The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1921-10-06
BOND ELECTION IS
STILL HANGINGFIRE
CITY COUNCIL WANTS COST ES-
INNATE FROM LIGHT AND
POWER COMMISSION.
FAVOR The ISSUE OF BONDS
CLAIM TO HAVE SAVED CITY
MANY THOUSANDS OF DOL
LARS BY WAITING.

1nOOOANUS OF DOL
LARS BY WAITING.
The question of calling a special
city election to submit the question
OF voting bonds for badly needed
public improvements is still in the
air.
1t will be remembered that at a.
dinner of the business men held ait
the Palmer House two weeks ago a
unanimous request was made of the
Council to call special election for
this purpose at the earliest possible
moment to the end that the work
might be started as early as possible
to relieve the unemployment bound
to come this winter and to get the
city's streets in shape for the coming
of the paving under the Babcock
highway plan.
At the Council meeting held Sept.
Fl committee from the Commercial
Club met with the Council to consider
the question. After some discussion
the matter was laid over until the
regular meeting held last evening.
Because of the absence of two MEM,
bers of the Council from the city the,
] meeting was not held. The special
election was discussed by the three
other members and there is a unani-
| nous opinion among them that the
special election should be called just
as soon as the Water, Light & Power
Commission submit to the Council
something tangible upon which to,
/ base an election.
1t was suggested to them that they
pass resolution expressing will
ingness to call an election when the
Light and Power Commission sub
mitted their estimates. The council
| contend that this is cat in the bag
proposition. They do not care to
bind themselves in advance until they
| know what the commission will ask.
J They insist that every member of the
council are just as anxious to have
the needed improvements made as
can be the members of the Light and
! Power Commission or any other citi-
zen, but they first must know what
the Commission want.
! During the discussion the statement
was made that the Council were be-
| ing criticized because they refused to
call an election several months ago
on the figures submitted. They say
that when the special election was
| asked for all materials were at their
peak in prices and that the Commits
sioners' engineer stated at that time
that prices were prohibitive. Since
| that time the council insist that no
new figures have been laid before
them.
The Councils version of the matter
apparently shifts the burden of re-
sponsibility back to the shoulders OF
Water, Light & Power Commission.
| It is good business to have an idea
of at least approximately how much
money will be required to do a GER
! tain piece of work before the work
is ordered. The Water, Light and
Power Commission will have to Sc
cure the estimates on the waterworkss
! improvements and extensions, and
with the Councils attitude the Herald
! suggests that they get busy at once
and get these estimates.
After the estimates are in the
hands of the Council should they re-
fuse to submit the matter to the peo-
pie. petition can be brought COM
pelling the election. From the inter-
view had with the Council last even
ing by the Herald editor we are con-
WINGED that if the figures submitted
are reasonable in the cost estimates
that the election will be called with
out delay. The Council were wisely
of the opinion that it will be a good
| policy to find what the city's require
ments are and submit the entire mat
ter to the people at one time rather
than to ask for additional bond is-
sues from time to time.
The Council are standing pat on
the proposition that their refusal to
call special election months ago
when asked for by the Light ond
Power Commission has saved the tax
payers many thousand dollars.
AS one talks with the Light and
Power Commission and later with the
City Council this fact is driven home
to him-that the governing and the
business bodies of the city are not
working together in the closest har-
mony.
Meanwhile the Babcock pavement
is drawing nearer Sank Centre and
this city is doing nothing to prepare
the streets for it..