The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1919-03-29

When commissioner Farrell took
his present office his need and de-
sire for real money were so great
that he set about to get it through
violation of the city charter.
The city charter says: "The mayor
and commissioners shall devote their
entire time, during business hours,
to the service of the city, and shall
not hold any other public office dur
ing their terms as such mayor and
commissioners"
The natural assumption follows,
therefore, that a commissioner shall
not engage in business that will keep
him from serving the city six days
week during the customary busf-
ness hours. -.
"T, as an engineer" eventually
got onto the blind side of the city
of Bismarck, N. D., and served that
municipality as consulting engi-
neer" in paving work, the windy
commissioner posing as great paw
ing expert. It was a grand sight
to see the Boy Engineer and the dig
nified mayor of Bismarck go arm
and arm along the streets Of that
lbustling little city. - =
Some fat fees came to commits
sioner Farrell, from the city of Bis
marck, in return for alleged services
as consulting engineer"
Every day spent at Bismarck and
on the road between here and North
Dakota's capital, was day ilched
from the city of Duluth. There were
many such days, If the records of
the common council are correct.
During the year 1915, commission
er Farrell was absent from regular
meetings six times. In 1916 he was
absent from nine meetings and, in
1917, ten meetings. Those were
meetings, not Office days. There
have been many absences on office
days; although not of record.
If the taxpayers were inclined to
be critical, they Else might find
fault because commissioner Farrell
experienced a considerable number
of "illnesses," the fault of no one
but himself, but they need not be
discussed.
Chapter III, Section 80, of the
charter of the city of Duluth reads,
viz:
'No officer or employe of the city
shall solicit or receive, any pay, COM
mission, money or thing of value. or
derive any benefit, profit or advan-
tage, directly or indirectly, from, or
by reason of, any improvement, al
teration or repair required by au-
thority of the city, or any contract
to which the city shall be a party,
except his lawful compensation or
salary as such officer or employe.
No officer or employe of the city,
except as otherwise provided in this
charter, shall solicit, accept or re-
ceive, directly or. Indirectly, from
any public service corporation, or the
owner of any public utility or fran
chise, in the city, any pass, frank.
free ticket, free service, or any other
favor, upon terms more favorable
than those granted the public gen.
orally. A violation Of any OF the
provisions of this section shall dis
qualify the offender to continue In
office or employment Of the city, and
he shall be removed therefrom. Any
contract in which any officer or en-
ploye of the city is, or becomes, d.
rectly or indirectly, interested. per-
sonally, or as a member Of a firm,
or as an officer, director or stock
holder of a corporation, shall be and
become absolutely void; Il and any
money which shall have been paid
on such contract by the city may be
recovered back from any. or all the
persons interested therein. by joint
or several action, ....%,... .s,s.s ,ss z4.s>
Now when commissioner Farrell
was elected, he was partner In an
engineering firm with offices In the
Manhattan building. The partner
was a, real engineer. with technical
education and several years OF prac.
teal experience. onthe Mesaba range
with the Oliver Iron Co. -
But business was not booming and
the partner had more time than work
on his hands. To help ont the firm
the cunning commissioner worked
out a plan whereby his partner
should test cement used In concrete
and other city work.
A former inspector alleges that
many times, samples Of cement were
taken from sacks or piles by the
work and that long before the test
were completed, the cement had beer
mixed into concrete and permanently
placed. After that, a-test was O