St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-04-09
A PETTY PARSIMONY.
The Bell Charter Prevents a
Proper Cleaning OF the
Streets.
Lines Laid for the Eduea-
tional Spread at the
Worlds Fair.
Startling Facts Set Forth in
Father HeffPon's Last
Talk.
Director Brooke's Efforts Rec
ognized in a Fine Con-
cert.

The city engineers department is in
perpetual state of doubt as to how to
do the annual STRENGTHENING work.
Hitherto there has been an ample fund
provided to meet the exigency. but that
time is gone, thanks to the parsimoni-
Dus Bell charter, S0aalleJ. The amount
of the appropriation for this work has
been so curtailed, it should be reclted,
that it seems almost impossible to pro-
vide for the annual renovation Of thu
streets that has made the city of st.
Paul model throughout the nation. 1t
Is not YangloriouS Boosting to say that
in the past this city has occupied the
very front rank in point of cleanliness.
1t has, indeed, always been a matter of
pride to every citizen that our SAM
tary conditions have been the best.
The mortuary reports have always en-
phaSized tile fact that st. Paul is one OF
the healthiest cities in the world, but it
is now menaced by the present deplor-
able condition of the streets, alleys, va
cant lots and back yards. OF course.
this condition involves at least two dis
tiuct and separate phases of sanitary
regulation. In the first instance, the
street-cleaning work devolveS upon the
city engineers department, and the
same may be said of the alleys; but the
back yards and vacant lots come i'll the
province of the health department. SO
far as the engineers department is con-
cerned, it is stated that everything is De
ing done that can be done, consider
Ing the available funds to defray the eX-
penses, or, in other words, the money
that the city engineer can draw upon.
One of the iron-clad provisions of the
charter is that no one fund can loan
cent to any other fund, no matter what
the emergency. Consequently, the eX-
peuSeS of the engineers office must be
c3ufined to the provision that has been
made for the purpose. The city engi-
neer contends that he is exercising every
sort Of economic precautiOn so as to
keep his annual expenditures within
the appropriation, or so as to make both
ends meet. to borrow common axiom.
Quite q large STRENGTHENING force is
now at work under the direction OF the
various street commissioners, and 1t is
hoped to get the streets and alleys
IN good shape within the next few
weeks. The department is unable to
give exact data, because of the fact that
the majority OF the street COMMISSION
Frs have notyet submitted their reports
TO the engineer. These reports will be
in on Monday, however. When in it will
be an easy Natter to show precisely
what is being done to protect the clti-
ZenS from threatened epideniies, owing
TO ti1e filth lying in the streets that has
accumulated during the winter. It. is
shown from the reports that upwards of
thirty men and some fourteen teams are
now employed on the paved streets, and
that is as tar as the reports go. The
street commissioners that have the
direction of the balance OF the city have
made no report, but as indicated above,
these reports must be made next
Monday, and then the engineer will
know just what is being done.
The probability is, of course,
that after the spring cleaning is tE-
ished, the force WilkaDe greatly reduced,
and for necessary reasons. The funds
4sB i44 not admit of a continuance of the
work, and, under ordinary eircum-
stances, it is not necessary. The street
Sweepers Will then do large part of
the necessary work, and they do not re-
Quire very large crew to manipulate.
The eXigency. too, that has arisen be-
cause of the distress that has resulted
from lack of employment to the poorer
classes will have been largely abated.
The usual spring activity will have
given employment to the multitudes,
and the board of control will have been
relieved of the burden of caring for the
INDECENT poor. And this has been
veXatious problem to contend with the
past few months.