St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-01-29
MINNEAPOLIS.
CURRENT COMMENT.

The announcement in Sunday
GLOBE that this city had a snow and
ice ordinance occasioned considerable
comment yesterday, and was received
with such general incredulity that
an investigation was deemed neces-
sary. Accordingly City Attorney
Simpson was asked about it. He
looked dubious at first, but after eX-
ploring d ponderous tome, admitted
that such an ordinance was in eX-
istence and was contained IN the DO
ings of the council of 81.
There is no doubt of it, it is and is
not, remarked the Tall Cottonwood of
the Mississippi. He then proceeded
to read the sidewalk regulation, which,
stripped of a mass of verbiage, pro-
vides that property owners shall clear
the sidewalks of ice and snow to the
width of such sidewalk by u o'clock
noon of each day, and cause the same
to be kept cledr of snow and ice.
Nothing could be clearer, but TINS Is
not all:
eff the ice forms so it cannot be re-
moved then the owner must sprinkle
sand and ashes on the same. linen
follows the penalty for VOCATION
fine of not less than s. nor more imam
$25 for each Offense.
miles of sidewalk in this town, but the
ordinance only affects walks COM
prised by the fire limits, or say so
miles. which, carried out in feet, means
a total of .5S4 coo feet of sidewalk con-
traband under the ordinance, for no
man has cleaned his walk this season.
And figuring that each property owner
has fifty feet of walk and is liable to
the minimum fine of So, little multi
plication shows the snug sum OF $l5s,4Oo
for the first offense. And the ottenses
are numerous as the snowfalls. But
what is to be done? The walks are
encrusted with ice which only OLD sol
can remove, and in this extremity the
citizen must turn for relief TO Sahd
and ashes, as any proposition to get
along otherwise must be regarded DIS
a slippery one at best.
Comptroller Nye was amused at
comparative statement Of municipal
expenses between Minneapolis and st.
Paul, compiled by the comptroller of
the latter city and published in morn
ing paper. The statement in question
was damaging to Minneapolis in point
of economy. In speaking of the mat
ter Mr.. Nye said:
THE showing is a very creditable
one, but it is a little like comparing
Minneapolis and Chicago. The figures
look all right but are misleading. For
example, take the school item. You
cannot figure schools on the basis of
population. The comptroller should
have figured on the basis of school
population. The figures on the public
libraries, which looks so favorable for
st. Paul, reflect no great credit on that
city. 1t is only necessary to COM
pare the libraries of the two cities
Mr.. Nye added that inasmuch as the
tax per capita in St. Paul is practically
the same as in Minneapolis, it was sur
prising what the officials of the SANITY
city were doing with the balance of the
levy. He also thought it particularly
wise that. the amount paid out as in
terest on city obligations was not con-
sidered a part of the administrative
expenses, because in this one item
there is q difference in favor of. Mime
apolis of $780, for the year 1893.
Mayor Pratt stated yesterday that
there was a gratifying decrese in the
number of applications for assistance
to the poor department.
Il think" said the mayor, that the
citys poor are being well cared for.
Compared with last winter, the cases of
real restitution are very few. Every
body seems hopeful, and the men who
have applied to me for aid feel greatly
encouraged at the outlook for spring.
They all seem to think that there will
be better times and plenty of work.
Many of them have been promised en-
ployment, and are, of course, much en-
couraged. You may say that the de-
partment is caring for all those who
are deserving and will continue to do
So Last winter | understand a good
deal of deception was practiced, but
we have met with few such cases.
My instructions are that no one shall
be allowed to suffer who makes APP
plication."