St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-09-03
Aid. Cullen Explains His Veto
of the Eight-Hour Reso-
luton.
There Is, 1t Seems, to Be No
Ten Hours Pay for Eight
Hours Work.
Mr.. Lowry Given an Extension
Of Time to Complete Car
Lines.
A Mass of Business Trans
acted Of Interest to Every
Citizen.

At last evenings meeting of the city
council there was full attendance of
aldermen. The veto by Acting Mayor
Cullen of the resolution providing for
the payment of ten hours pay for eight
hours work to city employees was sub
mitted. The reasons for his veto he
gives as follows:
First am heartily in favor of the So
called eighth hour movement, and would be
glad to see the eighthour day in force. For
some years past there has been complaint
by laboring people that much existing legis-
lation is unjust and unreasonable, being
what is termed class legislation 1t must
be admitted that these complaints are in
some instances well founded. Now,
however, comes this resolution, claim
half Of working people. and against
which can be repeated all the arguments
against class legislation. / regard the resolu-
ton as an aggravated disqualification Of class
legislation. 1t selects portion of the labor
ing people, a percentage of one i'll twenty or
thereabouts, and provides that they shall re
ceive ten hours pay for eight hours work. l
am the friend of the workingman, and as
such l cannot approve the resolution. L
think that this legislation would demoralize
and create dissatisfaction among the labor
ing people of the city. Labor. like any other
commodity, depends on the supply and de,
for labor bought by the city a
greater price than that same labor will bring
in the market. We, gentlemen, are the
agents of the aXpayerS, and have no author
lty to pay more than the market price for
anything the city needs. As private citizens
we can pay what what we please for any
thing, labor or groceries, but when handling
the funds of the city our positions should be
plain-the price paid must be the market
price and no more. I cannot believe that
the council befriended the laboring class as
Il whole IN passing this resolution. From
interviews with his honor the mayor. now alb
sent am convinced that when he approved
the resolution of Aug B. 1890, be did not
believe that any such claim would be made
in its intention or operation as is now be-
fore rs. For the reasons given and from a
conviction that his honor the mayor would
never have placed on it his official signature.
l return the resolution without my app oval.
On vote being retaken as to sustaining
the mayors veto or re-paSsing the reso-
luton, the latter was defeated by vote
of to 6.
In the matter of allowing the pay roll
of the city street force on basis of ten
hours pay, there was great deal of
difference OF opinion. Aid. Sanborn
and the faithful five held that the Nc
Nance resolution of Aug. should not
entitle the men to full pay at the rate of
ten hours since the passage of the reSO-
luton which reduced the day to eight
hours. City Attorney Holman held that
the matter of pay had not yet been
touched, and that the pay should be
the same as for ten hours until new
action was taken to fix the amount to
be paid for the newly constituted day.
The Ryan resolution gave the workers
$40 per week in the summer and So in
the winter. The McNamee resolution
reduced the day to eight hours, but did
not touch the pay. On motion of Aid.
Sanborn the ten hours pay was allowed
up to Aug. Is. A motion to reduce the
pay one-fifth from that time forward
was lost, as was also another. calling for
full pay up to the present. The matter
was left undecided as relates to the pay
from Aug. Is to the present.
More Time Asked.
A communication was received from
President Lowry, of the city railway
company, asking an extension of time
on completion of the electric lines to
Nov. 1. The lines, he says, can be COM
pleted and the engines in place for fur
nishing motive power by Nov. l. Aid.
Dobner offered resolution granting
the extension, with the proviso that the
company be notified that no further
extension would be granted. Amend
ments to the resolution by Aid. Gehan
provided that the company should oper-
ate lines upon which horse cars are run
at preseat, until the electric lines are
completed. The resolution, with the
amendments, was passed and the eX-
tension granted.
| A communication from the chamber
of commerce asked that action be taken
| to remedy the state of affairs at the city
| dump. The matter was referred to the
! committee on streets.
| A communication from Col. Barr,
| showing the unsafe condition for the
| passage of electric cars of the Como
and Smelling avenue bridges, was re-
ferred to the city engineer.
The committee on streets, roads and
| parks of the chamber of commerce,
through Secretary Tallmadge, urged the
council to take Immediate action for the
| construction of the Lexington avenue
bridge over the Great Northern tracks.
miscellaneous.
| The final order for the construction of
| the superstructure OF the Sixth street
bridge, at cost of $4,000, was made.
The contract for the building OF
| kitchen. laundry and boiler house at
! the city hospital grounds with the Tay-
| lor-Craig company for the Snm of S23,-
| 961 was approved.
| The board of public works reported
! adversely to the filling of the low prop
erty known as the upper fiat, lying be-
tween the Omaha tracks and the river.
as suggested by Health Commissioner
| Hoyt.
The ways and means committee re-
ported fayorably the Hatlline avenue
bridge across the Manitoba tracks at a
| cost of IS, 900.
A favorable report was also returned
for bridge across the Wisconsin Cen
trail tracks at Mississippi street, to cost
| 81, 400.
An ordinance authorizing the draw
| ing of warrants in favor of owners of
land condemned for West side ievee
was acted upon adversely.
A resolution by Aid. Dobner directs
the immediate strengthening of the
Smelling Avenue bridge by the Great
Northern Railway company.
A communication signed by E. A.
Whitaker and A. E. Thomson asked the
revocation OF the license as railroad
runner of one Murphy, an employe of
| the Kansas City road. The petition
was granted and the license revoked.
The council allowed the claim of j.
| j. McCaffertY OF $500 for defending
John Otis Petersen, the police officer
who shot the man eastman some
| months ago.
The appropriation of $1,000 to aid in
relieving the sufferers by the Lake Ger
vais cyclone was authorized.
After the transaction of minor bust
ness relating to the construction of
sidewalks at different points, the coun-
Gil adjourned.
HARMONY HURTS THEM.