St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-03-08
WATER FRONTAGE TAX.
Mr.. GrfbbIe Tells why He Thinks
1t an Outrage.

1t an Outrage.
To the Editor of the Globe.
The time is rapidly wearing away
restricting legislative action, and yet
nothing is done to relieve the overbur-
dened taxpayer; a vast deal of talk
is INDUCED in, but no definite action
seems to be taken. The Ramsey county
delegation, elected for the purpose to
carry out the wishes of the people, are
Supine and inactive, and it looks very
much as if nothing would be done.S
Meetings are held all over the city
and views and desires expressed in pres
ence of some of the delegation; prom
ises are made, but performances are de-.
layed. The voice of the people is out
spoken and must be obeyed, or social.
istic revolution will be the inevitable
consequence. st. Paul for more than
two decades has been governed by
despotic misrule, the peoples substance.
has been recklessly wasted, and the
end is not yet. A part of the Ramsey
county delegation has been sent to the
senate to oppose the interest of the
people in the interest of combinations,
WAiiSH was ilidbC S1PpdI Gilt WHSA d DlIl
was introduced in the senate to over
throw that outrageous combination
known as the water board, which has
been crushing the populace for fif-
teen years. The bill was Immediately
killed by a senator who, it is under
stood, is one of the water board of
commissioners, and no doubt owns
some of the bonds The unholy 'front.'
ro 10 &c ole hy he
class, and who can have no true in
terest in the welfare of the city when
it is apparent they have no respect for
the taxpayers. The so-called water
board of st. Paul is a peculiar and an
omalous institution, and, from CONVEX
sation with a number of the citizens,
the writer finds that it's workings and
organiza ton are but little understood.
With the kind indulgence of the editor,
1 will briefly explain. A great many
years ago, when it became necessary
to obtain a supply of water, the coun-
Gil gave c. D. Gilfillan the franchise
of the whole city, including parks
and all other privileges, free
forever, without any restrictions;
the donee furnished the peo-
pie with the cheapest kind of a plant,
putting down sheet iron pipes and
wooden fire hydrants, and then, find
ing that at some future time they
would have to be replaced with some
thing more substantial, conceived the
plan of unloading upon the city, to
escape further expense. The council,
upon application, made the purchase
and gave, bonds to the amount of
nearly half a million, which was abso-
lutely a dead loss to the people, for the
reason that as soon as practicable the
sold plant was ripped up and replaced
with substantial lay of pipes, for
which other bonds were issued, and
upon which the people now have to
pay interest. In order to get even,
the plan was conceived to institute
frontage tax, which was carried out
by a constitutional amendment en-
g1neered by the then city attorney.
. This tax was made perpetual, and
which, If taken to the courts, would
long ago have been wiped out, because
1t was SO unequal and so unjust. If
each lot had been assessed the mere
cost of the mains no one would have
complained. While under the law, as
1T now exists, it runs forever, making,
with the tax for. use of water one of
the most onerous in the United States.
The wiping out of this frontage tax is
what the people are fighting for, and
they demand its repeal .";-'T -
EDWIN GRIBBLE. +,