Fire Chief Instructed To

Ask Property Owners

To Trim Trees

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WESTERN UNION

TO LAY WIRES

UNDERGROUND

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Building-Grounds

Committee Recommend Removal Of Billboards

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At the regular monthly meeting of the city council held at the council chambers Wednesday evening, the matter of trimming trees was discussed and action taken, wires for radio aerials now on electric light poles were ordered removed, the Western Union was given permission to lay their wires underground from the right of way of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway to their office and the election returns of the city election were duly canvassed.

Trim All Trees

Fred Pfaender, chief of the fire department, called attention to the low branches on many of the trees on the boulevards in the city and stated that some of them were so low that firemen on fire trucks were liable to be swept off their seats and injured. From the discussion that followed it was quite apparent that all councilors were agreed that the ordinance had not been strictly lived up to and the only question that bothered the city fathers was how to go about it to remove the nuisance.The matter was finally disposed of by referring it to the chief of the fire department who is to note where the offending branches are, requesting the owners of property to have the trees properly trimmed and to report all those who failed to comply with the orders of the chief.

Aerial Wires Come Down

The chief also called attention to the fact that many radio aerial wires were attached to the electric light poles and that this constituted a daily menace to the lives of the people in the city and especially to the firemen in case of fire. Mention was made of two deaths that occurred in St. Paul recently due to the aerial wires becoming charged. City engineer Minirm called attention to the danger of short circuits in the aerial wires placed on roofs of buildings and recommended that something be done in this regard. A resolution was finally adopted directing Supt. Mullin to make a survey of the situation and order all wires on the electric light poles removed.

Build Conduit

A letter was read from the Western Union Telegraph Co. requesting permission to lay the wires underground from the right of way of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Co. to their office. This letter was accompanied by a blue print showing where the wires are to be laid. A discussion immediately arose as to how the conduit for the wires was to be laid over and across paved Minnesota Street. Engineer Minium suggested that it might be best to have a sufficiently large conduit built so that the city’s own wires and water mains might be carried in this conduit. Permission was granted to the Western Union to lay their wires underground, conditioned that the city be held harmless from any and all damages which might arise in the matter of laying said wires underground and for a fair and reasonable charge for the use of the conduit in case the city should decide to have this constructed. City engineer Minium was directed to prepare plans and specifications for such conduit to be submitted to the council at their meeting next Tuesday.

War On Billboards

Considerable discussion was precipitated when the building and grounds committee recommended that all billboards be removed from the city and that in the future no billboards should be erected unless they complied with such regulations as the city council might adopt. In this connection City engineer Minium suggested that the present ordinance in reference to electric signs be amended. In the discussion the question arose as to whether the council had the right to order billboards from private property and the whole matter was allowed to go over until the next meeting to permit city attorney Somsen to look up the law so as to be able to advise the council in the premises.

Ed Hoffmann appeared before the council and complained about the action of the council permitting the Sunlight Produce Co. to maintain the present platform for loading and unloading, when at a previous meeting of the council, the platform had been ordered removed. The main objection to the platform came from the immediate property owners, because the unloading was carried on at all hours of the night. When Mr. Hoffmann was informed that the new owners would not permit any loading and unloading between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. he seemed satisfied and no further action was taken.

Building Permits Granted

Three building permits were before the council. Robert Fesenmaier requested permission to erect an addition of brick to his business block, 85 feet by 19 1-2 feet and 25 feet high. This was granted but his request that he be permitted to remove his present sheet iron addition to Lot 13 in the same block was held up,pending an approval by the fire chief. The same action was taken with reference to the building permit requested and applied for by John Vetter.

The canvassing of the votes showed the election of the following city officials and the clerk was instructed to send them certificates of election: Mayor, Emil Mueller; City Clerk,William P. Backer; City Treasurer,Gottlieb Oswald; City Justices, N. Henningsen and Fred Pfaender; Constables John Herzog and Joseph A. Tauer; Councilor, 1. Ward, John Gollnast; Councilor, 2nd Ward, Isadore Gleissner; Councilor, 3rd Ward, Ben I. Vetter; 4th Ward, Otto Heymann.

A plat presented by engineer Minium showing the manner of connecting the Ed Wagner building, Broecker’s Garage, Mrs. Schnobrich’s building and the New Ulm Steam Laundry with the municipal heating plant was adopted. The work of connecting these buildings will be done during the summer.

New Ulm Review

April 14, 1926