St. Paul daily globe., 1894-03-06
THE GUllLOTIAE IS READY
70 cH0e OFF ASSESSOR E. n. JOHNS
TONES KEAG,
is THE CURRENT REPORT

Woiterstorff Said to Have Soured
on Johnstone - Doesn't Like
the assessors Trips for His
Health and His Employment
OF Giris-May Be Bluff After
All.
The runor that E.. r.. Johnstnne, the
present assessor, was to be deposed
from his office was the topic Of CONVEX
satiOn about the city hall yesterday.
After hearing the statement made half
dozen times GLOBE reporter started
to run the rumor down, to see If there
was really anything to it. The law
makes the chairman of the county COM
missioners, who is Mayor Wright, County
Auditor Burns and President W0lter-
storff. of the assembly, the trio VINO
have the election or selection of the as
SCISSOR. E. r. Johnstone. who was form
erly Mayor Wrighrs private secretary.
was elected to the office in March last,
for two years. he receiving the votes OF
the mayor and Wolterstorff.
Mayor Wright, according to his Sec
retary. is still out of town, and conse-
quently could not be seen. County
Auditor Burns was not out OF town, but
he could not be found, so the only one
of the trio available to Interview was
Assemblyman Wolterstorff.
That gentleman. seen at his place of
business Oh Seventh street, in a manner
hoe
deal OF dissatisfaction among the Re-
publicans. he said. owing to the selec-
ton of JohnStope to the Office.
This had grown stronger since
the assessor had been obliged to
take vacation of several weeks for his
health. One reason for the diSSatiSfac-
uon. Mr.. WOlLerstortf said, was the man
ner in which the office was conducted
by Johnstone. The salary was not only
good. but very good. the assessor receiv-
ing slO,5O0 for one year and S12,50 for
the other, in addition to which he re-
ceived an additional $1,000 per year
from the water board for making up the
water frontage tax. Instead of hiring
men III the office for help, JohnSione, he
had been Informed, was employing only
girls, and also was taking advantage of
the hard times to cut salaries to $40
and $50 per month. This kind of
financeering, Mr.. Wolterstorff SAID, was
causing much talk and was probably
how the rumor that there was to be a
change had started. He had not said
anything about the matter. although he
understood that County Auditor Burns
was willing to act with him in bringing
about a change in the assessorship.
Some of the parties who mad approached
aim about the scheme had urged that
the change be made some time next
week, as the first year of JohnStone's
term would expire Oh Marcn 10. AS to
whether there would be change in the
Office he was not prepared just at
present to say.
There was some discussion among the
city hall politicians yesterday as to the
steps which would be necessary to oust
JohnstOne from the Office. Sume were
of the opinion that charges would have
to be made in order to give the board
that appointed him chance to throw him
out. This. however, is not the case, as
the law reads as follows:
The said board, or majority of
them. shall have power to remove at
pleasure such assessor al any Lime from
Office"
An observing gentleman, who has
had some little experience in matters
political, in discussing the rumored
change last evening said that it looked
to MIN like a forced play. President
Wolterstortf, he said, was a red-hot
candidate Tor appointment as member
OF the board Of public works. This
appointment was 10 be made by the
mayor in a few days and the talk of
changing the assessor might he made
on the Theory that If certain persons
did not get places OH the board the
mayors prolege might suffer The
Consequences.
The name of II. S. Fairchild, the
well-known real estate dealer, is NELL
toned as the possible assessor, in case
Messrs. Burns and Wolterstortf decide
that change is necessary.