St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-23
MINNEAPOLIS.
Additional city News on Page s
A BOARD OF PURLICWo

The Republicans are already laying
their wires for the legislative schemes
to be pushed through to place the con-
troll of municipal affairs in the hands of
the elect few. just as they took the con-
troll of the police force from a Demo-
cratic mayor and turned it over to
commission to be appointed by
power they could control. The next
scheme is to create a board of public
works. At the annual meeting of the
Union league Monday night, Il. NJ.
johnson, the architect of the police
commission scheme. who now spurns
the child of his own creation, trotted
out the board of public works dodge,
and gave il the weight of his personal
Endorsement, which will have influence
with the leaders of the Republicans, no
doub.
G. A. Pillsbury also advocates prac-
tically board of public works, al
though, with his usual adrOitness. he
doesn't say SO directly, but urges taxa
ton upon abutting property. and the
grading of streets from a general fund.
He is also strongly impressed, il is
noticed. with the desirability of having
some of the very best business men
and heaviest taxpayers in position to
act as check upon the younger and
more enthusiastic element of our city,
etc.
There were many other citizens
equally as prominent and influential as
MeSsrS. johnson and Pillsbury, who are
decidedly opposed to any such central
iZati0n of power as is proposed by the
board of public works plan. A. L.
m q with
aGLoBE reporter. spoke very decisvely,
and his remarks can be taken us an eX-
preston of the opinion held by many.
y
81 see," he said, ''that certain Repub-
licans, notably E. NJ. Johnson and c. A.
PillSbury, are trying to work up feel
ing in favor of the establishment of a
board of public works. They may as
well save themselves this trouble, for
such board will never DE established
in this city. 1t would be more odiOuS
than the police commission. Such boards
are fruitful sources of jobbery and
corruption wherever they exist. 1t
would be simply an attempt by the use
of arbitrary power, possibly through
state executive, to override the will of
the people in managing their local con-
Germs.
1.-The main intentionIof such measure
would be to change our present system
Of each ward raising its OVID tax for the
grading and care of its streets
into a totally different system
whereby the cost of such grad
ing would be assessed upon the
abutting property. No sane man can
doubt that our system is by far the best
and most economical. Each ward Is
now allowed to levy street tax vary
ing from one-half mill to three mills.
a one-mill tax, for instance, in the
Fourth or Fifth ward, will pro-
vide a fund of about $4,000
annually. In the less wealthy wards it
may require two mills to provide the
same amount; but that amount is amply
sufficient to care not only for the i'm
proved streets, but to open up and
grade many others in the outlying pOr-
tiOnS of the ward. The fund comes
equally from all property. Under this
system we are making good headway."
"On the contrary, if the AUDITING tax
system be adopted there would be
mania for opening up and grading
streets beyond necessity. The tax to be
assessed would in many instances be
virtual cOnfiscatiOn of the property. st.
Paul is full of instances where enormous
expense has been saddled upon
poor men to grade by their property
in order to benefit somebody beyond.
TO give up our system for that would
be to bring upon our people unnum-
bered woes. There are two things this
city will not do. First, establish board
of public works. and secondly, cOntis-
cate property under the pretense of i'm
proving it. If that is to be the issue,
It il come"