The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1941-06-05
To Extend limitation
at Winona Convention
Council Again Delays NelU
One-Meter Electric
Rate System.
Sets Special Meeting for
Tuesday to Consider
StOker Bids.

The Minnesota League of Munich
! palitieS will be invited to hold its
1912 state convention in Ely, accord
ing to action taken Tuesday night by
the city council.
The invitation will be extended by
delegation of city officials at the
leagues state conclave set for June
| 1918 at Winona.
The league is composed of cities vii
lagos, and townships in the state. It's
conventions are usually attended by
from 500 to 600 people.
The 1910 meet was held in Two
Harbors, while this years went to the
southern part of the state. The next
one will go to some city in the northern
half of the state.
Alderman Toimi Ahola suggested that
the city invite the league to come here
In 1912. Alderman John n Maxi made
the motion that the invitation be
given the league, and asked that
Mayor John Kapsch head delegation
to Winona to extend it.
The council did not adjourn until
nearly midnight as it considered at
length bids on a stoker for the Com
munity Center building.
Action on the bids, five in number.
was delayed until Tuesday night at Z
o'clock when they will be again taken
up at a special meeting.
After being effective for three DAYS,
with practically everyone in the city
forgetting that it started automatically
June 1, Ely's new one-meter electrical
rate system was again laid on the table
for further consideration.
As in past discussions of the new
setup, the one Tuesday night conferred
around the residential rate, which
members of the council feel is too
high.
A report from Andrew Watilo, Jr.,
city treasurer, stated that for April
the new rates would have brought the
city $53463 more than the present
schedule. The proposed rates would
have meant an income of S7,71OO3
for April while the present schedule
would have brought $7,175.4O, aSsum-
ing that everyone got the 10 per cent
discount for cash, which totaled
$797.26.
Paul Buccowich, Jr., pointed out
that these figures did not necessarily
represent a true picture of the diff
ference in the two schedules because
the comparison was for only one
month
Buccowich declared that a 10 per
cent discount with the one-meter
schedule would mean loss Of $500
per month as compared with present
income for the light department
(There is no discount under the pro-
posed SCHEDULED
Under the proposed schedule resi-
Dental customers without electric
ranges would pay less, he continued,
while those with ranges who used
only small amount of light would
pay more.
He added that regardless of what
adjustment was made in the proposed
rates it would be impossible to please
everyone.
There was no question on the part of
the council as to the avisability of
changing to the more modern one
meter system, and the savings both to
the city and residence owners in cost
Of meters, but its members feel that
adjustments are needed in the rate
schedule.
The cost of the change-over, which
Buccowich suggested should be abb
sorbed by the city. is another item
that the council wants a figure for
Final action was to lay the matter
on the table for further considera-
ton, and that customers should be
sent comparative figures on the pres
ent and proposed rates. Previously the
effective date for the one-meter plan
was set for Jan. 1, then April 1, and
finally for June 1. No effective date
was included in the last action.
Joseph MavetZ, Jr., was hired as
deputy city treasurer, after the appl-
cations of Mavetz and Matthias Smre-
kar for the position had been consid-
cred in the committee of the whole
Mavetz, former city timekeeper. has
held the position temporarily since May
81
William Martel, who shared the
timekeeper's work with Mavetz, will
now take over the job alone. He was
raised from s115 to S135 per month.
Attire Fire Chief I. G. Cox reported a
record number Of IA calls for May,
Alderman o. T. Friedsburg suggested
compulsory chimney cleaning at least
once a year to solve the problem Of
chimney fires.
| Chief Cox declared that burning
green wood, which caused chimneys
to fill up, was mainly responsible for
chimney fires. Clerk A. o. Knutson
stated that the control of such prob
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