The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-25
ENLIGHTENED THE LADIES.
Mayor, City Attorney and Judge
Talk of Their Duties.

The Political Equality club held its meet
ing IN the lecture room of the Y NJ. c. A.
building last evening, and was addressed by
Mayor Robert Pratt City Attorney Frank
Healey and Municipal Judge William A.
Kerr, each upon the duties Of his respective
positions. Mrs. Sanford Niles presided over
the meeting, and DR.. Cora Smith Eaton acted
as secretary.
Mayor Pratt was the first speaker, and it
TOOK rim nearly an hour 10 detail the duties
and respOns- bilities of his Office NO one
hearing his address would think the office Of
mayor OF Minneapolis a sinecure. Besides
the mayors duties outlined in the city
charter, there are thousand matters which
come 10 the attention and consume the time
OF his honor. To keep the business of the
city running smoothly in all departments and
give the people clean administration Of the
laws. Is the purpose Of the mayor.
The duties of the city attorney s office were
explained by Mr.. Healey very clearly. It is
MS business to represent the city in all legal
controversies, whether the CITY is plaintiff or
defendant and to act as advisor for all de-
parJments of the city. including the city
council, but excluding the park board, which
has its own attorney He is allowed three
assistants one OF whom does nothing but
municipal court work. one attends TO the
routine OF he office such as drawing ord:-
nances and resolutions to be acted upon by
the council, and one who does very little eX-
cept TO attend to condemnation proceedings.
The city attorney himself attends TO the trial
OF cases in the district and supreme courts
Mr.. Healey spoke of the increase n munic-
attorney had but single assistant and was
able TO attend to the wants Of the city be
sides looking after his private law practice
It now takes the entire time of four men.
Judge Kerr talked on the municipal court
giving its jurisdiction, and showing how
cases are disposed of in that court The
number of cases disposed of per day varies
during the past year siXty-five cases being
decided in d single day. The only day when
there were no criminal cases was the day of
The pOlieemen's picnic. Judge Kerr has dis
covered that the kind of crime varies ac-
cOrd.ng to the season. April and Nav are
the months OF DRINKS. II is then the lumber
men are coming down from the pineries and
they wish 10 get rid Of their money as soon
as possible. April. May and June as they
are the moving months. are also the months
OF petty family quarrels. During the past
year nearly 5000 prisoners were convicted
and 500 were tried and discharged. Many
amusing things are Witnessed in the criminal
branch of the municipal court The Judge
told Of a couple OF women, one Of whom
was charged with. calling the other bad
names. The insulted woman was called as
a witness. and asked by the prosecuting at
torney what the other had called her the
woman replied that the words were too bad
70 be repeated before respectable people. and
she was told to tell them 10 the Judge which
she did. The result was the other received
a fine Upon paying the fine the guilty
woman asked if there was any law against
ones thinking bad things about another. The
Judge thought not, so long as the thoughts
were not expressed. We'll answered the
woman. 4 think the same as I did before I
fined
The next meeting of the club will be held
at the ". NJ. c. A. building a week from
next Monday evening.