St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-28
LEGISLATION FOR SIT. PAUL.
Several of the Representatives of the
SANITY City Express Themselves
RriaGlV.

Briefly.
Many matters are to come up during the
coming session of the legislature which will
be of considerable local interest and magni-
tude. Representative w. r. Merriam,
called upon yesterday. gave out in a nut.
shell some of the principal items:
There will probably be bill for system
OF assessments corresponding with the On
| tariO plan" he said. ''Then we shall want a
park commission, and there will be the usual
| city bonds matters. Yes, we shall want an
| upper bridge, say about $500 600 or $500. 900
| bonds to be authorized for it. I don't know
about an additional judge for the Second
| judicial district; link our present judges
are overworked. There may be ali effort to
| redistrict the city. can't say anything about
| that, for l haven't heard it talked
over much. The council committee on legis-
| lation Will take up that matter, maybe, and
discuss it thoroughly. No doubt an attempt
will be made on the part OF the members
| from the northern part of the state to get
about reapportionment. 1 think the cities
will favor reapportionment. 1 shall proba-
| bly, favor it, but want to see the matter we'll
debated, for there may be some good argu-
ments on both sides of the question:
MIR. sCHEFFER's IDEAS.
I'm park commission man." declared
| Senator Albert Scheffer, land l have ex-
|
| bridge. don't know how large an issue of
| bonds will be asked, prObapl. half a million
| dollars. The council will locate it, and per-
| haps ii will be not lower down than Sherman
| street, and not above Won Minden. The
| Ontario plan OF assessments / am in
| favor of, if it is found ft asible. / think we
| ought to have an additional judge in the dis
trict court, for our present judges have more
work than they can attend to. They are talk
| ing about redistricting of the city. OF
course there will be an effort made to reap
| portion the state. The southern members
opposed it the last time it was tried, and no
! doubt they will oppose it again. AS to the
| farmers legislation, I'm the farmers friend.
/ do not believe in 6enefiting one class at the
expense of the other, nor Go l think ii wise to
make legislation which would cut down the
| profits of the railroads so that they cannot
| exist yet / do not think it should be all for
| the railroads and nothing for the producer.
| We in the cities can't get along without
either. / realize the fact that this is an agrl-
cultural state. was talking with Gen. Bar
rett not long ago. and 50 far as Can see, the
farmers are asking for nothing more than
what is right. "
OPPOSED TO TIE ONTARIO PLAN.
mo, won't ind 1rse everything he says"
ventured Senator K. A. Smith. "I am OPP
posed to the Ontario plan. We have law
which has been tested and found to be per-
feet, and think we should stop right where
we have good and perfect system. If we
adopt this other plan-the Ontaro-there
will be appeals and appeals, and endless
litigation will be the result ] would be in
favor of reducing the present rate of inter-
est and extending the time-say to three or
five years. hut I'm in favor of an upper
bridge, you bet.
E. c. Long. of the council committee on
legislation. said:
II am not in favor of the Ontario plan. 1
have talked with great many poor people
and / find that what they really want is the
present penalty reduced from Is per cent.
say to 10 or II per cent. and the time ex-
tended to three years.
FOR woRKINGMEN.
Representative Robert Newell, the work
ingmen's representative, was called upon at
his residence last evening at 100 Acker
street. He was asked what was proposed
in the way of labor legislation. He said:
We really have made out no definite pro-
gramme yet, and if we had Iquestion whether
it would be policy to make it public. / don't
believe in legislation for any one particular
class; / don't believe in classes, anyway. You
know, however, that the workingmen consti-
tute about 90 per cent. Of the public. whether
the labor be by pen, pick or shovel, and what
ever is going to benefit this 80 per cent. will
benefit the greatest number. We are going
to make an effort for arbitration,
and we want amendments to the
nsury, garnishee and mechanics lien
laws The one feasible way that l know of
to get at arbitration is TO induce the en-
ployer and labor organization to submit their
differenc to board of arbitration, aud have
each by mutual consent put up a forfeit
with the board, which is to legally Lind them
to abide by the decision. Now, we want the
mechanics lien law so that the expense of a
suit for wages viii be borne by the state. If
the plaintiff, however, should attempt suit
4, 10 70 he 10
the wages have really been paid, then have
the offender punished. You don't know how
many servant girls there are in this city that
| are discharged without getting their wages,
| and who run to lawyers, only to learn that it
will cost to get the $40 or sig due them about
as much as it's worth, and they haven't the
money to commence suit Sometimes they
burst into tears, and sometimes they smile,
| according TO their particular temperaments.
! The usury system is something that has come
| ont of the garnishee law. A laboring man
owes bill. His creditor threatens to Rarnishee
| his wages. He goes to a shop-mate to get