St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-03-22
ONCE AGAIN IN line.
New Bids for the Auditorium
to Be at Once ,AdVep-
tiSed.
Kickers Against the Scheme
Cleverly Won Over by
Oppenheim.
They Previously kisunder-
stood the Building to Be
Erected.
Alleged Illegality to Be at
Once Tested in the
Courts.

members absent:
Resolved. That the city clerk is hereby IN
structed 10 advertise for bids for the recon
struetion of the market house as per plans
and specifications of Reed Stein. archi-
tects which plans and specifications nave
this dav been regularly approved bv the Jolnt
committee on auditorium, and that thirty
days be given for receiving bids.
The city clerk will stfalghtway insert
the advertisement, and the contractors
| of the city will be given an opportunity
to submit proposals for the work. In
this connection it is necessary to eX-
plain tnat this course is absolutely nee
essary to force the legal test of the clty's
rights in the premises. That is, to
bring the Steele injunction case before
court for adjudication. Corporation AT
torney LAWYER and S. l.. Pierce, counsel
for Mr.. Steele. appeared before the
committee to explain the status OF the
Injunction proceedings. Mr.. Lawler
said that the case had been continued
until the April term because of tho fact
that there is now no valid ground
upon which to establish a case
against the city in any contIh-
gency. When the Steele complaint
was served there was OF record an order
made by. the common council authollz-
ing the committee on auditorium to
market house. and there were on file
plans and specifications for such i'm
proYement Since then the council has
rescinded all previous action, aban-
dOned these plans and specifications,
and rejected all bids that had been re-
ceiyed. This leaves Mr.. Steele without
possible ground for legal action, and
nothing can be shown in court that the
city council is about to do the work
against which Steele wishes to have
permanent injunction issued. There Is
nothing tangible TO show what the city
intends, or rather will do. and hence
both Mr.. Lawler and MI. Pierce could
come but to the one conclusion. and
that was that the court would refuse TO
listen to the argument which had been
set for Yesterday.
OppenheIm Explains.
Yesterday Assemblyman Oppenheim.
who has been restored to his former
post of duty through the resignation of
AssembIyman McCatferty, explained
the position of the committee. Author
ity has been granted by both branches
of the municipal government to the
committee to advertise for bids, and he
had no further doubt that the course OF
the committee will be sustained
plans are now ready and will at
once be filed with the city clerk for the
permanent auditorium, the same TO cost
100000, as provided for in the tax levy
for 1892, and all the data that will
be required to test the rights of the city
in the courts will be quickly forthcom-
ing, and it was then that he introduced
the resolution recorded above.
"Have you these planS?" asked Mr..
Pierce
Yes" said Mr.. Oppenheim, land
they Will surely be adopted"
THAT is just what we wanted to
know" and he withdrew from the COM
mittee room.
A delegation of property owners from
the vicinity of the city market, and who
have opposed the plans on the hYpothe-
sis that if the market is converted into
an auditorium it must depreciate the
value of their buildings, appeared be-
fore the committee to protest against
further action Oh that site. They agreed
that it would inure to the benefit of the
city to build an auditorium, but. like
Assemblyman Van Slyke. they wanted
| it built elsewhere. Among them were
Mr.. Espey, Mr.. Koch and Mr.. MitSch.
They said they had been requested to
be present by member of the council,
and state their objection.
MIR. Oppenheim had no heSitaney in
predicting that the auditorium will have
the effect of doubling the value of their
properties the very first year of its ex-
istenee, and he entered into lengthy
argument, to which Assemblyman Muir
ray offered the specious objection that
outside of the city of Boston, such
course upon the part of municipal
- 1.x Ao
has
Opposed the Project
from its incipiency, and said it will be
a great many years before any sort Of
convention will come to st. Paul.
Mr.. Oppenheim was not at
all distressed by these sweep
ing statements. He proceeded
to prove the advantages that must re-
suit to the city when supplied with a
large hall for public gatherings.
The property owners referred to
were deeply impressed by what Mr..
Oppenheim submitted. and then the
assemblyman proceeded to give his rea-
sons for insisting that all the adjacent
property would appreciate i'll value by
reason of a public auditorium. Again
they agreed that he was right, but they
viewed with alarm the declaration that
no opportunity for stores would be
left.
I'VE want stores on the st. Peter ana
Wabasha street sides of the block" per-
sisted Mr.. Koch.
That is precisely what we have ar
ranged for" returned Mr.. Oppenhein,
and he exhibited the plans. The prop
erty owners were amazed. They had
read, they said, published statements
| that the auditorium was to occupy the
| st. Peter street side, SO that no stores
! can be built there.
| You have been lied top exclaimed
| Mr.. Oppenheim. 1.-The enemies of the
| project, and thank heaven they are
| mighty few. have gone around with all
| sorts of nonsensical stories to STIR up
| opposition. We have never coDtem-
| plated any such scheme"
But that is what the resolutions
from the chamber of commerce con-
templated," persisted Mr.. Espey.
''That MAY be true" replied Mr..
| Oppenheim, ''but the council never all
ticipated such structure. We have
| only planned for using the center of
| the block, leaving both the st. Peter
| and Wabasha street ends for business
purposes"
| ''rhen we are satisfied" said the del
egation of property owners in chorus.
| THAT suits me-" said Mr. Mitsch,
land hope you will go ahead with the
| auditorium"
| SCI Thought So.''
| 81 thought you would agree with me
when you we're acquainted with the
| facts" said Mr.. Oppenheimer with a
| smile. mo one ean say am acting
with a selfish motive. We own the
Metropolitan theater, and all big gath
| erings must be held there now, but
| when this auditorium is built it will be
| public institution, and the city will
| not charge one cent for its occupancy.
! l will lose all that. So, insist, l am
only working in the interests of st.
Paul"
This was supplemented by a great
deal of talk of the same purport. but
| the property owners withdrew unani-
| nous friends to the enterprise.
The plan, to be more specific. is to
! huiId this auditorium in the centar af