St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-13
total number. When votes are taken five
days are allowed for the return of the ballots.
MIR. MASON INTERVIEWED.

days are allowed Tor the return or the DaltOtS,
MR.. MASON INTERVIEWED.
When he presented this repart Mr. Mason
was interviewed by GLOBE reporter as to
the manner in which it was proposed to re-
duce the expenses of the city government
Is per cent. Mr.. Mason said that, while he
had not heard the members of the asso-
citation discuss the matter, his idea
was, first, in regard to the police system,
that there are too many men on the force
now. ''St. Paul don't need any patrolmen
during the day." he said, Except perhaps,
one at the union depot, one on Bridge
square, and one at the Seven corners.
What we want is fewer men and better.
What good is police officer walking up and
down our streets doing nothing? None at
all. What is there in this city that needs
protection during the day? Can't you take
care of yourself? Do l need policeman
to protect me? All they are ever used for
is to squelch disturbance; and when the
disturbance comes, isn't it the simplest thing
in the world for some citizen to call the
wagon from the patrol box? These police
what do they do? They arrest drunken
man once in while, and have him fined
$40. Beyond that, they do nothing"
1t was suggested that this scheme of
abolishing the day police force had at most
the merit Of novelty-that nothing like it
had lately been tried in any city in the
world.
''That's because they are all hide-bound,"
he returned, They've been travelling in
the rut so long, that all are afraid to try
anything new. But the plan is reasonable,
isn't it?"
Mr.. Mason was asked how it was pro-
posed to reduce
THE EXPENSES OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT
which has lately purchased several new
pieces OF apparatus.
'Well," he said, ''the fire department to
my mind isn't much better. In proportion
to the size of the population and the amount
of property involved, I don't see as it does
any better than the old volunteer depart
ment did that used to belong to fifteen
year ago."
Mr.. Mason was next inquired of where
he would put the Is per cent. knife into the
public school system. why" he said,
1--WE could save 500, 900 on the expenses of
our public schools and have better schools,
better teachers and better scholars than we
have now. How would we do it? Simply
by adopting the halliday system. Three
fOurths of our school children are under II
years old. Now what's the use of sending
a child 6, Z or s years old to school twice a
day? Isn't it too much to keep such child
three hours in the morning and again in the
afternoon? Neither the children nor the
teachers do well under such system. 1t
makes them both lazy. Now, of the enroll
ment of last year of between nine and ten
thousand, there was an average school at
tendance of but 5,203. What does that
mean? It means that of the young chill
dren some were made sick by going to
school too much and some were kept out
because they were needed at home. Now if
my system were carried into effect. that
average attendance would be increased to
5000, I've no doubt. Let the child go to
school for half day and then for half a
day stay at home, playing helping mother
in the house, father in the shop OF working
in the garden. Then. too, we won't need
any more school houses nor an increase in
the force of teachers.
Il tell you there's too much teaching, too
much system in our schools. Why, when I
went to school I learned addition in two OF
three weeks. 1t takes them months now,
and you look into the text books used and
you'll hardly be able to find addition, sub
traction or anything else Our present
OCllOOl OyStCul 10 Udu, fCly Udu
"Your system of reduction would rather
bust the scheme of having new parks" it
was suggested.
1--WE don't care whose scheme it busts,"
was the answer; 'swhat the taxpayers are
after is a reduction in taxes"
THE CONTROLLERS STATEMENT.
To Mr.. Roche, the city comptroller, was
submitted the statement of the Taxpayers
a of with hn hot ho ind;
cate where reductions in municipal eX-
penSes would be possible. He replied: $50
far as all the departments of the city gov
eminent are concerned think they are run
as economically as is possible to regulate a
well-governed city, and 1 think ST. Paul
expenses are lighter, comparatively speak
ing, and considering the many improve
ments that are being made, and have been
made, than any other city in the coun-
try. | do not know where
Is per cent. reduction could be made, nor
can [ see where there is any eXorbitant
expense in any of the city departments, nor
can any one well informed point out where
any unnecessary expense exists. Some peO-
pie suppose that the city can be run on a
sort OF patrol system OF on horseback, a
way am not acquainted with. St. Paul is
not like plain, but it is difficult to get
around, and when improvements are called
for from all quarters, the taxes cannot be
very low. Local improvements and special
improvements are matters OF another kind.
For the past few years there have been a
great many improvements, and all coming
at one time has caused distress, that is, if
there really is any.
But thesesimprovementS, wherever made
have enhanced property four-fOld. The
taxes have not caused any distress, that
being due, if it exists, to the local improve
ments. l do not see that the police force
can be abolished. The question is, is it too
large? / do not think so. Requests are re-
ceived for extra .patrolmen in the suburbs.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Gas to the fire department you will find
very few that will say it is too large. On
the contrary, in all sections Of the city, es-
pecially from the extremes of ST. Anthony
hill, Dayton's bluff, the Fourth ward, the
Sixth and Seventh wards, demands are con-
stantly received for more protection by adj
ditional steam fire engines Every extra
steam engine, for maintenance and necessary
operatives, costs annually aboutS15, 600. [
cannot see that the fire department can be
reduced.
BOARD OF WATER COMMISSIONERS.
'sNO direct tax is levied for the support
of the board of water commissioners with
the exception of 10 cents per foot for water
mains laid i'll property fronting. In this
particular I do not think that those
using faucets should be taxed, for
they support this department; and | do
not think that vacant lot should be taxed
unless it has sewer in front of it, for
when one builds he can have water, but
there is no sewer to run it off. The ques-
ton is whether the water rates are too
high, or should they be reduced.
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT..
''The operating Of the engineering depart
ment is matter between the board of pub
lie works and the council. One thing is