St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-03-26

SAME OLD GRIND.
The Seventh Ward Municipal
League Holds Another
Meeting.
TO LISTEN TO SPEECHES
Pass Resolutions and Then
Adjourn to Meet and
Repeat.
TO LISTEN To SPEECHES
CALL FOR A MASS MEETING
To Join in Discussing, Resolv-
ing, Adjourning and Re-
peatlng.

peaClng.
The regular meeting of the Sew
enth Ward Municipal league at the
Albion last evening was attended
nv about fifteen discouraged mem
bers. Despairing of success IN any
other direction, the league VIII now
look into the matter of the oVefas-
sessment of Seventh ward real es-
tate. and. as a final effort to secure
some active reform, it will also ar
range for a public mass meeting.
President Tighe is still out of the
city. and Vice President Hodgson
again occupied the chair.
F. S. Bryant reported the sub
stance of an interview MessrS. Hodg-
son, Schoonmaker and himslf had
with Senator Stevens. The senator
had expressed himself in favor of the
civil service bill, which the commit
tee would Recommend. The cor
rupt practices" bill had already
passed the senate. There was little
probability of any reduction Being
made in the present city and county
salaries. He had always opposed
making salaried positions of the
present fee offices, especially in the
case of the sheriff, although, pos
sibly, something might be done in
that direction after the terms of
the present incumbents have eX-
pired.
Referring to the latter statement
c. A. Moore here remarked that it
was the old story. Mr.. Stevens
seemed to be remarkably interested
in the sheriffs salary. Not salts
fed with protecting the present fat
income of that office, the senator
was now trying to add a bonus of
81 600 Doubtless the sheriff ought
to be tenderly handled, for to Mr..
Moore's own knowledge, he had ex-
pended at least $4,000 TO secure
his election.
Mr.. Bryant added that Senator
Stevens had, indeed, told him that
Clerk Rogers ought
NOT TO BE INTERPRETED WITH,
for it had cost the latter $1,000 to be
elected. The sheriff's net income last
year was at least IS, 600, derived from
fees, which, in most cases, are double
what they are in Hennepin county.
Judge Macdonald broke in alb
ruptly upon this tranquil conversa-
ton by declaring that the league
was wasting it's time. 1t hadn't ac-
complished anything, and he was
fully convinced that it would not.
/! No salaries would be reduced by the
legislature The county and city of
ficers were simply laughing at the
leagues efforts. AS one of the coun-
ty officers. put 1T, sH5Nhile you fell,
lows are passing, resolutions, we are
attending to the legislature" The
judge thought it would be better to
let the small matter of salaries alone
and attempt to remedy some evils
(which he had discovered recently
on reading the report of the city
comptroller. Times are hard, as
hard this spring as ever they were.
yet in order to pay off the water
bonds, of which none become due
until 1909, citizens were called upon
last year to contribute over 5000 900
to sinking fund. Several similar
instances were pointed out aggregat
ing over half million dollars, and
paid by an oppressed community
IN cases where payment ought to be
deferred until times grow better.
Mr.. Bryant said he believed that
these payments had to be made be-
cause they were provided for in the
Bell charter. The mention of this
rather abashed Judge Macdonald
out ne added in regretful, Sweet
Alice Ben Bolt tone of voice, that
OF course, it was now too late. He
knew that. But if it had only been
otherwise
Following the bold example of the
Judge, Mr.. Moore now ventured to hurI
few oratorical javelins. He spoke
OF several matters and asked how thew
We're Real estate paid seven-eighths
OF the city taxes, personal property
but one-eighth. How was that? The
Jobbers' union handed over to the
assessor the taxable valuation of the
stocks of all the big firms, arranged so
that one firm, for instance, which paws
insurance on a valuation of 1924 600 is
taxed for but $4,000.
HOW WAS THAT?
chicago was a bigger town than ST
Paul, but the taxable valuation of the
former was not quite twice that of the
latter city. And how was that? The
league was pleased to be told these
things, but they did not venture to saw
now thew were. Mr.. Bryant was more
than pleased. He wanted more. He
said, Tell us about the gas company"
SO Mr.. Moore told them about the gas
company. 1t had capital stock of
$l,500,OOO, and issued bonds to the ex-
tent of $5,000,000. On the latter the
company paid per cent interest vet
its taxes Were but $3.50. How was
that?
Mr.. Hodgson stated that he did not
agree with Judge Macdonald. The
league was not wasting it's time, for it
had discussed; and discussion was
good thing. There would be results
He did not specify them, but there
would be some. He was sure of that
He recommended that the people keen
on "howling." The bowling might
not be properly attuned, yet it was
necessary to howl. If the legisla ture
was not otherwise to. be affected. he
would suggest a monster public meet
ing, which "would just shake things ;,
Then, if the monster public meeting