St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-01-16
REDUCTION AND ADOLF ZION
Is the Rallying Cry Of the
Report on Municipal
Reformation. 81
FoRTY-YEAR-oLD ALDER MEN
Emil GeiSt Wants Them--Sev-
eral Picturesque Recon-
mendationS.


league last night. al the Commercial
club rooms. Prof. Innis called the
meeting to order. in the absence of the
president. The main business of the
evening was consideration Of report
| from the committee to whom was re-
ferred the task of formulating plans for
| the reduction of municipal expenses
ard improvement of local government.
E. S. Chttenden read the report, which
was stated as the unanimous voice Of
the committee, except that Hon. W. P.
Murray reserved the right to dissent
from the recommendations for abolition
of the board of control and workhouse
board. AS will be seen by the report IL
| self, there is also division of sentl-
ment as to whether county officers shall
be paid stated salary or be left in pos
session of the fees, as at present.
In discussing the report Mr.. Chitten-
den said he had understood the commit-
tee would also recommend the abolition
of the municipal court,as at present con-
stituted. retaining one police justice and
| one clerk, both at moderate salarins.
He offered motion that the report be
AMENDED accordingly.
Secretary Philip Gilbert did not think
| there was any good objectto be attained
by aboishing the municipal court. and
| made all inclSive argument against 1t.
| The amendment was adopted, however,
| with Mir. Gilbert alone voting no.
Wants elder Aldermen.
Emil Geist made plea for a change
| in the law so that no one would be eli-
| gible for the office OF alderman unless
| forty years of age and taxpayer on real
estate. He also advocated provision
| TO provide paving fund. These Sug-
| gestionS were not received with any
| degree Of enthusiasm.
Rev. David Morgan spoke in favor of
| putting officers like the sheriff and reg
| lister of deeds on salary. Ferdinand
| Willus followed in the same strain,
| and denounced the fee system as essen
| TALLY obnoxious. Ill
Gen. Sanborn would favor cuttiAg
| the fee officers down to reasonable
| figure, but his experience had CONVINCED
| him no other system would be so salts
| factory in practical operation. al
| C. A Moore protested that the pres
| ent system is radically wrong, in that
people who have instruments recorded
are compelled to pay for printed parts
| of legal phraseoogy that the taxpayers
have already paid for in the shape of
| books.
Mr.. Chittenden spoke earnestly for a
| change from the present system. which,
he asserted, is as bad as it possibly can
! be. .,T l;s- ,sey.[ "a q
Ferdinand Willius moved togrecom-
mend that all fee Offices be abolished,
but on second thought Withdrew his
| motion.
Then the report was adopted as pre-
scented. Its main features are here
Reduction and Abolition
| l. That the highest interests of the
| city demand a great reduction at this
| time in the expenses of the city and
| county governme hts, and that without
such reduction it will be difficult for the
city to retain its present relative rank
among the commercial cities OF its class
| in the country, and that such reductions
will tend to the early restoration of the
fair marked value of all property lying
within the city, the announcement Of
enterprise and other numerous adyan-
tages.
2. That the rate of interest on all
| local assessment certificates should lie
reduced to per cent per annum.
8. That the duties Of county and city
treasurer should be devolved upon and
discharged by siugle officer. to be
elected by the electors.
4. That the duties of city comptroller
and county auditor should be devolved
upon and discharged by a single officer,
to be elected by the people.
! 5. That the duties of county and
city attorney be devolved upon and dis
charged by one officer, to be elected by
I the people. e.,
6. That the board of public works,
the board OF water commissioners, the
| workhonse board and the board of con-
! troll be abolished, and the school board
he reduced to five members.
Z. That the city council remain as
! now organized, except that all members
of each branch shall be elected at large.
s. That the executive authority
| granted to the city government shall be
| exercised by the mayor through the
heads of the respective departments,
I and that the mayor shall have the sole
power Of appointments and removal Of
all officers not elective.
i Only -Four Departments.
9. That general law for the govern
ment of cities should provide that acity
| of the class in which ST. Paul would
fall should be 50 organized as to con
tain department OF public works, a
| department of CORE ction and charities,
department of education. and a fire
| department, and that each department.,
| except that of education, should be adj
miniStered through commissioner, to
be appointed by The mayor. who, under
the mayors direction, shall exercise
all the powers granted to the city gov
eminent pertaining to his department.,
and that the department Of education
should he administered through aboard
of education consisting of five persons.
10. That all the duties and poWens
I now vested III and exercised by HIa
board of public works, the board of
water commissioners and by the city
engineer shall be vested in and exef-
cised by the department of public
| works. a. y ..c
Il. That all the duties and powers
heretofore vested i'll and exercised by
the police OF the city, board Of c6ntrod,
| WorkhetlSe board, health officer ana nos
pital board shall be vested in and azexer-
cised by the department Of corrections
and charities, together with such,other
| powers as the common council may
from time to time designate. -
12. That the department Of education
be charged with all the duties and vest
ed with all the powers that are now eX-
ercsed by the board of education.
IL. That all the powers granted to
the city government pertaining to the
tire department shall be vested in and
exercised by the commissioner OF said
department., and that the commissioner
of said department shall discharge all
the duties now imposed upon the chief
of said department, and such other du
ties as the council may from time to
time determine.
IA. That separate proceedings in
court to enforce the collection OF local
assessments for public improvements
be abolished. and such assessments and
| all other assessments uoon property
after remaining reasonable time for
collection with the city treasurer De OK
tended upon tho general tax duplicate
in the same manner as general taxes,
and be collected by the same proceed
ings as general taxes are collected.
/ 100 - $4,000 Limit
Is. That until an improvement in