St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-11-04
TO REGULATE ALDERMEN

| former action was not defense in
abatement of the latter.
TO REGULATE ALDERMEN
! Propositions Laid Before the C. of
c. for Better City Government.
The chamber of commerce yesterday
| listened to an important report from the
committee Oh streets. roads and bridges.
Excerpts taken from this report read:
| In regard to the resolution of II. f. Ste
| vens, requesting the committee on streets 10
| consider and report upon the expectancy of
| adopting Il uniform system of raising funds
| for the construction OF sewers, etc., commit
tee reports as follows:
Far the construction OF sewers the revenue
| is obtaiued in two ways-by assessment on
the sewerage bond fund, which is derived
| from the sale of bonds authorized by the
| Legislature for this purpose. Any sewer or
| system of sewers. the aggregate cost
of which is more than Sl.75 assess
| ment per foot front an appropriation
| is made out of the sewerage bond fund to
| supply the deficiency. If by this meas the
| rate of assessment was equal on all property
it would be just and equitable. but such is
| not the case. Sometimes there are special
| appropriations of certain amounts from the
| sewerage bond fund made for a particular
district and by that means the assessment
comes less than Sl.15. As
An Illustration
Of this we give herewith the assessment
| made on the large sewer systems constructed
| this year. as follows:
Midway system Sl.75, reduced by council
| to SLIP; Arcade street, SLAP, reduced by
| council to 81; Minnehaha street. Sl.75; Mil
ton street, $l.lsi2; Forest street, Sl39;
Robe street, 81 .G0l2.
After the main sewers are constructed the
| smaller lateral sewers, which cost sometimes
| not over ST. or Sl.25 per foot assessment, are
| built, and only that amount can be assessed
on the abutting properly. which derives ex
| actly the same benefit from the sewers as the
| property situated on the main sewers. What
| we need is that proper steps be taken at the
| next meeting of the legislature TO have the
charter Of the city so amended as to fix uni
| form rale OF assessment, not less than 81 sc
| per front foot, which all property shall pay
| for the construction Of sewers, no matter
! whether it costs
More or Less,
the balance, If it costs more, to be paid out OF
the sewerage bond fund.
BY this means the large drain on the bond
| fund, which is made when the mains are
built. will be recuperated by the surplus com
| ing in on the construction of the smaller lat
erRl sewers.
In regard to bridges. it does not seem to
| your committee that any uniform scheme fol
| raising money can be made.
the committee disapproves Of any local
legislation which will provide for bridge il
| q particular locality without regard to public
| bonds to the amount of about Sl,50O.0 fol
| the erection of bridges and the committee
recommends that the chamber
Express Itself
| as opposed to the issue of any further bonds
| at the next legislature for bridge purposes
| except such as are absolutely necessary fol-
| the maintenance OF traffic on well recognized
| public thoraUghfares.
In relation to the raising OF money for the
| purchase Of parks-under the present system
half the cost is paid by the public ct large by
bonds and the other half by the property
benefited. While this in general way.
seems fair and equitable, the committee is vi
opinion that it would be much better that the
park commissioners themselves should de.
/ termine how much should be paid by
| bonds and how much by assessments,
as 1t seems inevitable, in condemn.
ing for parks and parkways, that in
stances will arise where much more than half
| might be paid by assessment, and in other
| cases where but very little should be paid by
| assessment, the benefit being clearly pub
| lie rather than local one. We also think
that more power should be given to the park
| commission to negotiate for the purchase OF
| parks and to extend the assessment over q
| period of years; also, to make partial pay.
ments and give mortgages for the remainder;
also, TO receive contributions Of land with
the agreement that the contiguous property
| ShstiI MOI hcCtlNC
an additional assessment, and in general. to
| negotiate for property which may be neces
sary for park purposes in the same manner
| that business man would negotiate in buy.
| ing property for himself. At the next SEES
| sion Of the legislature the charter should be
| so amended as to give the proper public Of
fcials ample authority to secure such prop.
| erty as they may deem necessary for park
| purposes.
The committee urged the adoption OF
the following resolutions:
Resolutions.
Resolved, That the chamber of commerce
| IS in favor of a uniform assessment for sew.
ers of not less than Sl.o0 per front foot and
| we recommend the enactment OF such laws
! as are necessary at the next meeting of the
| legislature
Resolved, That the chamber Of commerce
| is OF the opinion, Ill the matter of the con
| struction of bridges, that no uniform method
| of assessment be made, but that each indi
vidual case should be considered by itself.
Resolved, That the chamber of commerce
Is in favor of the acquisition of a reasonable
area of land tor public parks in st. Paul, an6
| of system of parkways. and is in favor OF
| giving to the board of park commissioners
| full power to acquire such lands as may he
| necessary for this purpose, by gift, purchase
| or condemnation, and to determine how
much of the cost of each park shall be paid
| by assessment and how much from the city
park fund. Also that the park board shall
| IL,
care for all city parks and parkways-
Messrs. L.W. Rundlett, j. P. Ludden
j. G. Quinby and D. d. Merrill com
posed this committee, and the report
and resolutions were made general
order for next Mondays meeting.
Caustic Clark.
l. III. ii. Herbst proposed a resolution
respecting the reduction made in the
wages of the employees of the city rail
way cOmDany.aS "Such reduction neceS.
sariIy will causa great suffering during
the coming winter" Mr.. Herbst being
merely an annual member, President
Noyes ruled it out of order. Annual
members cannot originate new bust
ness. The resolution had not beer
withdrawn before Greenleaf Clark had
made the following sweeping rebuke:
1.-THE chamber of commerce will have made
an advance in one direction when 1t shall
have learned to mind its own business. The
city railway company probably prefers tc
manage its own affairs"
| General Passenger Agent Whitney, OF
the Great Northern, addressed the
chamber in letter on sugar beet cult
ure in Minnesota.
Hon P. II. Kelly resigned his position
as director of the chamber, owing tx
press of business.
Nothing was done by the chamber re
specting the non-completion of the
electric lines. the opinion prevailins
that everything had been done tina
could DC done by the railway company
in pushing forward the work, and tina
the matter might be safely left to th,
city council.
| WORK OF EDUCAVORS