St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-09-23
NO Tin" IN SIGHT.
Money for Men and Teams
Handy at Primaries Not
Forthcoming.
Assemblymen Refuse to Pass
the $1,000 Grant to the
Mayor.
Mr.. Lightner Is Shocked, and
Takes a Fling at Poor
Mems Districts.
ReaPdon Would Undertake to
Do a Great WheelbarPow
Performance.

What promised TO be a very dull and
uninteresting meeting of the assembly
last night turned out to be just the con-
trary. There was trouble and plenty OF
ii, and ii all grew out of the resolution
giving the mayor $1,000 to be expended
in hiring men and teams to clean up the
city. The board of aldermen passed the
resolution the same night, Sept. q. il
was introduced by Aid. Copeland. The
assembly, however. kicked over the
traces and sufficient number of votes
could not be obtained to pass it.
At special meeting last Saturday
night a committee of three, consisting
of Assemblymen Lightner, Pike and
Doran, was appointed to confer with
the mayor relative 10 the passage of
the ordinance. This was done with the
Intention, so it is claimed, of whipping
the reform members into line so that the
measure would pass. When the report
of the committee was called for Or
reached last night the clerk announced
that there were two reports, a majority
and minority one. The majority report,
which was exceedingly brief, was
signed by Lightner and Doran and rec
commended the adoption of the resolu-
tion.
The Minority Report
from Mr.. Pike WAS vOlumiDous one,
and its reading caused considerable sur
prise, as it set forth i'll clear statement
that the mayor, under the law. was not
the proper person to make the disburse-
ment, and. even if the council should
pass such a measure, the comptroller
would have no right to pay over the
money TO the chief executive. The fol-
lowing is all abstract of the minority
report submitted by Nh. Pike:
There seems reason to believe that
the condition OF the city IN some pOr-
tions Is such as to require, in the inter
est of good sanitation, a prudent eXer-
else OF those powers of the municipal
government which are available for 1hs
abatement of insauitary conditions. and
for the prevention of disease. 1t does
not appear that epidemic irumedi-
ately threatens from without, nor
that the city is alarmingfy la
bic TO epidemic on account of
internal conditions. There is no occa-
sion for unqualified disparagement of
the city's sanitary system, nor for
desperate measures of relief. Yet thera
is certain work TO be done in the re-
moYal of recent accumulations of of.
city. For the removal of these accumu,
lations responsibility rests in some few
cases directly upon the city. but in mosl
cases upon private persons, and OF
these private persons many can be held
10 their liability.
The law provides ''that thehealth COM
missioner shall enforce all laws of the
state and ordinances relating to the san
itary conditions and regulations OF the
city. In order to carry out the pro.
visions OF the law, a written notice is
to be served upon the owner or occu-
pant of any lot or building in or upon
which any nuisance may be found. In
case of neglect or refusal to obey the
order of the commissioner the person
SO offending is subject to fine.
Until the passage in 1891 of the Bell
charter, the health officer was in him
self empowered TO incur the expense
necessary to enforcing the provision:
citeG. 1t is, however, the opinion OF
the corporation attorney that no eX-
pense in this line can now be incurred
without authority of the council, under
section u Of the act of March "a, 1891.
1t is clear then that the council should
now confer the proper authority upon
the health commissioner.
The resolution referred to this COM
mittee does not meet the requirements
of the occasion. The precise work to
be done is properly described in the
law as already quoted. 1t is not prop
erly described in the resolution. Further,
the resolution would authorize an indiS-
crlminate cleaning up of nuisances at
the public expense, without regard to
whether or not those nuisances could
be abated without expense to the city,
or by persons responsible for their eX-
iStence. the law, which should be
yitaliZed by the council, would prevent
this injustice.
If the proper authorization shall bs
made by the council for doing the
needed work, no appropriation OF
money Is yet needed, although an ap-
preparation might be properly made if
the council desires to make it. When
the work is done and the cost is known,
the city can appropriate the proper
amount. If any limitation of expense,
however, is 10 be imposed, the amount
named in the resolution, 5000, is too
large. In anticipation Of this woIk the
health commissioner prepared an eSti-
mate of expense for thorough inspec-
ton and cleaning up of the city, which
can be done in six days for s., 900.
In this estimate the figures are based
upon experience in this city and else
where. and tie health commissioner be-
Heves them to be reliable.
The assurance of Chief Garvin, that
he is ready to assist in the contemplated
work as far as possible, demonstrates
that the police department can make
very considerable reduction in the eX-
penSe, even rs estimated by the health
commissioner. 1t would seem that g, 00G
might very possibly cover the entire
cost. 1t will be observed that the res
olution before US authorizes the employ
ment of a complete force of men, addi-
tional TO The present employees. of the
city, and 1t contempla1es for the pay
ment of that force possible expendi-
ture of IS, 600.
A Further Objection
to the resolution is found in the fact
that it fails to guard the city's right to
recover the expense of work to be done
from persons responsible for existing
nuisances in case the city, through the
negligence of such persons, is Obliged
TO remove the nuiSances. Section II OF
the health department act authorizes
such recovery. but it cannot be enforced
until after the health commissioner has
proceeded under other sections already
and for snch proceedings he
must have the authority of the council.
This authority is not conferred by the
resolution proposed.
1t Is evident, then, that neither the
mayor nor the health commissioner, nor
any other officer, can proceed without
authority from the council to enforce
the appropriate provisions or the health