St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-27
Citizens Meet to Air Their
Eloquenee Upon the Pro-
posed City Charter.
The Double-Headed Council
Scheme Quietly, But En- q
fectively Disposed Of. as S
It Is, However, Suggested
That the AlderMen-At-Large
Might Be Increased. -
No Two Men Agree in Their
General Support Of the
SanbOpn Charter.

| The chamber of commerce. per Sc. and
the chamber of commerce informally
represented, is doing its best to shed a
brilliant flood of light upon the dark
ened way of the Ramsey county delega-
ton, as far as the charter of st. Paul is
concerned. Yesterday morning the
chamber decided to set Thursday night
as the date of its own particular wresJle
with the delegation. and yesterday aft
ernoon an informal meeting at the
mayors office rather erraticaliy dis
cussed the municipal government. 1t
was a free-for-all scramble for retrench-
ment and reform, and though every face
was set toward one goal, it is doubtful
if two minds reasoned out the
best course in the same way.
About fifty gentlemen were present.
and in the free and informal
Interchange of views there was much
valuable information given. No def
nate action was taken, beyond one point
the construction of the council. On
Saturday, by very decisive vote. the
meeting negatiyed all schemes to create
double-headed council, but adjourned
while motion was pending to increase
the number of aldermen at large to
thirteen. Yesterday the subject was
resumed at the break, and by a practi-
cally unanimous veterinary not voting
it was decided to make the number
eleven. or just equal to the number of
ward aldermen. Before this was done,
however, there was considerable oratory
in the line of declaration that in two
branches of council there was
safety, and Saturdays discussion
was largely renewed. However. it Was
quite clearly shown that. council
was not responsible for any eXtrava-
gance or waste that might have been
made, and consequently it was not
at council that the blow for reform
should be made.
This point having been settled, the
meeting again attacked the reform
gestion, but without much progress.
Each board attacked sent back the an
Swer that it could not well cut down the.
expense without impairing its service,
though all were willing to do what they
could in the several lines. The school
board baS made a statement to the dele
CATION showing changes which will
work an annual saving of about 800, 900.
but upon the question whether or not
the languages should be taught, and
each public school be made university,
there was a diyergency of sentiment. -.
An important point discussed was the.
paying or lifting of the present float
ing debt. Whether to increase the tax
levy and pay the amount at once, or
whether to fund it in thirty-year bonds,
was the question. Several speakers
argued that to pay 1t at once would be
to inculcate lasting lesson for eXtraya-
gance and would prevent it's repetition
1T would be q Sdlutary warning and
could but be of benefit. The other side
argued that posterity should assist in
paying debts of which it got the benefit.
and that thirty-year bonds were the.
thing. 1t is true this argument was
met by the statement that this was not
a debt of which pusterity would reap
any benefit No action was taken. as
members of the delegation said they
would, in any case, use 1heil own jung
ment and shoulder their own response I
bility.