The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-20


department was necessary. Judge Lusk
also believed that all three assistants
should be required to give their entire
time to the city and have their offices
in the court house.
Col. Clough said that 80 per cent OF
the large amount of money expended
by st. Paul was going for the payment
Of salaries. Unless the commission took
pains to at least not increase this ex-
pense, the result would be a set Of pay
rolls on hand that the commission
would be ashamed Of. Col Clough emu
merated the assistants and their Salar-
les The second and third assistants
were getting 81, 100 a year and neither
was giving his whole time to the city
Col. Clough didn't want to see the COM
mission either increase the expense OF
decrease the efficiency. He believed
that the legal department of the city
was at present efficient.
Mr.. Murray said that the salaries OF
the assistants ought to be graded. The
second assistant should receive $1,5OC
and the third assistant $1,000.
J. d. O'Brien thought that the whole
time of the assistants ought to be re-
CURED. Common sense Indicated that
AS to the danger of decreasing the eff
cheney of the service, Mr.. O'Brien
thought that the corporation attorney
would see that the efficiency of the
force was not lessened
Mr.. O'Brien was opposed to granting
the mayor the power to appoint the
corporation attorney He did not be-
lieve in giving the mayor the power
to appoint the whole legal department,
which would be the logical result of the
proposed change. Mr.. O'Brien believed
that the corporation attorney, like the
county attorney and attorney general,
ought to be elected by the people. Ex-
perience had demonstrated that capa-
bic attorney generals had been secured
by the votes of the people.
At this point the vote by which it
was decided to so amend the charter as
to provide for the appointment of the
corporation attorney by the mayor, was
reconSidered.
Then Mayor Doran, who was pres
ent, was asked to address the commits
sion. In response, Mayor Doran said
that he believed the appointing power
of the mayor ought to be curtailed. AS
it was now, nine-tenths of the mayors
time was taken up in hearing appllca-
tons for appointment. The mayor
agreed with Mr.. O'Brien that the cor
poration attorney ought to be elected
by the people. He said no reason why
the corporation attorney should De
spared the expense of going into an
election campaign.
Mayor Doran also believed that the
mayor ought to be relieved from the
appointment of police officers. Some
thought the appointing power In TINS
respect constituted a tower Of strength
In Mayor Doran's own judgment, this
appointing power acted as DOOM
erang. The mayor favored ponce
commission, but he was not an adVo-
cate of civil service reform, which pro-
- n
proved of the selection of police officers
bv competitive examination. he did
believe. however, that the mayor
should have the absolute power 10 re-
move a policeman, even though the
power of appointment was vested III q
police commission. He also expressed
the opinion that the mayor ought to
have the power to appoint the cnleI VI
police and captains. ,
Mr.. O'Brien moved that the chartel
be so amended to require that the cor
poration attorney be elected py the
people.
Judge Clark objected on the ground
that the change would throw the con-
test for the office into politics.
Judge Lusk thought that the selec-
ton of the corporation attorney shoulo
be left where it is, to wit: with the
common council.
Mr.. Murray said that if the corpo-
ration attorney was not elected by the
people. he ought to be appointed by
the mayor
that the mayor ought to make the ap-
nOintment. When it came to the ques-
ton of selecting an expert as the cor
poration attorney is expected to be
some one man ought to name the Of
ficer.
T. F. Krieger favored the election Of
the corporation attorney by the people
1t couldn't be disputed that some peo-
pie in the city believed they had the
shaping of the city government. Mi
Krieger also believed that the city en-
gineer ought to be elected by the peo-
pie.
Mr.. O'Brien said that to proceed upon
the theory that the people couldn't be
trusted to elect properly and qual1fed
corporation attorney would destroy the
whole system of government.
The commission then voted on Mr..
O'Brien's motion. 1t was lost by a
vote of 8 to 5, as follows: Yeas Fetter,
Krieger, Lightner. Murray, OBrien;
nays, Clark, Alness, Clough, Dean
Horn, Innis, Lusk, McNatr.
Mr.. Dean suggested that the term of
office of the corporation attorney ought
to exceed two years.
Mr.. Murray moved that section l6
be adopted.
Mr.. Alness moved as an amendment,
that the term of Office of the corpora
ton attorney be extended from two to
four years The amendment was lost
by a vote of Z to 6. Those voting in
the affirmative were: Messrs. Clough
Innis, Lusk, Alness, Dean, McNair-6i
nays, Clark, Murray, ORrien, Fetter,
Lightner, Horn Krieger-7.
Section 16 was then adopted by vote
of ~ to l. Mr.. O'Brien voting In the
negative.
Section II was adopted by unani-
nous vote.
Proposed section Is, requiring the
contract for the city printing to be
advertised for and awarded to the low
est responsible bidder, was discussed,
but laid over until the next meeting.
The committee appointed to submit
amendments to chapters 6 and Z, pro-
viding for and regulating the board of
public works and local improvements
and special assessments, submitted a
partial report, which, however, was not
discussed.
A committee, consisting of Messrs.
Innis, Dean and Krieger, was appoint
ed to draft a chapter providing for the
institution of civil service reform.
The commission then adjourned until
next Friday evening.
on RJCEEI