The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-06-20

had been a clear illegal waste OF
money"
1T has always been our policy to
avoid controversies with municipal
councils" he continued. However, in
this case we wish to register in the
strongest possible way our protest to
the practice of violating the law by
diSregarding lower bids of responsible
bidders in awarding contracts"
He warned that the councilmen might
personally be required by the court
to return money illegally spent in case
action is brought by a taxpayer, and
asked the city to reconsider its ac-
ton" Copies of the letter were sent
to members of the council several
days before the meeting.
The letter was accepted and filed,
upon motion of Frank Vranesich, by
a 4-3 vote, but before the roll was
called Toimi Ahola asked do we want
to let this go and not do anything
about it?" Opposing the motion were
Ahola, o. T. FriedSburg, and Joseph
Milkovich. Before the letter was read
Polski was granted his request for rs
per cent of his contract, or 81, 681. so
by 4-3 vote margin, with the above
councilmen opposing this action.
Another communication from Mon
tague contained a yelled warning that
the city should make every effort
to live within the monies valuable fol
the rest of the year.
He pointed out that ely is right uI
to the limit on its authorized indebted
ness" and that IAN overrun during the
present year would lead, we are sure
to restitution actions being instituted
by taxpayers against city officials re-
| sponSible for the overrun."
Apparently motivating Montague's
action was the fact that whereas dur.
ing the first five months of the year
the city had expended for purposes
other than fixed charges $27, 900 to
$4,000 per month, from June tc
Dec. 81 there will be available an av-
erage of $25,441 monthly, facts which
he pointed to in his letter.
The payment of $2,177 to the Forest
Chevrolet company for the garbage
truck recently purchased and the pay
of ten special policemen totaling $21O
both held up at the last meeting by g
tie vote, were authorized by a AZ vote
with one councilman absent at the mo.
ment. He came in after the meeting
had been under way short time.
By tie vote the council refused tt
assess John Skala the charges of dig.
ging up with city labor the gasoline
tanks owned by Skala at the city gar.
age after an opinion from City At.
torney Thomas J.. Carey had ruled thai
this was an illegal expenditure of city
funds. The cost is estimated by the
clerks office as between $40 and $45
The Ely Hardware & Furniture com.
pany was awarded contract for cul.
vert pipe on a bid of $4,000. There
were seven bidders, all but one Of
them submitting identical bids on three
types of pipe, so there was no choice
insofar as cost to the city was con.
cerned. The bids of one concern were
slightly higher than the other six. I'm.
successful bidders were the Duluth
Culvert company, McMahan Lumber
company, Veranth Lumber company
Lampert Lumber company, Arrowhead
Culvert & Pipe Works, Duluth, anc
Leo Cashen Equipment Sales company
Virginia.
At the next meeting bids on a car.
load of cedar light poles win be opened
Ely'S flying field will be improved
and an attempt will be made to have
it approved as an airport by the Civil
Aeronautics Authority through the ef-
forts OF a group of local men inter-
| ested in aviation in cooperation with
the city. The council granted them
the use of the grader and sitter at the
city gravel pit upon the request of DR.
o. E. Snyker.
The grader operator will donate his
services. Privately owned trucks to
haul gravel are also being offered free
of charge as is the time of men who
will work on the runways. Brush has
already been cleared away.
A communication to the city from the
CAA pointed out that the field could
be improved through a wPA project,
but it would require a sponsor. Since
the county owns the field it would have
to sponsor the project. The CAA of
fered to send an engineer here at no
cost to plan the airport improve
ments.
Monday at a. m. the council will
meet in the assessors office as a board
of equalization.
Recently attorneys for the Desjardin
estate contacted the city on buying
Crossman's point on Shagawa lake, in
ferring that better deal than the
$4,000 one rendered year ago might
be Forthcoming. A letter received from
Mrs. William Desjardin, Duluth, in
answer to feeler recently sent out
by the city again asked $4,000 for the
IS acres, and was promptly laid on
the table
New officers elected for the rest of
1910 by the Fire Department associa-
ton because of a change in its bylaws
follow: I. G. Cox, president; Wilson
Carlson, vice president; Dave Childers,
secretary; A. o. Knutson, treasurer;
Harry Homer, John GerIn, j. A. Roth
man, Sr, Herbert Gianotti, Rudolph
Banovetz, and Childers, trustees Ex-
officio members of the executive COM
mittee include Mayor Bern M. Lam
bert, Treasurer Andrew Watilo, Jr,
Clerk KnutSOn oO6 Chief Coy