St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-06
Building Inspector johnson is Reelected
and His Term of Service Heightened
to -Four Years.
Kain's Resolution Fixing the
Price OF Labor.
Detailed Statement OF the City's
Finances--Summary OF Other
Reports -Routfne.

OF Indiana. for the roofing and stair
ways of the court house. The con-
tract was read and unanimously ap-
proved and executed in duplicate.
This having been completed the county
commissioners adjourned till Monday next
at 2 p. M, after which the commission adj
jOurned. The city council then organized
and proceeded to business. The board OF
public works was directed TO open and ex-
tend an alley through block Z, Whitney d
Smiths addition The same board was
directed 10 investigate and report as to
numerous proposed city improvements
THE LABOR RESOLUTION.
The mayor sent in accommodation in
regard to the resolution introduced by Aid.
Kahn and adopted by the council without
his signature to il. The following are the
principal points in II:
The resolution passed by your honorable
body on the 29th inst. and placed in my hands
on the 3lst OF December, requesting the pres
ident thereof 70 appoint special committee
OF three TO appear before the board OF public
works TO carry out the views OF the common
council as represented in the report
OF that date relative 10 prices paid
Tor labor by city contractors on public works
Is, think, practically motion aud not a
resolution as contemplated by the charter.
which the mayor is TO approve or disapprove.
i motion 10 appoint committee for that
purpose would have Deen WHOLLY within the
province OF the common council. and the
mayor could not in any way gainsay IL, hence
i shall treat the resolution as a motion and
neither approve nor disapprove il. and here
with return 10. have also before me the re-
port OF the committee therein referred TO,
ana If may do so without Civ
ing onense 10 your honorable
body, which do not design 10 do, wish TO
say that think the recommendation in the
last paragraph of the report. that In the fu-
ture no contract be approved by the common
council unless IL shall be first satisfied that
the contractor IS entirely responsible (which
think is right and that the contractor viii
pay at least Sl-50 per day for labor and So
per day for teams" is a dangerous policy for
your honorable body 10 inaugurate. and If
adopted, IL would vitiate every assessment
upon property improved under the contract,
and probably defeat the general tax levy.
II Is not within the power OF the
common council. therefore, 10 make such
contracts nor in the constitutional province
OF the legislature TO grant such power. 1t
Is doubtful even whether the constitution
itself could be made binding in that respect
If it contained such provision. 1t is in the
nature of
SUPPLEMENTARY LAW
which is repugnant TO the people OF all civil
lied governments and denounced in the De-
claratiOn of Independence and in the
bill OF rights of nearly every state in
that cannot be alleviated by the action of
majority OF the people themselves. II Is
alike detrimental to the best interests OF the
city and destructive 10 the best interests OF
the laborer. artisan and wageworker, and
hence 10 society itself, because all wealth, all
progress. improvements and prosperity in
every form which distinguish civilization
from barbarism, are the results OF
intelligent, well-organized and we'll
directed labors. If it is
in the power OF the common council or any
other legislative body to fix the pay of la
borer in the employ of a contractor or other
citizen at Sl.50 per day or a team at So, it has
the like power 10 say that but2 cents and the
latter but 80 cents. or any other sum per day;
10 Xix the price OF shoes such labOrers may
require at S. per pair and meat and all other
neceSSaries at twice the price others
can obtain them for, and il may require like
wise the teamsters to buy and feed for
their teams, of the contractors, or three
times market value. Your honor
able body has the power to fix the wages
of the employees of the city and TO regulate
the number OF hours which they shall be
asked to work, but further than that, think,
II is not in your power TO 60
On motion of Aid. SanbOrn the vote by
which the resolution was adopted was re-
considered, and then it was referred back
to the committee Aid. Kahn, who is chair
man of the committee, will so change h =
resolution that the objections of the mayor
will not apply, and report it back 10 the
council at the next meeting.
THE FIRE COMMISSIONERS.
The mayor sent in the names OF F. r.
DelanO, c. y. Parker and George w. Free
man for continuation as members of the fire
commission. AleSsrs. Delano and Freeman
were unanimously elected. but when Par
kers name was reached the vote stood,
IL &Aralns tftnr
Slyke in the affirmative and Cummings,
Dowlan, O'Connor. Petsch, Cullen, Kahn,
StarkeY, Bryant Minea and the president
in the negative. and thus he was defeated.
BUILDING INSPECTOR.
Aid. johnson was unanimously re- elected
to the effiee OF building inspector and his
term was extended TO four Years. In
response TO a unanimous call he returned
his thanks for the honor. He said that two
years ago his brother aldermen gave him
genuine surprise by eleeting him, for which
consideration he felt thankful and consid-
cred it q mark of confidence which he
esteemed very highly; and now they had
hOnored him again by selecting
him for another term to the same
position, he could not express his
joy at this second proof of confidence.
De had sat for seven or eight years with
some Of the members of the council and
nothing but the pleasantest relations had
existed between them. He could enlarge
upon that interesting theme, but he would
not, and again returned his thanks. His
remarks were received with much applause.
Mayor Rice sent in the annual reports of the
city comptroller, engineer. treasurer, build
ing Inspector and other city officials, which
were very voluminous, and with the excep-
ton of those specially mentioned below.
have appeared in substance heretofore in
the GLOBE. The following is a compre-
hensive summary of the comptroIler's
statement.
THE CONTROLLERS REPORT.
The bonded debt of the city of st. Paul
is SIS, SIS, $40. II, being a fraction over per
cent of the assessed valuation of taxable
property, which is fairly and Justly esti-
mated at about 80 per cent. of the actual
cash value in moderate times, reducing the
percentage to 20. Considerable has been
said relative to the debt of cities exceeding
the IS per cent. limit Of assessed valuation
OF property" The natural impression such
limitation produces in the minds of men is
that cities are absolutely financially secure.
but it is my humble opinion, after having
given the subject a careful consideration.
that such restriction will generally prove
calamitous. as it is natural for cities issuing
bonds under it to initiate the aggregate as
sessed valuation of property for the pur-
pose of paying for ''junkets" representing
no assets.
The bonded debt of the city Of st. Paul
is strictly conservative, from the fact that
the debt is constantly kept before the peo-
pie as safeguard, and that the great aim
of her citizens has always been to keep the
debt within the IS per cent. limit of as
sessed valuation of property" Just the
same as If such limitation applied to st.