The Mankato free press., 1923-06-15
NEW TWIST IS GIVEN
!. THEIR SIDE OF CASE
Henry Robel, Sr, Has Had.
Confab With Hilton
TALK ABOUT LAW
Another Petition Will Be Cir
cuIated For Vote On the
Proposition

-
today. They>have learned that they
can proceed with an election at
which the question of carrying out
marital relations with Mankato can
be decided, IL the council will con-
sent to call it. Henry Robel, Sr..
brought this information from st.
Paul, where he and Attorney G. e.
Gilmore had been elected to discuss
with Attorney General C.. L. Hilton
all the kinks in the law relating to
annexation. This is what Messrs.
Gilmore and Robel found out. ac-
cording ito a communication sent
The Free Press by Mr.. Robel:
North Mankato, June Ito The
Free Press: 81 wish to say a word In
connection with the annexation pro-
position, Chapter '35 of the session
laws of 1923, under which we are
seeking to bring about an election
and annexation of North Mankato,
is almost an exact copy of Chapter
80 of the session laws of 1915.
In 1915 North Mankato was a
village and the 1915 law, expressly
drawn for the situation here, called
for annexation of a cityrof the third
class with a village; the 1928 law
simply changed the word village to
city Of the. fourth class with a few
minor changes to correspond.
8 81 had the 1915 law rewritten with
the change and presented the same
to Assistant Attorney General Brown
for his opinion. and approval before
presenting the same to the legisla-
ture for passage. After two days or
more Assistant Attorney General
Brown told me that the bill was all
right and had the same put onto. the
regular bill form to-. have pfesented
to the Legislature for passage At
that time 4 explained to Mr. Brown
how the school district was located
here and other facts in connection
with our situation here, and the bill
was expressly drawn for the annex
alton OF North Mankato with Man
kato
Was Some Surprise
You can imagine my surprise
when read the Free Press of, last
saturday evening. with its headline,
that this same Mr.. Brown had given
law in question does not apply to
Mankato and North Mankato.
ION Monday morning City Attor-
ney c. e. Gilmore of Mankato and
myself went down to ST. Paul and to
the office of the attorney general
to go over the matter there and ex-
plain matters. We first interviewed
Mr.. Brown and after a conference
and a going over the 1923 law, Mr.
Brown called up Mr.. Baker, at about
10:30 a. M, in my presence over the
long distance phone and told him
that certain points had been brought
out that he had not thought of, and
asked Mr.. Baker to hold up the mat
ter, and not act further on his. Mr.
Browns former opinion in the mat
ter as he might wish to change the
same. eFf .ys .ra
"On Monday afternoon we went
into conference with Attorney Cen
eral Hilton himself, and the matter
was explained again to him. The
outcome was that Mr. Hilton stated
to Mr.. Brown that in his opinion
the election should proceed, and
suggested to Mr.. Brown that he call
up Mr.. Baker and so advise him, and
that II any questions of law as to the
act came up they could be threshed
out afterwards and disposed of. It
was the tacit agreement Of all the
parties to the conference that the
law as 1t Is, with the assistance of
the general laws of the state, can be
made to bring about what the people
q.
Claims Baker Was Notified
"Mr. Brown then called up MI
Baker, at about three p. M, snd toll
him of the agreement of Attorne-
General Hilton and that he, Bake
should advise the council of North
Mankato that they should go on
with the election, and Brown also
drewaup telegram, in my presence
and ordered II wired to Mr.. Baker to
go on with the election
Again. Tou can imagine my sur
urise when / found out after arrir-
ing in Mankato, at about 1890
O'Clock on Monday evening, thst
three members of the council o.
North Mankato had met in an al
legged illegal special meeting and re
Monday and had the notices of elec. -,
tion torn down. acting under the ad
wise Of Mr. Baker.
"The opponents of annexation say
that they want to save expense: the
truth is they are only making ey-
nense for the City of North Man
kato.
at has been shown that the
great majority of the voters of North
Mankato want annexation, 508 vot
ers signed the petition out of abou:
$50 voters.
when the new petition Is cir
culated to force the election, we
shall only get enough signers to give
it legal standing, as 1t is un-
necessary to go to more trouble L.
North Mankato have already shown
what they want The men who
circulated the petition say that all
of the signers expressed themselvec
as being in favor of annexation, ex-
cept very few who said they had
not fully made up their minds in .he
matter, but would sign the petition.
We have done our duty in the matter