The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1941-01-23
Former En1ploye of
City Awarded $500
in Injury Settlement
Referee for the Industrial
Commission Rules in
Favor of Worker.
CONSIDER SALARIES
Special Session Set to
Discuss Hazards" at
Water Plant.

Inc city OF Ely must pay Joe Zobitz,
former employe, $500 for an injury
sustained while working for the NUM-
cipality. the council was informed at
lis regular meeting Tuesday night.
In communication Robert z. Far
ICY, st. Paul, representative of the
Workmen's compensation department of
the state industrial commission who
acted as referee in an action started
by zobitz, May "A, 1910, pointed out
that Zohitz was awarded this sum be-
cause he had suffered from traumatic
neurosis and not because of a hernia
he had sustained
Zobitz, the testimony showed. on
Feb. 2, 1910, while working as a watch
man at skating shack went into
the woods to get fire wood. Returning.
he fell and struck his abdomen on a
rock He was totally disabled for Is
weeks, he commended, as a result of the
fall.
Examined on July 80, of last year
oy Dr.. Owen w. Parker, Faricy's COM
munlcation continued, Zobitz was de-
clared to be suffering from trumatic
neuroSls. Again examined by DR..
Hammes, Duluth, Dec. 5, the man was
declared not suffering from the aflic-
ton The referee pointed out that he
arbitrarily selected a date half vay
between these two as the time when
Zobltz had recovered, basing the
awarding Of compensation for the in
jury on this decision.
Total cost to the city will be STAT.
including SIS per week for IS weeks
TO Zobitz, S99 medical fees and s18
travelling expenses for the CITY at
torney who attended hearing on the
case in st. Paul.
Payment Of the above amount.
authorized by the council, viii come
from special fund set aside for this
purpose.
Fne council was scheduled to meet
at special session last night to con-
slider salaries and wages, and seer
tam hazards" at the water and light
plant brought to the attention of the
council by DR.. John E Thompson, city
veterinarian and chemist.
Stating that he had been authorized
by DR.. Parker, city health officer. To
appear before the group, DR.. Thomp-
son asked for hearing IN the COM
mittee of the whole.
It is understood that he took the
council to task on the number of en-
glneer "a total Of seven, all working
part time) employed at the plant as
not being conducive to efficiency or
safety. Some of the engineers. it is
understood he told the council. were
carrying on other work for personal
gain while employed at the plant IN
order TO increase their income.
Qualifications Of personnel were also
gone into, as was the fact that some
of the most experienced men were
seeking other employment.
Members Of the council have given
no indication as to what may be done
about wages and salaries.
A financial statement for 1910 read
by Clerk A o. Knutson showed the
city ended the year with sI.218A on
hand. Some Of this amount may be
used to meet expenses incurred during
the first six days of January. Total
receipts were $3.50, 1850 and disburse-
ments, s357 ,90S.36.
Waino Somero, city engineer, was
authorized to seek additional NYA
funds for placing sand on the city
bathing beach at the tourist park after
he had told the council that Ely's quota
OF boys had been increased from Is
to go.
Ray Hoeher, manager of the Com
munity Center, was given power to
act on the request of the Ely Rec
reational Planning board for room IA
the building to inaugurate supervised
recreation, and the request Of the Ely
Red Cross branch for room 209 to be
used exclusively during the war period
as a sewing room for the branch's
refugee project.
Somero submitted reports on side
walk and sewer construction that are
good news TO the taxpayers.
In a WPA sidewalk, curb and gut
tiers project completed last year in
Semer's addition, and block one of
Walbank's addition. Somero pointed out
that the assessment per 25-foot lot is
s2456 as compared with the last con-
tract job for similar work of s57.43.
Total cost was s5,83426, of which
s905.46 for alley crossings and inter-
sections wiz be borne entirely by the
city. Half of the remainder, or s2,464.-
As, viii be assessed against the bene-
f1ted property and the other half taken
care Of by the city. The bulk of the
labor and considerable truck hire, he
pointed out, were provided by the wPA.
The total cost Of sanitary sewer
constructed to serve lots / to II N
block 4. Fortier's addition, was 81 .56o.
CONTINUED on Page Four)