Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-06-08
Mayor Rice's I,sauguraI.

To the Honorable the President and Common
Council of the City of st. Paul.
In assuming the duties devolving upon the
Mayor of this city, / feel that more thorough
would better enable me to make, as the law
requires, suitable recommendations to your
honorable body, and also to discharge the
trusts appertaining to the office.
At present shall be able only to outline
briefly the views entertain in respect to some
general matters that / think should receive
your attention.
The city is fast approaching to the proper
tions of large commercial, manufacturing,
financial and cosmopolitan center, the limits
to the growth of which it is impossible for
any one to foretell and in all your legislation
for its government, and the extensive general
and local improvements that
will be required these facts
should, and doubtless will be, strictly borne
in mind. And yet l think the increased cost
chargeable to the general expenses of the city
government may be borne and all needful im-
provements occasioned by the growth of pop
ulation, be made, by reason of a corresponding
increase in the value of assessable property,
without charging the rate of taxation.
The credit of the city stands very high, and
justly so, because 1t possesses in the most ex-
allied degree the two essential prerequisites
recognized in all financial circles as standards
vi cTCulG vi Luc III CidSS3 ludt 10 UUCttCy duu
willingness to pay, at maturity, all Its obi
cations.
With low taxes and a long. course
of prompt payment of in
terest and all matured Indebtedness its bonds
naturally rank among the best of American
municipalities, its per cents. having been
eagerly taken at per cent premium.
It should, and doubtless will, be the policy
of the city government to main:ain, and pos
ell / " iporaoco prpspnf' orb ctandino
of it's securities
The progress of our railways and their in
creasing business, are surprising the most
sanguine amongst our people as well as as
founding the most doubling, and are attract
ing capital, new business enterprises, and i'm
mense numbers of emigrants Of the best and
all parts of the United States, and also from
nearly all other nationalities.
The railways are agencies which have large
ly made known to the world the magnitude of
the resources in productive wealth of the
soil of our great "New Northwest"
But for them the accumulated capital of
our people and the stupendous acquisitions to
our population, could not be.
They should be treated justly and fairly.
therefore, at our hands, for these, if for no
other reasons.
FLOW OF THE LOwLANDs IN THE SIXTH
WARD.
The improvements already made, together
with those projected by the general govern
ment for improving the facilities of transpor
tation upon the Mississippi river from its
mouth to New Orleans, st. Louis and St. Paul
by various methods, including ''the reservoir
SYSTEM when perfected, must greatly increase
the Importance of our city as a receiving and
distributing point, and thus aid in making it
one of the three greatest cities on this immense
river, requiring all the levee room the city
may be able to control, and l think one very
great incidental benefit TO the West side of the
city, will necessarily follow the completion of
the reservoirs, that is, that the water from
snow and rain flowing into them in the
bring and early summer, will be held back
/ n time Of floods and only let out gradually
when needed for navigation, and thus the low
lanis of the Sixth ward will be free from all
danger Of overflow and inundation from that the
main source, cOnsummation most devoutly
to be wished for.
In respect to the projection of dykes,
levees, or other means of pro-
tecting property subject to overflow. /
think works should not he commenced until
it shall have been ascertained by thorough
engineering teets that the desired results can be
attained with the means that can be commanded.
Any other course would be unwise, and might
prove delusive. and to many result in despair
and ruin.
PUBLIC HEALTH.
In framing or revising plans relating to
sewerage, drainage, street cleaning, the puri-
fication of hospitals and other public buildings
and the abatement of all nuisances that tend to
engender or promote disease, the public health
should be considered as paramount to all
other questions, and provision should be made
for the prompt appliance of all needed means
for its protection, without being dwarfed by
the question of cost, whatever that may be.
In this connection street sprinkllng is also
of Importance during the heated seasons, and
| the subject of which should be taken in charge
by the city authorities, if the provisions of our
charter will admit of it land if not, the power
should be obtained at the next nesting Of the