St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-21
THE EXPOSITION SITE.
Especial Council COnAmIfiee wires
ling with the Problem.


ling with the Problem.
The exnosition people at their meeting
held Yesterday morning appointed special
committee to present the matter OF securing
lid from the city in securing property ad-
accent To the Wmslow house site by vacat-
no or donating the public market On the
east side. etc, and last night the matter
was presented by Aid. Walsh, who said
that private citizens Of East Minneapolis
oad donated the WinslOw house site. which.
however. can be made available for such
nurposes only by connecting Herewith, to
be used directly or by way of exchange. the
old public market square adjacent to the
site. and also lots 4. 5. 6. z and 8.
n block is, st. Anthony Falls addition,
which lots are the property of the city. The
ract. together with the WinslOw house
site. will give them five and one-half acres
Of land.
1t was then moved by Aid. Walsh that
he matter be referred to a committee of
i've, the committee to act in conjunction
With the exposition committee and citizens
If the East side, to be reported to an ad-
ourned meeting of the council On Friday
evening at 7:30 o'clock.
Aid Walsh. Johnson, Morse, Cutler and
Babb were appointed as such committee
and meeting was held Immediately after
the adjournment of the council.
The petition was read and plat of the
property in question exhibited. Mr.. Gil
lette gave a general outline of the tract 1t
was asked that the north half of the old
market be given to the exposition and that
the south half OF the market be exchanged
with the Messrs. Clute Bros. for blocks 3
and on First avenue north, and also TO
have Ortman street, Prince street and Sec
ond street vacated so that the site shall be
4 solid tract of land.
The proposition Of making an out and
out donation of the property aroused oppo-
sition Aid johnson argued alphabetically
that supposing the exposition at the end OF
ten years becomes a financial failure for
want of sufficient public interest, private
parties could buy up the stock at small
amount on the dollar and then say I'VE
will run this no longer" The title Of the
land will be vested in them and they could
sell it out TO a good profit Another was of
the opinion that the city cannot legally deed
sway the property to any corporation with
out a valuable consideration. The council
committee, however, favored gratuitous
leasing the desired property for term of
years, upon the tact understanding that an
exposition shall be maintained a certain
portion of each year. The city attorney
explained that upon a similar case the
courts had decided that the city cannot do
nate lands. He then gave the legal
opinion that the city can sell
the property for a small consideration
or lease it so long as the exposition is main
tanned. Any taxpayer could enjoin the
city from giving away the property. lie
cited the celebrated case in New York in
which the city had leased to the archbishop
lots upon which to build an elegant
cathedral. an ornament to the city, costing
over million of dollars, the cathedral pay
ing 81 a year for the lease. The courts
ruled the transaction illegal. He suggested
that the tract could be turned over to the
park commissioners, and they in turn could
give the use of the land if the exposition
directors ould beautify the same by erect
ing the building. The property can be
legally exchanged for blocks and 5. The
council could pledge its faith. in case it was
sold to the exposition for fair considera-
ton, that donation of the property be
made upon legislative authority. He
thought the legislature could give authority,
in consideration that the structure and ex-
position will be of great public value to the
entire municipality.
S. C. Gale stated that the exposition
would require immediate possession. They
would demand either fee or gift outright.
His impression was that should the council
pledge itself to make the donation when the
legislature gives authority, the directors
would go ahead and erect the building.
STOCK is WORTH PAR,
and he did not think the exposition people
would give stock to the city for the site.
Aid. johnson moved that the committee
report to the council a recommendation
favoring the exchange of the lands as asked,
and granting the exposition the right to
erect building to cost not less than $780,
600, etc., also favoring the street vacation
asked for, the same to revert to the city in
case the exposition ceases. The motion
further recommended that the property be
decided as soon as authority could be
secured, for the term of thirty years.
o. A. Pray wanted it amended so as to
read twenty years Mr.. Gale argued to the
same purport. The property will be worth
less for anything else, and will as matter
of course. be used as an exposition as long
as it can be made to pay.
=. f. Wilson thought twenty years as
long as the city should require the expo
sition to be maintained before title is ac-
quired, and suggested that at least twenty
eXpositiOns be held before title be given.
1t might then run on forty years or might
be eliminated in twenty years only.
Adjourned until $3.50 this afternoon.