The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1920-12-09
CITY COUNCIL NOTES

Last Friday local paper under
screaming heads, "City Treasury
looted" gave out part of the report
80 tho city council of the state audit
ors VINO lately audited the city books
This report alleged that the present
city Treasurer Hermann and his pre-
decessor in Office, Buutz, were each
abont $500 short, a large part of the
alleged shortage in each case being
part of the bank interest on public
funds which it is alleged was not
turned into the treasury. The report
saws that there were evidences that the
amount of public funds on interest
bearing certificates was incorrectly re-
ported some times so as to conceal the
amount of interest being received
Butt claimed any discrepancies in
his account were errors and not inten-
tional wrong doing.
At the council meeting the Socialists
led by Vogel and Thompson sought to
learn why this leak Of the report to
newspaper had occurred before the
document had been laid before the
council. They sayagely attacked this
procedure. The mayor eXonerated the
city clerk and in reply to all questions
and objections said that the citizens
had right to know of the state OF
affairs existing in the treaSurer's Office
When called on the city attorney
said that there was no law prohibiting
giving out this report before the coun-
ell got it and that such action was dis
cretionary with the city officials.
The report is a yoluminous affair. 1T
was referred to the committee on
Finance who will go over its numerous
recommendations.
Oneof the things that may come out
of the muddle is a comptroller for the
city, an official provided by the char
ter who would divide with the city
clerk some ofthe responsibilities and
duties the clerk now has.
1t appears thatthe concrete abutt-
ments and fender cribs of the Tenth
street bridge in process of erection are
not strong enough The contractors
and the consulting engineer recon-
mended additions to lend strength.
The board of public works will meet
with the contractors and expert engi-
ntet aud try to devise some remedy.
The engineer suggests riprap work be
low the water to steady the cribs.
Thirteen thousand dollars which the
contractors want on the contract was
held up until they fill in back of the
south approach as required,
The city voted 500 on the expenses
of former Alderman r. G. Plumb as
representative of the city at the Ma
tional Rivers and Harbors congress
which opened yesterday at Washing
ton. Mr. Plumb left Tuesday morn
ing to attend Mr.. Plumb appeared
before the council and explained the
necessity of all lake cities joining to
fight the Atlantic sca-board = cities
which aretrying to kill the project for
deep waterway from the lakes to
the Atlantic by way of the ST. Law
renee river. Elias Gunnell, l.. f. Geer
and A. l.. Nash left last week to rep
resent the local shipbuilding industry
at the congress.
Mrs. Mabel Killen, the new county
probation officer, was introduced to
the council by Judge Chloupek.
The city is broke, as it always is in
December, and resolution to borrow
money is anticipation of taxpaying
time, which soon begins, was carried.
The part of South Twenty-fourth
street necessary for the site of the new
Presbyterian chapel in Riyerview was
vacated by a vote Of l3 to /, Drumm
alone voting mo"
Two ordinances were introduced, one
forbidding the drawing of water
from city fire hydrants without a per-
nit, and the other forbidding parking
vehicles within five feet of a hydrant.
They will come up later.
The Third ward is to be divided into
two voting precincts at Hamilton
street. A motion to postpone action
was a tie, Z to 7, and the mayor de
cded for action. The Socialists were
for action, and the rest against action
for the purpose of adding instead
of precincts The vote was then 10
to for dividing the Third into pre-
cncts, only Kazda, Holly, Fricke and
O'Donnell voting against it. The
movement to redistrict the city into
wards to get additional representation
on the county board is not dead, but
the Socialists seem to feel that their
interests would not he advanced by
the larger number of wards and with
the present composition of the coun-
ell, 50-5O, il will be hard to get it by
them if they stand pat.
The council accepted a gift from
Louis and Edwin Schuette Of tri-
angular parcel of land where North
Water and Tenth street meet near the
water tower The donors agreed to
pay the paving assessment against the