Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-09-20
HOW IT WORKS.
The Board of Public Works and the Mac
kubln Street Grading.

To the Editor Of the Globe.
A board of public works in city of this
size might be useful appendage to the city
government in serving rs check upon the
sometimes too hasty and ill-advised action of
the common council, but 90 small body vest
ed with unlimited control over the property
OF every citizen, and with a disposition to
ignore the orders of the council and act en-
tlrely independent of them, is in my judg
ment dangerous exercise Of power. The
Law under which our board of public works
are acting has been so carefully and
adroitly drawn, that no possibility of an ap-
peal from their decision can be had, and
whatever burdens they are disposed to put
upon the citizen, in the form Of assessments,
no matter how unreasonable or unjust, he
is compelled to submit to.
To illustrate the farce which is every week
occurring, have but to cite single case.
The board, it seems, have adopted a rule
that when any grading is done upon any
portion of street the property fronting up
on the whole line of the street shall be as
sessed equally to pay for it.
This rule has wonderful amount of fex
Utility, and can be used as occasion requires
AS Mr.. Becker says, there can be no rule
without an exception-a very convenient
skid to slide out on. Whether this rule was
adopted for the benefit of any members of
the board or the city engineer, I know not.
but in the case in point it serves the happy
purpose of improving the latter's property
at others expense. The city engi-
neer, that paragon of perfection,
ignorant of this rule of the board, of course,
petitions the council for a little grading in
front of his property away out on Mackubin
street. The council asks the board of pub
lie works if property can be found benefited
to the extent of the outlay, and the clerk of
the board looks or the map and replies that
he thinks it can, and the
work is ordered. With this carte
blanch the city engineer goes to work
and manifests his interests in the public
welfare by constructing under the portion
of the street fronting his block the most
magnificent piece of masonry to be found
anywhere in st. Paul. Not satisfied with
having the water carried off by the cutters,
as on other streets, he constructs sewer of
solid masonry, in which he allows no stones
less than certain size to be used. This
foresight of the engineers in putting in 80
substantial monument Of his skill,
a work which is to drain
the property of his descendants long after
he is dead and ne,would have been highly
commendable if it could be supposed that he
ever for moment entertained the idea that
has property was to be assessed to pay for it.
But oh, no, it would be wrong to accuse him
of any such observation-disclosures. He
whispers in Deacon Wilson's ear:
"We'u make these other fellows
along the line of the street believe that we
intend paying for this ourselves until we
we get it finished, and then the board will
| take care of us.
Thus the work was finished and when
the costfof this gigantic piece of grading
was footed up it was found to be nearly
$4,000.
Thus the board of public works, which
has become used to such things, were
amazed at the magnitude of the bill. They,
| too, began to look on the map to find out
where property could be found benefited to
the tune of $4,000. They at first spread
it along the street according to the front
| feet, but the amount was 30 enormous on
each lot that regular howl went up from
property owners along the street. They
then cancelled that assessment and tried
taking in three lots deep on either side, but
this only complicated things by increasing the
number of "howlers." An effort was made
in order TO lessen the burden, to have them
carry it to the middle of the block on either
side, claiming that property on the cross
streets has been benefited as much as that
| on McKubin street, remote from the grad.
| ing-that is, none at all and ought to helI
to get the Board out of a. bad scrape. The
Board were very favorable to that PROPOSE
| ton, and every one interested
thought they would adopt it
but rather than stir up SO large hornet:
nest they have concluded to 60 back to thei
rule-that is, place it upon the property OF
the line of the street.
There are often hardships entailed upor
| the citizen by reason of public improvement
which seem unavoidable, but in this case NJ
such excuse can be urged. This work wal
petitioned for by those whose property wa
to be benefited by it. 1t was not public
necessity. Those of Us owning propert.
south of Dayton avenue were not asked t.
sign the petition, and were only prevented
from opposing it by reason Of their repre-
sensations that we would not be assessed. I
the board of public works had don
their duty they would have reported
that property could not bs found benefited
to the extent of the cost. Now, they say
"the work has been done and must be pait
for" should innocent parties be made t.
pay for their blunders? Is their any justice
or reason, or sense, in taxing Mr.. Warren
Carpenter, for instance, who never asked
for the grading. and whose property is 8
half mile away from where the work was
done, and which has not been benefited ST.!
I say is there any justice in taxing bin $211
while Mr.Sewall, whose property fronts upo1
the portion of the street where nearly al
the work was done, and which has been i'm
mensely benefited, Is only taxed $40?
Every man, woman and chic, outside of the
board of public works and the lunatic asyl
UNI, who are conversant with the facts, char
acterize it as an outrage, and even one oil
the judges of the district court, am told
in speaking of it, said it was travesty upon
| justice. If the law permits this board to
perpetrate such injustice and gives
| no right to redress in the courts. then
am in favor of having the law repealed, and
no man can have my vote for the Legislature
who is not pledged to its repeal or modifica-
| ton.
Another feature about this McKubin street
| assessment that looks suspicious is, that
| while they have run the assessments on the
south end of the street to the extreme limit
at Summit avenue, on the north end they
stop at University avenue, eight blocks
| from the northern terminus, thus illustrat-
| ing the fexibility of the rule above alluded
to. Why this departure from the rule? The
ostensible reason given is that the land
| north of University avenue is
an impossible swamp and to assess it would
be to confscate it. This reason is entirely
sstoo thin,' as there is not foot of ground
along the line of the street which cannot be
driven over with buggy at this moment.
Most of those who feel aggrieved at this as
sessment think that the ownership of the
land at the north end has something to do
with it; and while make no charges of that