence to the ordinances that the chic
of police was official dog catcher, an