St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-10-09

expense IMAM Is DOW paid. IL Is a serious
question whether the city would care to
consider the question of purchasing the
| plant, certainly not If the membranes
| upon it ana the other plants Jointly in
the city has to be- assumed.
The incumbrance referred. to, and
recorded in Marcn. 1894, in the office of
the register of deeds, is in the shape of
a mortgage for 5000. 600. running fifty
years at 5 per cent interest, semi
annually in gold.
Equal Taxation.
Municipal debts and expenses must
be paid. Our taxes are high, and the
! burdens should be fairly and equally
distributed. To make such distribution
| IS one OF the most perplrXing and diff
cult problems of government. To place
separate cash valuation upon each
and every separate description or tract
| or lot of land in Ramsey county is the
duty OF the county assessor. That
| errors of judgment and mistakes will
occur is inevitable. The time under the
! law IN which this duty must be per
formed is limited. Let any dissatisfied
taxpayer select ten blocks in any addi-
ton, and try and make valuation of
each lot and of each Improvement on
each lot, and he will then realize the
perpleXing duties imposed on the as
SCISSOR.
Still l must agree with many COM
plainants that in many cases the
assessments of values for a basis of
taxation are unjust and unequal. The
fault is not in the law, but in its admin
lSiratlon. am convinced the taxpayers
do not give this matter proper atten-
ton. 10 make that attention of any
practical use it should be given not
after the assessment is made, nor at the
time taxes are paying, but at til time
the assessor Is engaged in his work.
This is where our people neglect their
duty. dnty not only which they owe to
themselves, but to their neighbors.
How many, l repeat, of our citizens
can give the time, the details and the
history Of tax levy?
Schools.
The first public buildings to be erect
ed, and in the year 1895, are school
buildings, and it would be wise and
prudent for the board of school inspect.
Ors to select the locality i'll which they
should he built, and then advertise for
tenders Of real estate. Let the real
estate hunt the school board. and not the
board hunt the real estate.
school Year.
Arrangements should be made to
carve out school year in the manage.
ment of school busile ss so as 10 con.
form to the city fiscal year, which be-
gins Jan. l. As it is now, the school
year, so called, runs from September TO
September, and creates cOnsiderab BILE
confusion.
Telegraph and Telephone Poles.
1t has been decided affirmalively by
the supreme court of the United States
the right of city to tax telegraph and
telephone poles, and as many of our
streets are thus used and frequently
torn up on this account, it wouId seem
but fair that these companies should
pay some share at least of maintaining
the streets. In st. Louis the companies
are required to place poles of uniform
size. neatly planned or shaved and paint
ed, and supplied with iron steps up to
the arms supporting the wires. and for
the privilege Of the streets the compa-
MES pay to the city a percentage of
their income. which nets that citv over
$1,000 per month. The city of st. Paul
pays to the telephone company about
$4,000 per year for telephone service in
addition to allowing the company the
use of the streets.
AppOfntive Offices.
Offices filled by appointment should
expire with the end of the term of the
appointing power. This, then, would
limit the appointments to period Of
two years, Instead of four years III some
cases, as at present.
Police and Fire Alarm.
There does not seem to be any good
reason for having the expense of two
separate systems of police and fire
alarm telegraph. as at present, and
these should be consolidated, thereby
reducing the expenses very much.
Interest Account.
After all that has been said about the
city debt, it is pleasure 20 report that
it has been steadily reduced since Jan.
|, 1892, and the following figures may
be OF interest to all our people:
The amount provided for paymen of
interest on all certificates of indebted
ness was: