St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-22
JUST ONE VOTE SHY.
The Cross-Town Street Car
Ordinance Is Ingloriously
Defeated.
An Apparent Scheme in It's
Passage Which Failed
to Work.
The Lord High Comptroller
Declines to Sign the See
ger Contract.
Considerable Routine Matter
Transacted by Alder
men.

The board of aldermen galloped
through batch of routine business in
quick time last night. All of the men,
bers except Aid. Cullen, who is out of
the city, were present. the word having
been passed among the faithful that
some street railway matters would come
before the meeting. The cross-town
line ordinance introduced by Aid. In
gersoll at the committee on streets meet
ing on Saturday was the surprise
which had been planned, but it didn't
go through. The idea was to pass the
ordinance and then use it as a club to
compel the company to accede to the
demands Of several of the city fathers.
The expression Of opinion made by
President Lowry at the recent meeting
regarding the need for a croSS-toWn line
made the plan decided upon look all the
brighter. When it came to a vote on
the passage of the ordinance, however.
the SchemerS were one vote shy, it re-
quiring nine votes to pass it, and only
eight voted for its passage. Aid. Cope
land, who seemed a trifie disconnected
by the failure to pass the ordinance, re-
marked to a gentleman Interested in the
crOSS-tOWn line after the vote had been
announced: The man you depended
on was a weak stick"
The COmptrOIler's Great Head.
The session opened by the clerk read
ing the following communication from
Comptroller McCardy relative to the
Seeger lighting contract:
4 herewith return to you the proposed
contract between the city of st. Paul
and Robert Seeger. | have tried to give
this contract and the laws applicable
thereto the attention which this impor
tant matter deserves, and from such eX
animation | regret to say that | am una
BILE to agree with the council as to the
power and authority of the city to make
this proposed contract 1t does not seem
clear that the charter authorizes the
common council or the officers of the
city to bind the city by contract Of the
one herewith returned to you. For this
reason | respectfully decline to counter
sign the same.
The communication was referred to
the corporation attorney without discus
sion.
DR.. HOyt sent in a communication in
which he accused the comptroller of
unjust discrimination. In September
last special committee from the coun-
Gil submitted report which contained
among other clauses one under the
head of health department. providing
that no salary be paid any person
not an actual resident within the
city limits. Acting on this. the
comptroller refused to audit the pay
rolls of the health department until the
names OF two persons were stricken off.
The department, Dr.. Hoyt said, was put
to great Inconvenience and hardship by
this action. He said in the communlca-
ton he knew of fifteen employees draw
ing salaries who were not residents of
the city, and asked that all be treated
alike. Aid. Franklin asked that the
matter be referred to the committee of
ways and means, and it was so ordered.
An ordinance was introduced by the
building inspector providing for the in
Spectiom and control of electrical ap
paratus and conductors and the designa-
ton of a supervisor of city lighting by
the building inspector. The ordinance
provides for the inspection of all prem
ises on which there is any kind of cleo
trical apparatus. The persons or cor
porations operating any electrical plant
to report to the building inspector the
size of conductors, nature and quality,
of insulating of materials used and the
same to be subject to the approval Of
\ the inspector. The ordinance was sent
to the committee on streets.
Necessary Precautions.
DR.. Hoyt, as health commissioner
called the attention of the council to the
need OF more thorough diSinfection
following cases of diphthera ard scar
let fever. The commissioner said the
records show that deaths from scarlet
fever and diphtheria had decreased
steadily when compared with increase
of population. The decrease was not as
extensive as it should be. After Spe-
cial study of the reason why the de-
crease was not more marked the con-
clusion had been arrived at that the
present method of disinf eetion was
partly responsible. The records showed
| that many cases followed the first case
| in location or house. the only cause
apparently being the faulty disinfec-
ton following the first case. The COM
| munication was referred to a special
committee, consisting of Aid. Frank
! lin, Dorniden and Zimmerman. VINO will
| meet the commissioner and arrange for
| the necessary changes III the present
| system.
Pursuant to request of Aid. thinner
| man, the health depar tment submitted
|
| garbage had been reported to the health
office up to Feb. L, 1898. The figures
were referred TO the joint committee on
| garbage.
President Ingersoll appointed as the
aldermanic end of the joint committee
of six to take into consideration the de-
STABILITY and feasibility of selling Mar
ket hall Aid. Coniey, Montgomery and
Copeland.
The Ordinance Killed.
Aid. IngerSoIl's substitute cr0ss-line
ordinance was read by the clerk, and,
on motion of Aid. FARMLAND, the rules
were suspended and the ordinance
placed on its final reading and passage.
Aid. Coniey and Dorniden voted no on
the motion to suspend the rules and The
same way on the vote to pass the ordi-
nance. The other eight members voted
for its passage, but it lacked one vote of
enough to carry it through, and the
chair decided the ordinance lost.
The special committee appointed to
investigate the complaints made by
residents in the vicinity as to the NUS
ance caused by the garbage contractors
handling the refuse at the foot of jerks
street. submitted a lengthy report. L he
committee reported there was just
cause for complaint. Loads OF dead
animals were hauled in open wagons
and sleighs through the street, thrown
in the vicinity Of the railroad tracks
and left there for several days. By rea-
son of the mode of handling garbage.
the place is infected with stencil and
odors, realty is depreciating and resi-
dents compelled to move away from the
locality.
Aid Copeland asked that the report
be sent to the committee on streets and
resolution brought in abating the
nuisance. Aid. Franklin thought a
committee including the aldermen from
the First and Ninth wards and two
members from the assembly would be
better, and it was so agreed to.
The committees report recommend
ing the clerk to advertise for bids for a
bridge OH Como avenue across the Great
Northern track caused some discussion.
Aid Franklin, while admitting the
necessity of bridge at the point men,
toned. said there was no agreement i'll