St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-11
The City Market Question
Again Affords Food for
Contention.
1t Seems Hardly Practicable
for the City to Go to Mar
keting.
No Conclusion Is Arrived At,
as Is Customary--Legal
Points.


scrapping match as the city hall yester-
day afternoon. A joint meeting of the
committee on markets and the commit
tee on ways and means had been called
to consider what action the city had
best take in the matter of securing better
market accommodations, and Uncle
Harlow was on deck ready to show the
committee that he could offer very con-
siderable inducements for giving him
the fifty-year franchise he asks. A del
egation from the North Side I'M
provement association was also pres
ent to urge the advisable
ity of condemning a block
of ground in Northtown for market
purposes. citizens of the North side to
take the responsibility of running the
concern when started.
lection to this, and said as much in a
few words. Aid. Reeve didn't believe
there was any necessity for more than
one market in this city as yet.
At this point the personal animus
which Chairman Gray shows toward
Mr. Gale broke out and Mr.. Gale, who
is usually too discreet to show resent
ment, was spurred on to say some very
interesting things about Aid. Gray.
The latter accused Mr.. Gale of having
driven about the city in times past look
ing for gardeners who sold on the
streets, and intimidating them by
threats of prosecution, to come into
coming to the market to sell their wares.
THAT it is not So" said MIR. Gale.
at is So"
'1t is not 500
''lt is so, and l can prove ito
''No, sir"
Eyes. sir, and can bring proof that
you and policeman threatened gar
dener who was selling produce near
Tom Kings house on Tenth street
some years ago. Do you dare deny
that?" shouted the embarrassing alder
man from the Thirteenth ward.
Il have no recollection of any such
thing" replied Mr.. Gale.
You seem to have a very aceommo-
dating memory, Mr.. Gale" retorted the
now irate alderman.
The absurdity of his statement is at
tested" quietly observed Mr.. Gale, "by
the fact that in the thirteen years |
have been marketmaSter, there hasn't
been an arrest made at my inStigatiOn,
and never during that time have | car
rled on any such practices as the gentle
man speaks Of"
Il just want to tell you this, Mr..
Gale, that you are very Indifferent to
facts. You threatened once to have me
arrested for selling on a route had eS-
tablished before your market house was
built
Mr.. Gale here observed in calm ole
aginouS tones that Mr.. Gray'S statement
was an unmitigated falSehood, and re-
marked to the committee: Gentlemen,
| want you to witness that | denounce
this as a falSehood, baseless fabrica-
tion."
Aid. Gray rose half way to his feet,
shook his fist and hOWled, "Y cure an
Internal old liar.''
Then the threatening storm Quoted
down, and Aid. Gray said in calmer
mood that he believed it was time for
the city to have done with franchises
and to have market of their own.
Mr.. Gale said ne would do all in his
power to aid the city in making such
change, but if any private parties were
to have the market he thought his own
proposition worthy of consideration.
OTHER SUGGESTIONS.
Aid. Ellingan thought that if the city
established and conducted a central
market it would be unwise to have
branch markets, which would prevent
the central one from paying expenses.
investigated or obtained any idea of the
cost of a block of land suitably located
and the expense of paving it and paying
running expenses.
Aid. Reeve thought it would be we'll
to have one large central market, owned
and controlled by the city, and the COM
mittee commenced to figure on the
probable cost, taking the ball park
block'' as basis. They made out that
a properly located block of land
WOULD COST 100000
and Immediately decided that the city
would have no funds in the next two
years with which to buy
Aid. Potter said that, recognizing the
fact that it would be five years at least
before the city could purchase site.
he thought. in the absence of more
favorable offer, it might be well to ac-
cept Mr.. Gales proposition. cut
ting down his franchise to twenty
five from fifty years and
so wording the ordinance as to give the
city an option for purchasing the site at
the end of any five years. He also
thought it might be well to lease land.
and Aid. Reeve, who seemed to be the
lord high mathematician, went to COM
putting estimated receipts and ex-
penditureS on basis of a $500, 900
block leased at six per cent. He
made out that the expenses would
exceed the income from the market by
$4,000 per year. This seemed to
strike some of the aldermen favorably.
although they all favored leasing the
land with an option for purchase.
After recommending the passage of
an ordinance preventing any teams to
stand on Bridge square this season ex-
cept the row abutting the market house
the committee adjourned for two
weeks to meet with the city attorney
and get some advice on the legal points
of the question.