St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-02-05
Surprise Expressed at the
Intended Extravaganza in
Salaries.
The Fee System in County Or
fees Should Be Abol-
ished.
A Board of Public Works and
a Reduction of Alder
men.

Hell lOT us interference, JilV DUdfU vi
| trade met yesterday and resolved calmly
what should and what should not be
done in municipal affairs, as solemniy
| at if it possessed full power to carry
out its wishes. Two meetings were
held, and the question of the salaries of
city and county officials received i'm
mediate and vigorous attention. AT the
morning meeting it was stated that the
county treasurer had received but $1,000
after he had paid off his help last year.
1t was thought he should get about
$500, but objection was made to the
bill which makes provision for an
increase of $4,000, out of which
he is to pay his clerk hire. Judge Isaac
| Atwater opened the ball by expressing
painful establishment that the Hennepin
| county delegation after pledging itself
| to retrenchment and reform had pro-
| posed bills increasing the salaries of
county officers. J. S. Pillsbury was OPP
| posed to an increase of salaries and
wanted the committee on legislation to
prenare a schedule of salaries that
| should be paid to be submitted to
a public meeting of taxpayers to be
held t might at Harmonic hall. These
officials, he said. knew what salaries
| they were to receive when they were
elected. If they were not satisfied, they
| should step down.
A. j. Blethen said the Hennepin dele
| CATION instead of keeping It's pledges to
| retrench, WAS preparing to saddle $685.
| $50 extra expenses upon the county.
| Judge Atwater moved the salaries Of
| the auditor and treasurer be fixed at
Il hn hilnr Of al 20 JlH
salaries to be received to be fixed by the
county commissioners.
j. B. Bassett didn't want the county
| commissioners to have the fixing of the
salaries, and J. S. Pillsbury thought the
treasurer should be paid more than the
auditor. He wanted the salaries of the
aldermen cut down too. AS the COM
mittee OH legislation had an appoint
ment with the county officials, an adj
journment was taken to evening, when
the discussion was renewed.
TIE ATTACK RENEWED.
Judge AtWater as chairman of the
committee OH legislation, made report
in which he again expressed panied sur
prise He had interviewed the auditor
and treasurer and found they talked
reasonably enough and were willing to
accept salary of $1,000 net. He also
submitted a bill he had prepared
providing for the creation of board of
auditors, consisting of three members,
one of which should be taken from
each of the two political parties polling
the largest vote in November. previous
to the appointment together with the
mayor of Minneapolis, the duties of the
board being to pass upon all bills for
clerk hire in any county or
city office, the salary of which
offices should be fixed by law;
Every city and county officer to make
reports Jan. and July l, OF the amounts
paid for clerk hire; two members of
the board of auditors to be appointed
the first Tuesday after the first Mon
day of January OF each second year, be-
ginning with 1890; the appointment to
be made by the Judges of the district
court; the board of auditors to serve
without salary. The Judges bill did
not meet with appreciation and
despite his frantic support of it, it got
no further recognition than reference
to a committee. Finally resolution
was adopted recommending that the
auditor receive the same salary as now
and the treasurer an increase of 81, 200.
The present fee system was diSapprOved
of. and it was voted that the fees should
be covered into the city treasury. and
that the clerk of courts, register of
deeds and sheriff should receive a sal
airy of So, 500 each. j. b. Barrett then
offered a resolution, which was adopted,
that no other salaries should be in
creased.
CITY MATTERS.
The bill offered by John Day Smith
in the legislature providing for re-
ducton of the aldermen to one from
each ward and five at large, was in
dorsed.
j. N. Mind, from the committee on
city affairs, reported that the interests
of the city can be subSerVed and econ
omy consulted by the organization of a
board of public works, such as is
charged with public improvements in
other cities, provided that the council
be reduced in number not to exceed
and referred to the committee on .legiS-
latiOn.
Gen. Wilson said that bill authoriz-
ing the creation of board of public
works should be so drawn as to author
ize a revision of the charter, SO it was
decided to pay 500 to Gen. Wilson for
performing this service.
REORGANIZING THE P. G.
At the morning meeting Gen. Wilson,
from the committee on legislation, pre-
scented bill to amend the city charter,
which his committee had prepared, re-
ducing the number of police commits
sionerS to three members to serve with
out compensation. The bill provides
that the commission shall be composed
of the mayor and two commissioners,
one from each political party,
who shall be appointed by
80
passage of the bill the judges shall APP
one to serve for two years and the other
one to serve for four years. and every
four years thereafter one commissioner
shall be appointed. After considerable
discussion the bill was referred to the
committee on legislation, with instruc-
tionS to try and secure its passage.
THE NAVIGATION SCHEME
j. n. Mind, from the committee on
water power and navigation, to whom
was referred the matter of the ST. LOUIS,
St. Paul ~ Minneapolis Steamboat com
pany, reported that they had investi-
gated the matter. The company was
already organized and owned three
steamboats, valued at $4,000. 1t
was incorporated under the laws
of Missouri, and the stockhold-
CTS were not personally lldDle
except for the amount of their stock. 1t
was proposed to organize stock COM
pany with capital of 100000, and to
run the boats to this city when the
water would permit. and to ask con-
gress for an appropriation to make
Minneapolis the bead of naviga-
ton. The company had valu-
able property, consisting of eleva-
tors wharfage etc. at ST. Paul
Davenport, Muscatine' Navoo, Warsaw,
Alexandria, Canton, La Grange, Quincy,
Halifax and st. Louis. AS the old Dav-
idson line, the company cleared profit
of $4,000 a year. and the committee
thnn1rht LII at unllnr rarnnaI M N monaant