St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-06-18
AN EIGHT-HOUR DAY.
City Council Takes a Turn at
a Tieklish Labor Prob
lem.
A Question to Be More Thor
oughly Threshed Out in
Committee.
Aid. Gehan and Aid. Sanborn
Exchange a Few Pleas
antrieS.
An Ordinance Proposed Which
Will Create Several
Offices.

llOI 10 Iue COuUCll ldSG SN0uluS dI-
nouncing his veto of the ordinance
Nacating certain streets on the upper
river flats for the benefit of the Mil
waukee road. The mayor declared that
the law of 1884 provided that before
vacation of streets could be made 1T
must be petitioned for by majority of
the interested property owners and an
equivalent value should be paid into
the city treasury before the vacation
could be ordered. Aid. Flandrau
thought the property had no value ex-
cept as railroad property, pointed out
how the railroads had made the city of
st. Paul and how they would continue
to make it, The vote by which the
ordinance was passed was reconsidered,
and the ordinance thereupon referred
to the committee on streets.
Eight Hours Per Day.
Aid. McNamee waved firebrand
when he introduced a resolution that
on and after July eight hours should
constitute a days work for all city en-
ployes. Aid. SanbOrn introduced as an
amendment the following:
Whereas, 1t is thought there is desire on
the part of some of the employees OF the city
to reduce their hours of labor to eight hours
q day; and
Whereas. We are acting as the trustees and
agents of both the laborers and the property
owners and taxpayers of the city, and be-
lieye that the most liberal policy toward the
laborers and employees of the city, most of
whom are also property owners and taxpay-
ers, that is compatible with just and eco
nomical expenditure of the city funds, should
be pursued; and
Whereas, At the present time ten hours
constitute a days work almost universally
among other employees; and
Whereas, To reduce the hours of work fer
all city employees to eight hours per day, and
pay the present price per day, would 1t IS
estimated cost the citizens OF this City about
$4,000 per annum more than 1t now does
to do the same amount of work that is new
done; and
Whereas, 1t is unjust to all laboring men
not employed by the city and TO the citizens
and tax payers of the city to pay the city en-
ployes the same amount for eight hours Of
labor that all other employers pay and all
other laborers receive for ten hours OF labor;
and
Whereas, We are in favor of reducing the
hours of labor to eight hours day for those
Workmen who desire it, and of opening a
way by which this may be speedily accom-
plished, giving at the same time an oppor-
tunity for the energetic ana industrious work
men to work more than eight hours per day,
and TO earn more than eight hours pay II he
desires; therefore.
Resolved, That the city engineer, and all
those engaged in employing men i'll all de-
partments of the city government to work in
any way for the city, are hereby authorized
and directed to employ the most energetic,
industrious and capable men for the
work required of them respectively,
and to pay such men the fair and
full market price for the work of men Of
like character to discharge from time to
time any and all employees that prove them
selves to be other than Of the character above
described. to hire none of any other char
acter to permit any of them who desire to
work but eight hours per day. to permit any
of them who so desire to work ten hours per
day. and to pay each of them for their work
by the hour, SO that he who works ten hours
day will receive pay for two hours more
per day than he who works eight hours per
day.
The amendment of Aid. Sanborn
famed the little fame which the orig
inal resolution had created, and the
council got into hopeless muddle over
the question of reference to the COM
mittee on ways and means, as proposed
by Aid. Sanborn, upon suggestion of
Aid. Flandrau (Who announced that he
would have something to say on the
question later, 6f~ to the committee on
streets as proposed by Aid. McNamee.
Several votes were taken, the members
balloting contradictorily and f1oundering
helpleSsly until the whole matter was
placed in the hands of the ways and
means committee.
A Little Breeze.
Aid. Sanborn introduced the follow
ing resolution:
Resolved, That committee of three be ap-
pointed by the chair to consider and report
| to the common council a suitable plan for re-
districting the city for election purposes.
Resolved, That the city clerk be and he is
| hereby instructed to prepare table for said
| committee showing the number OF registered
voters and the number voting at each pre-
! cinct at the last election.
Aid. Gehan arose to inquire what the
| object of the resolution was.
ITO comply with the law, "lacOnlcally
| replied Aid. Sanborn.
Aid. Gehan said he didn't quite under
stand, and Aid. Sanborn remarked that
| the resolution had been drawn because
the city clerk had suggested that some
thing of the sort should be done. In
some of tie precincts the old poll lists
| had been copied, and 500 to 600 were
registered in precincts where only 400
| (the number required by law, had
voted.
The resolution provoked great deal
| of discussion.
Aid Gehan moved to amend by in
Guiding only such precincts as had over
| 400 votes cast, to reduce expense to
the city. Handed the original reso-
luton. Aid. Gehan returned it with the
| remark that. upon examination, he had
no objection to it and would withdraw
his amendment. The amendment there
upon passed.
The chair named Aid. Sanborn. Dob
| ner and Minea as the committee
| Aid. Sanborn declined to serve, for the
reason that there seemed to be feeling
that he was interested in rediStricting
the city. Aid. Gehan poured little
| oil Oh the troubled waters with a cOncil.
iatory comment. and Aid. Sanborn fol
| lowed suit, and Aid. Sanborn will
serve.
Mass of Business.
An ordinance was introduced by Aid
Copeland revoking all licenses of hotel
runners and making it unlawful fol
such gentry to ply their vacations upon
any sidewalk or levee in the city of St
Paul. Violations of the ordinance are
punishable by fine. The ordinance
went to the committee on streets
| should the ordinance pass, III Will erect
ually dispose of the nuisance so long
suffered by the public in the vicinity OF
the union depot and steamboat land
ingS.
Ordinances were presented, coming
from the health department, providing
for the inspection of milk in the city
and also all animals killed for food. The
salary of the chief milk inspector, who
is to be chemist, was placed at Sl2;
per uonth, and that of his assistants al
$40 each per month. A meat inspector
and his assistants are to be paid by the
collection of fees from those who Offer
meat for human consumption. By
these two ordinances, number
of new offices are created, and
an additional tax is placed upor
vendors of milk and dealers in meat
AS was agreed upon yesterday after
noon, the ordinances were referred tt
the committee Oh streets. A letter from
Dairy Commissioner Ives favored the
ordinances. Commissioner Hoyt claimed
that the expense of the department Of
health would be reduced by the passage
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