St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-08
PLENTY OF PosTPoNENIENTs.

PLENTY OF POSTPONEMENTS.
Park Commissioners Seem Afraid
to Face a Couple of Questions.
The King proposition, by the terms of
which the city would acquire some
forty-two acres of park land at the cost
of improving the same, was before the
park board again yesterday and again
was it postponed. Last Wednesday,
after this matter had been discussed
pro and con for couple of no urs, the
board adjourned to meet yesterday
morning at 10 and go out to view that
land, so that none of the new members
might urge their ignorance of the
question as reason for further post
ponement of action. Commissioners
ones who took advantage of the oppOr-
tunity, MI. StOft being the only one of
those who complained of their lack of
knowledge of the subject who evinced
the slightest desire TO learn something.
When the question of accepting Col.
Kings gift came up in the afternoon,
and the board was asked either to ac-
cept or reject it. the directors were no
better prepared than before to act.
Consequently further postponement
came.
When the discussion was taken up
the board listened to few words from
j. NJ. Bartlett on the advisabiiity of ac-
cepting Col. Kings offer, he being a
large owner of lands adjacent to the
protfered tract. For long time Mr..
Bartlett has paid at least 81 600 year in
taxes on land in RemingtOn'S Third
addition, where the King tract is 10
Gated. He now owns 200 lots out there
which will be taxed for the improve
ments should Kings offer be accepted.
Nevertheless he wants the board to ac-
cept the gift and he believes that all of
the other property owners out there feel
as he does. He has never heard a word
said against it. He expressed himself
as being always willing to pay park
taxes, because he knows the parks are
benefit to property owners.
To test the feeling on the question
Commissioner Brown moved to table the
whole matter. The board decided
against him. Commissioner FolWell
moved to postpone action until the next
meeting, Col King to be communicated
with in the meantime with view to
ascertalning how long he would be will
ing to leave the question open. Some
of the members, Commissioner
Ryan among them, wanted the
matter settled then and there,
but Prof. Folwell pleaded for
postponement, he believing that all the
commissioners would yet be brought to
vote TO accept the gift. Folwell'S mo-
Wells motion prevailed. Prof Folwell
again attempted to explain to Commits
sioner Ryan that the money for the i'm
provement of this proposed park would
not come out of ''the groaning taxpay-
ers," but out OF the property owners
benefited. He met with little success.
Commissioner Allen called up the
P0WderhOrn park enlargement matter,
and requested an appropriation of
$4,000 for the requirement of the nee
essary land. The total cost of the land
approaches S125, 200. but all but $4,000
worth can be procured on certificates of
Indebtedness. payable in ten years in
annual installments. This question
was referred to the committee on
finance, i'll opposition to the wishes of
Commissioner B0ardman, who thought
the commissioners were acting like
boys who want piece of apple pie, but
are afraid to ask for it. Either the eli
largement of Powderhorn park should
be decided upon or rejected, in justice
to the property owners whose lands are
tied up in condemnation proceedings,
pending action by the board.
With yesterdays meeting, a quietus
was put upon the hopes of the members
who cherished desire to see G. M. LOr-
ing again installed as presiding officer.
There seemed little hope of unanimously
electing Mr.. Loring to the vacant COM
misSi0nerShip, the only condition under
which he would accept, so when Com
missioner Dolin moved to proceed
to the election of president,
the motion prevailed. Vice Pres
ident Hangar was elevated to
the presidency, despite is reluctance to
accept, ROardman receiving one vote.
Commissioner Demeules nominal ed
Baldwin Brown for vice president nd
he was elected, Prof. FolWelII sreceiving
three votes and Boardman and Stoft
one each. Hangar made little speech,
reciting his unfitness to follow in the
footsteps of his predecessor, Loring,
and urging economy as the one princi-
pie to be followed by the board.
Secretary w. G. Nye will have no
whiskers under the present board. He
must work and work hard. The board
yesterday decided to have the proceed
ings published in the official paper of
the city, at an annual cost of between
$500 and $400. That will make extra
work for him. Then Commits
sioner Ryan added to his bur-
dens by securing the adoption
of a resolution ordering the appoint
ment of committee of two. to act with
the secretary in preparing statement
of all the money which has been spent
by the park board during its existence,
how much of it has been collected from
East side property owners and how
much has been spent on East side parks.
ut seems to me-" said Ryan, that
the East side has been given the cold
shoulder in the matter of parks. You
fellows, over here, have all the parks
and we have none. We have two lit
tie parks which we have paid for our
selves, but we never received any
money from the board. You tell me
you have no money and no bonds; yet
you want to add to PoWderhorn park,
and to buy land from Bill King. Now.
/ want to know where the East Side
comes in"
His resolution was adopted, and Com
missioner Bradish piled up little more
work on Nye by moving that the secre-
tary report how much money is now
preparations for park Improvements be
ordered until such report has been
made.
The budget of claims and the pay
roll were approved. Commissioner
Dahn gave notice that at the next regu-
lar meeting he will move to change the
regular meeting day from Saturday to
Wednesday. The board adjourned to
meet again next SATURDAY., when the ac-