St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-09-23


officers, and it fails to place upon the
work to be done such prudent reStric-
tons as will discharge the responsibility
of the council in public expenditure,
and i'm the guarding of public rights.
The minority of your committee rec
ommends the adoption OF the following
resolutions as substitute for the reso-
luton referred to the committees:
Resolved: The health commissioner
is authorized and directed to proceed
forthwith to strict and prudent en-
forcement of the provisions of the health
department act so far as it applies to
the abatement of nuiSances and to the
prevention of epidemic, having special
reference to sections 6, s, 9, 10 and Is
OF said act.
Resolved, The chief of police is au-
thorized and directed to assist the health
commissioner III such enforcement with
all the force at his command not neceS-
sarily employed.
Resolved, The health commissioner is
further authorized to incur such eX-
penSe, IN the name of the city OF st.
Paul, as may be necessary and proper
in pursuance OF this resolution; pro-
viGed. however, that he shall not incur
expense in excess of 5000 in amount.
Such expense to Ge paid out OF the gen
eral fund.
4 Severe Shock.
Mr.. Lightner. as soon as he recovered
from the shock. moved the majority re-
port be adopted and Mr. Doran
promptly seconded it. Mr.. Lightner
said when an emergency arose requir-
ing prompt action it would not help
matters to enforce existing laws. Ihe
minority report, he said, was unwise. 1t
there was any call for the expenditure
of $1,000, as shown by the minority re-
port, then it was certainly necessary to
clean the city. The resolution passed
by the board Of aldermen did not say
$1,000 was to be expended. but only
such part of it as.necessary.
There were places in the city. Mr..
Lightner said. that needed cleaning.
Swede hollow and the Bohemian flats
were places where cholera would exist
in its most virulent form. Cholera
would not attack the Seventh ward, as
the disease came from uncleanlineSS.
The sanitary laws cannot be enforced
in Swede hollow or the Bohemian flats.
There is possibility of cholera reaching
this city. 1t may start in New York
and break out in st. Paul, and not touch
any city between here and there. A
fund should be put in the hands OF the
executive of the city to clean up dirt
HoieS Ill TIE CITY. NC" 1oi iie'u
been spending money to keep
cholera out. We have been warned
that cholera is coming. The city should
look out for the disease in 1898. There
is more danger from the disease next
year than this. The sum was very
small. and the duty OF appropriating it
was necessary. The resolution requires
prompt action. 1t does not require the
expenditure of penny. 1t is idle for
any one to bring in a minority report,
saying the mayor had no legal right to
spend the money.
Pike Stands Pat.
Mr.. Pike thought his views were we'll
set forth in the report. He appreciated
the necessity of doing something at
once. He wanted the council to act, and
not merely pass resolution that S., 900
be given the chief executive to clean up
the city. The charter explained
how the work should be DONE
The mayor was not the only
executive in the city. Under
the resolution ne doubted if the comp
troller would audit the money after the
mayor was ordered to spend it. The
health commissioner cannot, under the
by the council. The health law was
good one, and all that was need
ed was not more legislation.
but authority for the department
to do the work. The law says the
health department may do the work if
property owners refuse to do it. If the
work was done under the resolution
giving the mayor the expenditure Uf the
money the city could not recover from
the persons who had failed TO comply
with the law.
1nya ~,
held, consisting of the chief of police.
health officer and city attorney, were
able to &C pc with the situation if given
authority. 1t is not idle to consider the
experience Of other cities. If $500 can
Go the work for the city of New York,
less than $1,000 should certainly e suf
ficient to do the same work here. The
mayor has said be does not desire
to eXpend the money. If work is to be
done let it be done, but go about it i'll a
legal way. 1t would be just as well to
make the amount $4,000. and then say
the executive would only spend as much
as was necessary.
Mr.. Van SIyke said Mr.. Lightner had
called attention to the filthy condition
of Swede hollow. He was certain that
the locality mentioned was as clean as
other portions of the city. Mr.. Light
her said he had heard it was not.
And So 1t Was Beaten.
On the vote for adopting the majority
report Messrs. Doran, Sandell, DAILY,
Llghtner and Wolterstorff voted for it.
Messrs. Pike, Reardon and Van
Slyke voting ag alnStit. 1t required six
votes to pass it and the chair decided it
lost.
Mr. Pike then moved the adoption of
the minority report and the motion was
seconded by Mr.. Van Slyke.
Mr.. Doran said we had health COM
missioner, but today he had been shown
apfague spot at Dakota avenue and
Chicago avenue. This has been there
for two years, and no attention has
been paid to1t by the health Office, al
though numerous complaints had been
made.
The supposition then is. said MIR. Van
Slyke, that this nuisance would be
abated if the mayor was allowed TO
eXpend 5000 i'll cleaning the city.
Mr.. Doran said he didn't care to dis
cuss the question, but he was in favor
of giving the health commissioner no
more money to eXpend.
Mr.. Pike said no power except the
legislature could give the mayor the
right to draw or eXpend such money
even if the council should authorize it.
If the health commissioner was in
competent, let the mayor OF the council
remove him.
What KeardOn Could DO.
Mr.. Reardon said all this trouble was
to get hold of the 5000. If the mayor
would turn over all the men in the sew
eral departments who were doing nc
work, he would agree to clean up the
city and take the stuff in Wheelbarrows
to Anoka. All the fuss was made in
order to get the $1,000 TO spend.
The amendment of Mr.. Lightner to
the minority report to make the mayor
instead OF the health commissioner the
one to disburse the money was carried
by vote of five to three, Pike, Van
Slyke and Reardon voting against it.
The motion to then adopt the minority
report was lost, only Pike. Reardon and
Van Slyke voting for it. and Doran
DAILY. Lightner, Sandell and Wolter
stortf against it.
A resolution that the city clerk be re-