St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-06-06
MAYOR SMITHS MESSAGE.
RESTORATION CT DEMOCRATIC CITY
GOVERNMENT.


GOVERNMENT.
TWO-MINUTE SCRAP WITH TIM
The inaugural Address Delivered
by Mayor smith on Taking
Possession of His Office Yes
terday-lhe Condition OF the
City, Financially and Morally,
Considered - Favors Cutting
Down salaries.
gentlemen of the Common Council:
1t is made the duty of Tie mayer by
the charter 10 from time 10 time give
the commun council such information
and recommend such measures as lie
may deem advantageous 10 the city"
This duty Is ainOSt imperative under
the present law making The term of all
the members Of The common council eX-
pire at the same time; resulting as it
does Olten!imtS IN placing i'll office al
most an entire budy Of new men, unfa-
miliar With the details of municipal
government. This law should ue
amended so as TO provide that one-third
Or one-haif of the old members hold
over 10 prevent complications and mis-
takes.l the management of city affairs;
for the reason that the chief officer of
the city must of necessity review each
OF the reports of the various depart
ME, Is Of Ike city, and briefly refer 10
and recommend ordisapprove their sug-
geStlonS.
CONIpTEGJ, iERsS nRDAuTNENT
The city comptroller has kindly fur
nished full statement of the public
debt up to Junr l, 1891, as follows:
bonoeu UeOt 80. ...-.-...... SS.5G. lO0
Certificates of indebtedness. 52S.O00
Tax levy certificates OF in
debtness of year 1858. ...... 1876. 600
lax levy certificates of in
debtneSS OF year 1894 ~ 1.C4S. 800
Making a total. including
tax certificates OF lndebt-
ednesS, of Observation-Disclosures l, S44. 900
OF this amount payments to be made
in 1884:
Certificates of Indebtedness. 1924. coo
lax levy certificates. .......... 1876, 900
Making total 81, go. 900
Payments to Be Made in 1895
BondS- NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. $50, 900
Certificates Of Indebtedness. 2S4, LOCO
Tax levy certificates of indebt-
euHeSS l,O4S.5O0
Total for 1Si}5. 81 81. 500
The present reform Democratic adj
ministralion will pay during the year
1874 an indebtedness, Including tax GER
tihcateS. CT Sl,6I0. eco; and in 1895 will
provide for the payment of $50. GOO of
va tod 81 ri g Ia
tlhcateates Of Indebtedness and the tax
levy certificates. sl,o4S, $50. making il
total OF 81, 3422,5 iiU. AT the end OF this
reform administration, under the pro-
visions OF Tie He'll charter, the bonded
Gebt viii be reduced S60.0U0. ami the
S52o,0 600 of certificates of indebtedness;
making total reduction of the debt,
not including lax certificates, of $685.
COO. net including interest ON that
amount.
This state of affairs will certainly oc.
cur unless las we hope it may the pres
ent charter is repealed. The public
deDt referred 10 is a large one, and it
has been charged by "demagugues''
that IL is a legacy left to the people by
former Democratic administrations,
when in truth. as every Intelligent cit-
Zeh well knows. the people demanded
lis creailon-the times and growth and
prosperity Of the city demanded it. 1t
Is well-knuwn fact that. when
greater portion Of this public debt was
created, ST. Paul was represented in the
state senate by tWO able, wealthy prop
erty owners enc a Democrat and the
other Republican; any one acquaint-
ed with parties referred to knows that
they were honest, conservative men,
ana could have at any time stopped
the enactment Of any law to create
this Indebtedness; and their successors
followed i'll the same line, because the
people demanded it. until 1891.
In my message to the common coun-
Gil in 1850 l USED the following IAN
guade, after referring to The high
credit of the city and The amount of
the public debt: "Ihere was prob
ably necessity for the creation OF this
large debt. on account of our marvellous
growth demanding large OUTLAWS to keep
pace viii! it. In cur opinion That neces-
sity 10 longer Exists. We are fast ap-
preaching tie danger point, and ought
TO call halt" had the honor first to
sound The Keynote Of alarm, and the
Legislature Of 1881 enacted the city cnar-
ter prohibiting The further issue of
bonds. As his public debt was cre-
ated by TIE active cooperation OF both
political parties. why net meet the
issue IN manly way, acknowledge
the necessity Of its creation, and pro-
vide Tor lis eXtin EuiSlment when due?
L he city comptroller shows in his
last report The purposes for which the
bonds of the city were issued, amount
Ing 10 SS.442. LOG; that includes 1896. 600
given 10y the city in aid of railroads.
and estimates the value OF the prop
erty OF The city at lis purchase price.
IS, ,9l5. and aids: 'lD these state
mentS the purchase price ouly is given.
the present value is much largeL,"
showing conclusiYelv that We have
''value received" tor every dollar ex-
pended.
TREASURES REPoRT.
Sh' VS. receipts from all sources for
1885, inciuGlIg balance on hand Jan. l.
1898, 10 be S4.554 97207: and the dis
burSements 10 'ie s4,lSO, 3I3 SO leaving
balance unpXpenled Jan. l, 1894, of
S37i,GjS55 TIE report contains an
temlzed statement OF all the receipts
and disbursements during the year; in
the Item OF license there is a great
Iallihg OH OF receipts as compared with
former years.
Your attention is especially called to
The reports of the board of public works
and city engineer. as these departments
are the most important and more nearly
allied TO The common council than any
other i'll the city
Work ordered and completed by the
board OF public works for grading, sew.
ers. street openings, sidewalks. street
sprlnklng, etc.. amounts to 1891, 39I. 30 +:
showing that the business of that de-
partmeht.owing to the general financial
depression i'll the country, is far behind
former years.
h..n Ia,
demands your attention, aud MANY of
his suggestions should be acted upon at
the earliest possible time. The fund
for the construction of the main sewers
has been exhausted, and, however nee
essary 1t might be i'll a sanitary sense TO
Dulld mains. II could not be done. Lat
eral sewers may be ordered. for they are
directly chargeable to abutting prop.
erty. The engineer recommends