St. Paul daily globe., 1890-01-09
no further. If the board of public works

can leave
ITS LUXURIOUS QUARTERS
for few hours, it will find that White
Bear avenue is about a mile and half
east of Rifle park in this city, and is
itself in farm and garden section of
the city. 1t was only after the examin-
alton that / have described that the
committee on streets, of which | am
not member, unanimously recon-
mended the modification of the original
orderS which the board of public works
now complains of. At meeting of the
council held Dee. IL, 1889, the council
unanimously passed the resolution
which the committee on streets recon-
mended, and the resolution was ap-
proved by Mayor Smith on the next day.
in all these proceedings | can see moth
ing underhanded and double-faced in
my conduct. But what was the action
of the board of public works in the
meantime? We find that in their COM
munIcation to the council of Aug. 27,
1899, they asked for further inStrue-
tIons. The board knew, of course. that
Its communication was referred to the
committee on streets. 1t had direct
knowledge that the committee was duly
considering that communication, be-
cause the president of the board of pub
lie works attended at least one of the
meetings of that committee. With its
usual lack of honesty and courtesy, and
its usual disregard of all legal proce-
dure.after referring the whole matter to
the common council and requesting
further instructions, it had not the in-
telligence
OR THE DECENCY
to await the instructions for which it
prayed. The board in its com muni-
cation admit that on Oct. z, 1889, before
the council had had an opportunity to
act on the matter, and utterly Ignoring
its own request of the 27th of August,
1T went ahead and made final cOnfirma-
ton OF the assessments in question. This
is trickery and official crookedness. The
board i'll its communication of last night
pleads the baby act, and writes itself
down as weak-minded, when, as rea-
son for this disregard OF decency and
law, it offers as its excuse that sit
thought the council desired to-give no
further Instructions" This is not only
weak, but it is false; for the board
well knew that the instructions which
would be forthcoming would be con-
trary to its wish, and for that reason it
acted contrary to law and courtesy, hop
ing to get snap Judgment against the
property involved. The board saws in
its communication that if the council
still desires to abandon the opening Of
said streets the board has no objection
whatever to the proper steps being
taken to do SO. The spirit in which
these words are written illuminates the
mind of the board and shows its exact
way of thinking in making all these im-
prOyements. 1t has been so
PETTED AND PAMPERED
by recent legislation; its members have
had fnAir larinC rai G al IN cnah
orbitant figure and their labors de-
creased to such ridiculous size, that
they have come to imagine themselves
as combining in some mysterious way
all the powers of legislation. 1t would
probably suggest new idea to the al
legged mind of the board of public works
to say that there is no law which COM
pelS it to permit the city council to
modify its own orders, and there is also
no law which cOmpelS the city council
to request permission of the board to
live. The board of late have come to
the conclusion that property holders
and citizens and aldermen are a nui-
sance which, by certain new rules of
practice, they will abolish and forever
keep at distance lest the luxury
and ease of the board might be momen-
tarily disturbed. SO far as | am con-
cerned, | intend to see that the board of
public works shall not act as the alder
man from the Second ward. They
will have to work great deal harder
than they are now doing to earn their
own salary. l was elected by the peo-
pie of that ward to represent them, and
L intend to do SO, and watch the peoples
interests. Whenever and at whatever
stage of assessment proceedings l dis
cover that any proposed improvement is
unnecessary and unjust, and not called
for by the public need, shall oppose it..
1t is not a sufficient recommendation in
| my Judgment for an improvement that
is an act of persecution, or that fat
grading contracts will follow in its
train.