St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-03-01
TO ADVERTISE FOR BIDS
WAS The VOTE OF THE MARKET
HOUSE COMMITTEE.


Six Hundred Business Men OPP
posed to Leasing-They Say
That the Action Would Drive
Many Merchants Out of Bust.
ness Rent Would BE Less
Than Merchants Pay.
AsSemblymeu Lightner, Schuette and
Van Slyke aid Aldermen Warren and
Jensen, of the special joint council
committee. held session yesterday
afternoon to consider the ACCESSIBILITY OF
advertising for bids for the leasing or
the Market house. Nearly one hundred
representative business men attended.
and after two hours discussion in the
nature of a free -for-all talk the COM
mittee decided to advertise for propos-
ais for a lease of five years. All but
three of the persons who discussed the
matter. outside of the committee, were
opposed to the leasing scheme. MesSrs.
Schuette and Warren explained that
advertising for bids did not necessitate
the leasing of the building, and. as the
majority of the committee was DESTROYS
for the structure, bids will be called for.
Mr.. Lightner acted as chairman. The
following protest, signed by 800 bust
ness men. was read:
The undersigned property holders
and business men in your city respect
fully represent that, in their Judgment,
the contemplated lease of the market
house, corner Seventh and WakaSha
streets, for mercantile purposes for a
term of five years. or for any time, is
grossly unjust to those who have eX-
pended their means in the erection OF
stores for rent; that it is all application
of property, for the payment of which
they have been taxed, to pur-
poses in direct conflict with their
interests. 1t is certain, too, thai the one
securing such a lease and establishing
a great mercantile house there, that
will not employ half the men or support
half the number of families that the
scores of small ones driven out of bust
ness by it would. it Is certain, we say,
that having once secured limited lease
he would, prompted daily by his inter
ests, increasingly work for lis extension.
pleading the large amount he had eX-
pended and the loss he would sustain
if not extended.
Your petitioners further represent
that. in their Judgment, this property
will be marketable at good price
within two years from this time and the
proceeds enable the city to purchase
grounds for and to erect public
library and a permanent auditorium,
both pressing necessities If sold i'll
two wears at something less than i'll FIVE
years. 50 grounds near it, central and
accessible. can be bought for less and
building be done more cheaply.
Wherefore, the undersigned empbat-
ically protest against any lease of said
property, as unjust 10 those owning
stores for rent, unjust to all the smaller
retailers throughout the city, and op-
posed to the best interests of the entire
city.
Maj. Espy said that the statements
that the property owners in the vicin-
ity were in favor of the building being
leased was untrue. The leasing would
not be in the interests of the city and
would be very detrimental to property
owners.
Ii. s. Fairchild said that there was
another petition signed by 100 of the
prominent business men who were also
opposed to the proposition. The prop
erty was the most valuable i'll the city
and should not be tied up by lease.
1t was worth at the present time $1,000
front foot and, advertised in Eastern
papers with money as easy as it was
now it could readily be sold. He adj
vtsed the sale at the present time as by
so doing the money from the sale could
be used in purchasing property for
library building much cheaper than if
two OF three years elapsed before the
sale. At the end of this time more
money might be Obtained from the sale
OF the property but the advance in other
realty would more than balance the
account.
w. p. Warner raised the question as
to whether the present council had the
right to tie up the property so that sub
seQuent councils could not dispose of it.
A department store, he said, would
empty nine or ten store buildings in the
section of the city, and it was ques-
ton If the council elected to represent
the people were justified in leasing the
property. If the lease was made, lie
said, it would undoubtedly be renewed
and renewed again until the matter be-
came nuisance. The city had not the
right to come in competition with the
owners of buildings and rent property
cheaper than what other property own
ers in the vicinity had to pay for taxes.
ID. A. Campbell, who submitted a