St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-09-26
AID FOR UNEMPLOYED.
PLAN SUGGESTED BY THE CITIZENS
COMMITTEE.
PARK WORK is PROPOSED.

Mill Tax Settled Upon-rhis
Will Raise $6O,OOO-Como and
Other Parks Can Be Improved
The $4,000 and Contribu-
tions to Be Added to the List.
The Joint citizens and trades and
labor assembly committee have received
and adopted report made by their sub
committee on the ways and means to
promote employment for those in need
of work. The report was also submitted
to the chamber of commerce yesterday
and referred to committee. 1t is as
follows:
To Hon. F. P Wright, Mayor: The
committee appointed to suggest
ways and means for providing work for
the unemployed people of st. Paul dur
ing the ensuing autumn and winter
submit the following:
The registry opened at the city hall
about three weeks ago contains nearly
600 names of heads of families, who
have resided in ST. Paul more than six
months, and who express willingness
to work for 81 day, payable in fuel
and provisions. 1t is safe to say that
this number represents only a small
portion of the men now unemployed in
the city-it only includes such as are on
the verge of actual restitution and suf-
fering. most of whom, unless financial
conditions rapidly improve, must soon
become a public charge. And
it is equally safe to say, that
instead of better, this number
Will become rapidly and Indefinitely
greater. The questions that have
pressed themselves upon you and the
citizens called in 10 confer with you
upon the subject are what kind of EN-
ployment TO provide for these men, and
how TO provide the means to pay them.
1t was deemed most feasible to secure
them work upon some kind of city i'm
provements, and, as a beginning, to
secure an appropriation of $4,000 of city
funds for THAI purpose. A resolution
appropriating this amount has already
passed one branch of the city council,
and will doubtless pass the other branch
at an early day. But it is manifest that
further and much larger sum of money
must be realized from some source, if
any adequate relief is to be extended
by the means indicated.
Four propositions for raising the
necessary funds, to be dIsbursed under
the direction of the city authorities in
providing work for the unemployed,
have suggested themselves to your COM
nlttee, as follows:
First-Under the statute of 1898 the
city may, after the city council shall
have accepted the provisions OF the act
by three-fourthS vote, Issue bonds 10
raise money for any legitimate munic-
lpal purpose, provided two-thrdS of the
voters participating in an election shall
vote III favor thereof. and provided the
new issue of bonds does not extend the
entire city Indebtedness beyond 10 per
cent of the assessed valuation.
Second-The city council, in making
up the tax levy for the ensuing wear,
may insert a levy for certain improve
ments, which levy may be made avail
able at an early date. although not paid
by property owners until 1895.
Third Citizens who are disposed may
sign notes, to be cashed by the banks,
the city council pledging the faith and
credit OF the city that said notes shall
be redeemed by the proceeds of sale of
bonds to be authorized by the next ses-
sion of the legislature.
Fourth-A fund may be raised by VOL
untary contributions of citizens to pay
for labor on parks, damaged street
grades, and other public works of a
general nature.
After maturely considering these sew
eral methods of providing funds, we are
agreed in recommending the following
programme as being, upon the whole,
the most practicable in the present
emergency.
DisDurse the $4,000, which we assume
will he appropriated by the city under
the resolution now pending.
Make a systematic effort to secure
contributions from all classes of our
citizens to continue the work after that
sum is expended and before any other
money becomes available.
Ask the city authorities to include in
the next tax levy One-haif mill to be
expended under the direction of the
park board in the improvement of the
present parks and parkways of the
city, especially Como park. This tax
levy will yield about S6O,O
If prompt action is taken in all these
directions needed work can be done on
the streets and parks of the city that
Will be of general benefit, and will fur
hlSh work for hundreds of men. at least
until the extreme rigor of winter sets in.
What shall be done after that can be
lett for further consideration.
We recommend that the halt-mill tax
levy be devoted to the improvement of
parks and parkwayS, because that
seems to be the only available object of
expenditure not hedged in by the limi-
tations of the city charter But we be-
lieve 1t is disbursement that will be
approved by all our citizens. Whatever
diversity of opinion there may be as to
the policy of acquiring more parks at
this time, certainly no one will object If,
as an incident Of necessary relief to our
deserving laborers, the work they will
cheerfully perform in return shall
speedily bring the parks and boulevards
we already own TO state or improve
ment we had only expected TO reach
several years hence.