St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-02-04
CHAMBER ON RECORD
AS Favoring the Building Of
the Auditorium as Was
Proposed.
The Majority Report to That
End Slides Smoothly to
Victory.
Smoke and Fire Damage the
Merriam Block Con-
siderably.
The Divine Patti Will Not
Raise Her Costly Voice
Here.

The chamber of commerce committee
10 report upon 1.-THE ACCESSIBILITY of
public building to comprise an audi
forum, public library, an art gallery
and such other interest as may be prac-
ticable, also as to 4 suitable location for
the same" split wide open, and at yes
terday's meeting two reports were sub
mitted, MessrS. SQuireS, Wheeler and
Smith favoring the building, and MessrS.
Lightner and Langford opposing it. The
majority report says:
That they do not advise the construction
Of building 10 embrace an auditorium,
public library ana an art gallery.
I hat majority of your committee advise
that building be constructed al once by the
city of II. Paul upon the westerly end of
what is known as the market house property,
for the purpose of public auditorium; that
such auditorium should be upon the ground
floor aud should have its main entrance on
81. Peter street; ard, if it can be done with
out interfering with the proper proportions
Of such auditorium, that land of sufficient
depth should be reserved on the Watasha
street end of the property so that the same
could be sold by the city for ordinary bust
hess purposes, and the proceeds applied in
reduction OF the cost of the auditorium.
Your committee is unanimously of the
opinion thai the present location of the
public library and the facilities afforded by
II are unsuitable aud inadequate for the pur-
pose, and that steps should be taken at the
earliest possible moment 10 acquire or erect
separate building Tor library purposes, and
to that end that the use of the fund provided
for under the will OF the late Henry Hale
should. if possible. be anticipated by an is
sue OF bonds. payable when such fund shall
accrue to the city; or that in some other
proper way the amount of such fund De
made available at the present time.
our committee do not advise the conStruc
non OF DllllQlnR 10 be used for art gal
lery. for the reason that il believes that suf-
fclent wall space will exist in any properly
constructed library building for all the pict-
ures which the city is likely to have for
some years to come, and for the further rea-
son ;hat it is their opinion that an art gal
iery should become the property of city
through the benefnctions of its citizens, and
not by the expenditure OF public moneys.
a minority of your committee, consisting
of Messrs. Langford and Lightner, disagree
with the rest of the committee rs to the ad-
Visibility or the construction of an audi
forum by the city at any time, and will pre-
sent minority report on the subject. On all
other points they agree with the other mem
GerS OF the committee.
The minority report is against the
building, and says:
The undersigned minority of the special
committee of five appointed to investigate as
TO the advisability OF public building. to
comprise all auditorium. public library and
an art gallery, are unable to agree with that
part of the report of the majority which ad
eises that "a building be constructed at once
by the city of st. Paul for the pur-
pose of public auditorium"
We recognize fully the great benefit which
st. Paul would receive from the construction
of Gn auditorium, suitable for the purposes
contemplated, and the great necessity of
such building but that such a building
should be built and operated by public funds
we think inadvisabie for the following rea-
sons, viz:
First-We consider thatit iS n Fundamental
doctrine of the American theory of govern
ment that public funds raised by taxation
should be used solely for purely governmental
and public purposes, and that the use of such
funds should be as limited as possible con-
Eistent with good government. Assuming
that it is competent for the Legislature to
authorize the city Of st. Paul to eXpend the
public funds for the construction of the So
called auditorium. q building wholly unneces-
Sary for the administration of the municipal
government, vet we think such an expendit-
uTe inadviSable as establishing bad prece-
dent. and as opposed to sound and
well understood principles of good gov
erument Until local government presents
better history and record i'll the eXpendi-
ture OF public funds than has been known in
the past, it should be the object of every cit
fzen 10 oppose the extension of taxation for
such purposes. After some inquiry we have
been unable to learn of the construction of
any building of the character of the pro-
posed auditorium in the city at the public
expense.
Second-In our judgment the municipal
Indebtedness of this city has reached such
point as TO require the most conservative
action. We deem it unwise to increase
either the bonded Indebtedness or the tax
levy. and il is certain that the construction
of the proposed auditorium at public ex-
pense will cause an increase of either the
one or the other. Respectfully submitted.
Quite discussion followed the re-
ports, MessrS. Murray, Lightner and
Iangford arguing against building an
auditorium. An effort was also made
to strike out or the report all reference
to the library and art gallery: but
finally, by decisive vote. the chamber
adopted the majority report, and put
Itself OIL record as favoring the immedi-
ate construction of the auditorium. Mr..
Smalley made long report on the sub
tect of bylaws revision, and Mr.. Fair
child announced that Andrew Carnegie.
"the distinguished champion of Ameri-
can democracy and typical American
manufacturer" would be in st. Paul in
March.