St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-12
SET RIGHT.


1t is scarcely worth while to follow
the Pioneer Press in the series of
ground and lofty tumblings that it
has executed lately in order to turn
the cause of municipal retrenchment
into fuel under the rusty boilers of the
republican party. An article in it's
Friday issue, however, referring to one
appearing earlier in these columns, is
full of misstatements that should be
set right, and contains few questions
that the G OBJ e is pleased to answer.
The G l o efdid not say, or hint or
intimate in any way that inability to
make any particular reduction in ex-
penses is a legitimate reason for re-
fusing to, make any other. That is the
Pioneer Press man of straw If it
finds pleasure in knocking it about,
we'll and good. We have more serious
matters 2 to attend to. What the
G o e said,2 and says now, is that
all departments and interests should
be treated equally. If, within a de-
partment, the total cut can be adj
justed satisfactorily to all concerned
in some other way than by uniform
decrease in all salaries, that is none of
our concern. The level reduction should
be made; leaving to each department
liberty, as in all other matters, to ar
range details in its own way. This dis
poses of the pitiful plea of the Pioneer
Press about reducing the salaries of
patrolmen. after arguing, in the ad-
joining column, that their salaries
ought, in equity, to be made $5S in
stead of SIS. Such are the troubles
that overwhelm it when attempting
to take both sides of a question at
once, for political effect.
The Pioneer Press asks If the
G o e complains of the exemption
from reductions Of the schools, the
controllers Office, the city and county
physician and the superintendent Of
parks. Most emphatically it does The
mention of the schools is a bit of amaz-
ing audacity. Their exemption" con-
sists in a reduction of SOC, O00 or 60
per cent of the net reduction proposed
IN all city expenses. 1t is based partly
on an alleged cash balance of which
$4,000 will be required to pay out
standing obligations, and partly on a
mythical estimate of revenue. 1t has
been shown clearly that, If this course
OF h.
must be closed during some
months in 1897 or else they must
be REDUCED in efficiency, to the
great and lasting injury of this
city. To that sort of exemption" we
object. We object to the favoritism
displayed toward the controllers Of
flee. Judged by recent performances,
we should say that it's work was dear
at any price, 1t should certainly bear
it's equal share in the lessening of ex-
penditures. The cut in the revenues
of the board of control could undoubt-
edly be met, small as it would be, with
as little difficulty as in the fire and
police departments. as
AS to the superintendent of parks.
We have this to say: that when
it = comes to- a question Of less
en1ng the burdens of the peo-
pie, question so vital that men
are willing to let the schools go by
the board, then we think that it is
time to call halt on park expendi-
lures The sum included in the tax
estimate for parks is at least twice as
large as it ought to be. One-half of
the amount would, by the reports of
the park board, suffice for the main
tenance OF our public grounds and
| squares. Their Improvement could
well be deferred until a time when we
have at least enough funds on hand
not to have to consider the Gripping
OF agencies essential to our very mu-
mc1pal existence. The Globe is not
defending one-half the council or at
lacking the other, in which 1t differs
from the Pioneer Press; whose iudg
ment or their respective actions is de-
clded obviously by their political COM
plexions. 1t has not and does
not intend to play politics" with our
present business necessities and prob
lems. 1t knows that its view Of the
situation is determined by business
principles and believes that it has the
assent of all those who are not politi
clans first and business men after
ward.