St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-01
PLAYING THE ALDERMAN.
The New City Council Held a Private
Dress Rehearsal Yesterday.
SALARIES TO BE CUT.
Aid. Johnson and Davis Run Matters
to Suit Themselves -Kilving-
toms Recommendations.

About twenty-five of the newly
elected aldermen responded TO the
postal-card invitation yesterday after
noon. and met at the council chamber,
s..just to get acquainted with each
other" as Aid. Downs, who seemed to
take the initiative, explained to the re-
porter. Some of the Office seekers were
on hand to improve the shining hour.
Supervisor of the Poor Curtiss and
Meat Inspector Mea, who desire to be
retained; John West. who wants to be
returned to the workhouse. and Rufus
Roberts, who yearns to be again seafer
Of weights and measures, were among
them. Health Officer Kilvington, who
wanted to make the aldermen familiar
with certain reforms he is advocating,
which will require some legislation, was
another who was buttOnhOlinS and
handshaking. The aldermen stood
around in an aimless sort of way for
an hour or so. and finally Aid. Downs
called the meeting to order, saying 1T
should be decided whether an adjourn
ment should be taken or whether the
meeting should be prolonged. After
five-minutes' silence it was suggested
that it would be we'll to de-
eide whether caucus should
be held before the reorganization
of the council. At this an executive
session was voted and all outsiders were
excluded. The curtains were pulled
down and the door locked. MayOr-elect
Babb, who was present by invitation,
was elected chairman. and Aid. +. NJ;
johnson, secretary. Aid. johnson read
communication from Health Officer
Kilvington making certain suggestions
for the reorganization OF his depart.
ment. The recommendations included
the division of the city into five dis
tricts, each to be presided over by a
physician who shall exercise the duties
OF the city physician for his respective
district, as we'll as having the super
vision of the enforcement of the SAM
tary regulations; their salaries to be
fixed at 81 ZOO. and they are to be hell
accountable to the board of health. At
tention was called to the fact that the
city physician, with one physician. can
not cover a city of fifty-three square
miles and attend to all the cases re-
ported to him. The appointment of five
sanitary police and the licensing OF
scavengers was also recommended. The
health officer thought by his sugges-
tons the expenses of his department
could be curtalltd from $4,000 to $1,000.
He also urged that the inspection of
meat and all articles of food be left to
this department. The communication
was referred to committee of three.
Aid. e. NJ. John next urged that in
the line of economy, number of the
bridge watchmen be dispensed with, and
this matter went to another committee
of three.
He next suggested that the salaries
and fees Of the city officers should be
looked into with view to cutting them
down, and another committee was
forthwith appointed for this purpose.
Then came up the question as to
whether caucus should be held to de-
eide upon nominations for appOintive
offices before the meeting of the new
council. This was agreed to, but the
matter of selecting a date occasioned
some discussion. A motion was made
to hold meeting each Thursday after
noon up to January 1. The time was
afterwards changed to evening. There
Aid. Johson then put in his oar again.
The committees had plenty of work to
do and should not be hurried, so he Of
fered substitute changing the date of
the first meeting to Friday evening,
December IA. and it was carried. ~
The selection of a president of the
council was not even mentioned, butt
is generally understood that it Willie
almost unanimously rendered Aid e.
nj. johnson. II