St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-26
SMITTEN TO SILENCE.
The City's Traducers Dumb
Before the Last Financial
Statement.
Saint Paul Bonds Changing
Eastern Hands at a Good
Premium.
an Important Meeting in the
Interest Of Closing Tor
Evening.
Boiler Inspectors Object Serl-
ously to the New Law
renee Bill.

The publication in yesterdays GLOBE
of the comparative taxation of st. Paul
and Minneapolis came as a revelation to
most people and greatly accelerated the
revulsion Of feeling among even those
who had. four weeks ago, been bowling
against municipal mismanagement.
The false and misleading figures which
have been thrown broadcast, largely by
the chamber of commerce and It's com
mitteeS, were completely routed and
there was in many circles considerable
righteous indignation against the par
tisaG clique which has made it its life
mission to SANDER st. Paul. The com
piIation referred to was unusually com
prehensive and ineligible and the in
terested reader took it in at
glance. 1t showed beyond doubt
that with a lower rate OF tax
alton, a lower system OF valuation,
and a lower gross amount raised by lax
alton, both for general city and school
purposes, St. Paul has completed city
improvements far in advance of Mime
apolis, and that with its expensive
bridge outlay, its bonded debt, emitting
the self-paying water bonds. has about
the same bonded debt.
All of this. as said, came as revela-
ton to thousands who had been
crammed with the false and damaging
statements Of the city'S Slan6ererS. 1t
was discussed all over the city and
many copies Of the GLOBE were sent to
the East to counterfeit the injurious
effects of the chamber of commerce and
kindred organizations. In this connec-
ton GLOBE reporter had an interest
ing conversation with Hon. William
Bushnell, who has just returned from
long trip in the East, where the matter
Of St Paul securities WAS, of course,
thoroughly discussed.
Eastern visitors" said Mr.. Bushnell,
''think better of St. Paul than we do.
They use more Judgment and nave less
prejudice. | expect more money than
ever to be invested in st. Paul lands and
securities"
"Do you think our credit has been
damaged by the SANDERS OF the gang
here?"
mo; think not. Those stories in the
East are regarded simply as the stories
of a dissatisfied clique and no weight
are given them. The best evidence L
know is the fact that | saw block of
81. Paul bonds transferred In the East
for Sl.031E, which is stiff premium just
now. st. Paul is all right and Mime
sofa is all right. Capital is more kindly
inclined to Minnesota than to any West
ern state"
In speaking of the comparative fnan-
cial statements of st. Paul and Mime
ap0lis. Mayor Smith said:
4 have always been OF the opinion
that the general taxation and municipal
expenses of Minneapolis were i'll excess
of those of st. Paul, and therefore the
statements published yesterday re-
vealed nothing surprising to me.
caused the preparation of those state
ments partly to show the complaining
citizens of ST. Paul that they were
The bonded Indebtedness OF Minneapolis
is not shown in the statement because
it is impossible to get the accurate fig
ures. But it is generally known that
Minneapolis owes within S200,G0 OF the
amount of st. PaurS Indebtedness. st.
Paul has everything to show for its in
debtedneSS, while, comparatively, Min
neapolis has nothing. Our water plant
explains 81, 500. 900 of our Indebtedness,
and our court house and city hall stands
for an additional $1O00,000. am in
clined to think that Minneapolis in
debtedness would have exceeded st.
Paul's by several million if they had
put in a water plant and city ball like
we, have. And then Minneapolis is
away behind us on sewers, paved
streets, grading, etc. They have all This
work to do and pay for. We have it
done and it is paid for"
81 see am accused of emitting the
school and county bonds in my bond
statement" said Comptroller Roche.
"Of course l did. l am comptroller of
. the city, and when I give city bonds,
Of course only city bonds proper are
given. While it is true the city prop
'erty is liable for the school bonds, it is
equally true that that property is liable
for one-seVenth of the state debt, yet
we don't include the state debt with
that of the city. The same is true of the
county bonds"