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In 1926 Victor J. Miller became the thirty-seventh Mayor of St. Louis.
On the basis of Miller's St. Louis voting strength Victor Miller ran for the office of Mayor in April of 1925 and was elected at the age of 36. He proceeded with the $8,000,000 installation of a City Lightening system provided for in the $87,000,000 bond issue of 1923. Charges of graft and corruption grew out of the construction of this system. The Chicago firm of A.M. Ryckoff was the contractor. During the progress of the work, Comptroller Louis Nolte complained of overcharges by Ryckoff and was successful in getting the bill reduced by $19,000. After the work was completed, engineers employed by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch made a survey that showed the net overcharge had exceeded $150,000. In 1929 Ryckoff and two City Officials were indicted and charged with obtaining $157,000 from the City under false pretenses. Ryckoff died at the end of 1930 before the date of the trial. The case against the City Officials was dropped. This overcharge was a factor in the failure of the City to get a complete system of lights for the $8,000,000 provided by the 1923 bond issue.
During Mayor Miller's administration the Delmar grade crossing dispute with the Wabash Railroad was settled and the viaduct and Delmar Station were built. Construction of the Civil Courts Building at Twelfth and Market Streets was started in May of 1926. The building was completed in June 1930, at a cost of $4,520,00. The Fire Department became fully motorized and no horses were used after 1927.
Mayor Miller was in poor health during his second administration and his close advisors and Department Heads took over his administrative responsibilities.
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