St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-12-27
Gen. Sanborn Would Take
Power From the Hands Of
the People.
Charter Revision in Which
Cool Heads Will Move Very
Slowly.
Members Of the Delegation
Who Don't Seem to Know
What They Want.

feel like going very cautiously
So spoke Chairman w. b. Dean at
least evenings meeting of the Ramsey
county delegation to the next legislature
in reply to a report by Hon. John &.
Sanborn, who is very anxious to pre-
pare a new charter embodying the main
features of the notorious Built bill,
under which Philadelphia has suffered
for a number of years, and of which
city the Inquirer, the Quay organ of the
city, a short time ago made the follow
ing remarkable statement:
Philadelphia has the poorest gas. the poor
est water, the poorest streets, the poorest
sewerage and the poorest street car facilities
of any city OF importance in the country.
Under the scheme proposed by Gen.
SanbOrn q number of departments would
be created. making fewer officers elect
i've than at present, and lodging con-
siderably more power in the hands of
the mayor. For example, there is to be
under this scheme no board of educa-
ton; in its place a head of the depart
board of public works there will be
simply a director of public works at a
high salary. and with plenty of high
priced assistants. The duties Of the
fire board will be transferred to the di-
rector of the department of public
safety, and so OF to the end of the chap
ter. Contrary to PhiladelphianS and
students of municipal governments gen.
orally, Gen. Sanborn thinks that Phila-
delphia is an admirably governed city.
Last evenings session of the delega-
ton was held in the corporation attOr-
ney'S office, and was attended by
Messrs. Lienau. Dean, Sanborr. Walsh,
Nelson. bearing, Battiey, f. c. Stevens,
Lomen. Ames, Bell and Stone, of the
delegation, and City Engineer Rundlett
and Corporation Counsel Holman.
The meeting opened with a report
from Gen. Sanborn. in which he stated
that be was hard at work consolidating
the charter Of the city and moulding it
after the plan he had suggested at a
previous meeting. He thought it would
be ready to report at the next meeting.
When this report had been heard a sort
of general discussion ensued, in the
course of which Mr.. Bell became very
inqTisitive, inQuiring of the city
attorney what right city Off
Gals had to indOrse assessment
certificates, thus pledging the faith of
the city that they would be paid. Mr..
Holman promptly said that he did not
hllOW Jildt lnlS Iidu UccH UOtlS. DuL Lila
there was M authority for it.
'lt may not be law" spoke up SEN
ator-elect Lienau, "but it is right. The
city could not make any improvements
if it did not do this, and as a matter of
fact the city can lose nothing by doing
so. These assessments are a lien
against the property, and have got to be
paid by it."
Mr.. Beli-Isn't it a fact that the city
has paid out thousands of dollars in
this way, and is doing it at every meet
ing of the council?
Mr.. Holman-No. sir; not that / am
aware of. ans
From this Mr.. Bell criticized the ac-
ton of the council IN the matter of ap-
prOpriating $4,000 for the sufferers by
the Youngstown flood, and declared that
the members OF that body ought to have
been impeached for SO doing.
MIR. Lienau-Didn't they represent
the people when they appropriated that
money?
'Of course they did," said Gen. san
born, who then went on to declare that
Mayor Smith meant all right, but that
he everybody knew he had too much of
the milk of human kindness about him.
1.-THE council is the body to blame,"
broke in Mr.. Bell. s'the mayor is all
right, but the check must be put on the
%council.'
Gen. Sanborn, after stating that the
legislative committee of the council
would not appear before them last even
ing, asked Corporation Attorney Hol-
man if he had thought about the ways
to secure a reduction in expenses, and
incidentally asked his opinion Of the
dOuble-headed council and other
schemes which had been preached from
time to time.
Il think the council proposition a
good one," replied Mr.. Holman, but
you want to centrallZe everything and
elect nothing, of which ! do not think
very favorabIy. l believe in elect ng
many of these officers direct by the peo-
pie"
Here the discussion braDched off and
touched the matter of finances. Some
time ago, at a meeting of the delega-
tion, Gen. Sanborn criticised Comp
troller Roche'S statement that the city
followed the lead of the state in antici-
pating its revenues. MIR. Dean called
up this subject and narrated a talk he
had had with State Auditor Braden, who
said that the comptroller was right.
The state did anticipate its revenues
Just as the city has always done.
Mr.. Bell moved that the chair appoint
a committee of five to shape such legis-
lation as it thought best and present it
to the delegation for adoption. This
was approved by Mr.. Dean, who very
plainly stated that the delegation was
inclined. it seemed to him, to act rather
previously. He thought the delegation
should not lay out any plans before
meeting with the council committee on
legislation.
1--WE ought to wait till we hear from
the council" said Mir. Dean, very earn
estly. 1--WE may not have so much to
do then, and the members of that body
probably know more about the needs of
the city than we do. Now Gen. San
born has intlmated that it may be neces-
sary to revise the city charter. If it
comes to that, as a member of the dele
CATION, | should feel great hesitation in
submitting a charter to the legislature.
Ii found necessary, | should favor get
ting at it in a democratic way, by call
ing a convention, which should contain
representatives of the different wards.
and have this convention formulate
the new charter. AS for making
radical changes l, for one, feel like
going very cautiously. l fee! that, with
my knowledge of those matters, l might
do a great Wrong."'
Mr.. Lienau-Mr. Bell. do you want
to make amendments along q certain
line, or what do you want to Go? We
ought to know what we propose to do
before we set about doing anything.
Mr.. Bells motion was finally carried,
and Chairman Dean appointed the fol-
lowing committee to do the "reyision
act:" Gen. Sanborn, e. n. Bell. r. A.
Walsh. c. Fl. Lienau and f. c. Stevens.
The question of changing the city
elections and making them take place
at the time of the general state election
was brought Ut by Mr.. Bell, who
thought the city could save $780, 900
thereby and be none the loser for it.
Mr.. Stevens rather approved the idea.
This was discussed for some time, and
then the delegation went into executive
session to discuss whether the stenog-
rapher in their employ should be paid
SO or SIS q week.
Toronto Gets 1t.
The executive committee of the Ma