The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-01-28
His Honor Says Let City
Pay the Ducats
STAR CHAMBER SESSION
Commissioner Declares That
There Is No Money To Pay
Amount Due
IFrom Mondax,s uziIyl

ocuiuu ClOSeu uOOTsp III cSoI
chamber session, away from the
prying eyes of the public. the ooun-
cilmen had conference with Mayor
e. v. Waters In the latters private
Office. this morning that must have
was put on the carpet" In his own
private apartment In the city hall.
Scraps of the verbal combat percolsted
through the open transom, which the
mayor and councilmen had failed to
seal. The vocabulary exercise all
came about over an overdratt In the
mayors urgent necessity fund OF
$40, which Councilman Chris Steiner
demanded should he made good. The
voice of Mayor Waters and Council
man Steiner rang out above the din
of battle. One niece of the heated
conversation which could be heard
was by Councilman Steiner who de-
clared: . .-~.
Steiner Says 1pis Up"
There is a $40 deficit in the
mayors rugent necessity fund which
must be made good, and I want to
tell you there is no two ways about
it. It must be dug up"
AS near as the mayors reply to
this statement could be understood
on the outside of the room, was that
the $40 was spent for city purposes
and 1t should be paid out Of city
funds instead of the mayor being
compelled to pay It out Of his own
pocket. Tho thS reply Councilman
Steiner said: "The city treasur pr
cannot pay anything out Of that
fund, because there is nothing IN It,
II is overdrawn."
other fragments of the battle cries
of the councilmen which sounded
dnnYo fn6fratRn
that the mayor was being hauled
over the Goals for not putting in itsm.
lied bills for the amounts he had
spent. While all this was going on
in star chamber session five ladies
were patiently waiting outside to
present resolutions to the council
These ladies were very mucn sur.
prised to learn that such important
matters were discussed IN the
open meeting.
yides for the creation OF q fund OF
5000 a year to be known as the
mayors urgent necessity fund. In
cheering over the city books some
time ago. Councilman Steiner, who is
commissioner OF finances learned
that during the year 1918 Mayor
Waters in the month Of January OF
that year drew $40 while the winter
carnival was in progress. In June IN
month of July. $s6: August, $40;
september. SIS. and during the
month Of November OF that year
sas making a total OF $500. During
the wear 1920 the following amounts
were drawn by Mayor Waters from
his urgent necessity fund On July
10. a1bill for $549S> was placed before
the City council. Part OF this sum
was In payment OF miscellaneous
items. Fifty dollars was In payment
mont. September /. $50; November
"a. $50; which makes grand totsi
$40 for the two years, which Will
end April II. 1921, or an overdraIt
Of $40. AS far as the city books
show. in all the orders drawn by the
CITY mayor, he made no accounting
of the use to which the money was
nut with the execution Of the trip 70
Fairmont. City Clerk Bates called
Counting was being done by the
mayor. Il was at this juncture that
Commissioner of Finances Steiner
wrote to the City Attorney William
Hughes asking him for his con-
struction Of the provision OF the city
charter which relates to the mayors
urgent necessity fund. In making
this request Mr.. Steiner stated that
he would particularly like 70 know
for what purpose the Luna ID 70 os
of disbursing the same. Mr.. Steiner
stated in this communication that
5000 was set aside. for the mayors
urgent necessity fund for the nscal
wear of 1919 and like amount for
the wear 1920. Mr.. Steiner In his
communication to the city attorney
stated that during the two years
mentioned that Mayor Waters had
withdrawn from the fund mentioned
s470, which leaves an overdraft, OF
s70. The commissioner Of finances
wanted to know what steps should
be taken in the matter.
Opinion of City Attorney. b.
The written opinion of City Attor.
ney William F. Hughes on the mat
ter of the mayors urgent necessity
fund Is as follows:
"Hon. Chris Steiner, Superintend-
ent of Finances and Accounts: Dear
Sir: Answering yours Of recent
date requesting construction of Sec
ton AZ of the Mankato city charter,
which section provides for the Gre
alton of a fund to be known as the
mayors urgency fund. In my opinion
this fund was intended for the pur-
pose OF providing morey to meet such
expenditures as might have 70 De
made on short notice.
instances coming under this pro.
vision would In my opinion. would
be such cases as when money was
needed in 80 short time that q
bill could not be presented and al
lowed by the council in time to pro.
vide money for the purpose needed.
In my opinion the mayor is the sole
Judge Of the necessity and propriety
of such expenditures, providing only
thot such expenditures should be on
account Of matters pertaining to city
affairs.
"The fund should be disbursed by
the treasurer upon writer order OF
the mayor alone. Otherwise the pur-
pose Of the fund would be defeated.
The order of the mayor on the treas
urer should state the purpose Of
which the money was expended or
to te expended.
ran overdraft now existing in the
fund should be charged to the per-
sona1 account of the, mayor and re-
tanned by the treasurer out OF the
money due or to become due to him