The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-02
A FATAL OBJECTION.

How quickly the severest lessons OF
experience may be unlearned is seen
in the general Indifference to that 'fea-
ture Of the new tri-city charter, which
has danger signals flying all over it.
Offering a return to the system of
unlimited department expenditures, to
put an end to which was one Of the
main purposes Of the adoption of the
Bell charter. 1t is very early for us
to forget the situation in which we
found ourselves just prior to 1891, with
an enormous Indebtedness, increasing
at an unparalleled and unbearable
rate, and municipal bankruptcy staring
us in the face, unless these expendi-
lures could be checked. The public
moneys were thus lavishly disposed
of, because the charter prior to that
time contained no proper limitations
upon outgo. The old school board Gre
ated Indebtedness at it's pleasure. Tho
council. under the former charter, had
practically pIsnary powers in the mat
ter Of disbursements. And so we went
an Indebtedness which we have been
trying to work off for the last six
years, and which, during that time,
made our people feel tax-ridden and
impoverished If we add together all
the other inducements in the passage
of the Bell charter, they cut no figure
as compared with the desire to fix ar
bitrary limits, to public expenses.
That was the great purpose of the
charter act of 1891, and 1t was well
accomplished. School expenditures
were limited to 21k mills on the dollar
of assessed valuation. In the different
departments where extrava gance had
prevailed a stated amount was set in
the charter. beyond which appropria-
lions could not go. Against the walls
of these provisions laxity and Jobbery
might rage in vain. 1t is because all
municipal authorities have been re-
strained within moderate bounds during
these years that we have been able
to pay off our floating debt, and we
are now in fair way to see better
times. 1t Is a marvellous thing that.
just as this has been accomplished.
just as the city is financially conval-
escent, we should have proposition,
united in by representatives of the
three leading cities of the state, to go
back again to the old system Of ire
sponsible and unlimited expenditure
The new tri-cfty charter puts no limit
on the taxes to be levied for school
purposes, except what the council may
be pleased to impose. The amount
expended upon street work is not to
exceed ~ mills ION the assessed val
uation. For the fire department. and
the city salaries 7the council is to be
the judge of proper necessary expendi-
ture, and is authorized to put into the
tax estimate ESQ much as Is necessary"
This is flying square in the face Of A
large and liberal experience of a very
disastrous sort. and ought in itself to
be enough to exclude this charter from
serious consideration. The appropria
ton for the support of the police de-
partment is limited to mills on the
dollar Of assessed valuation. This,
however, is a merely nominal restric-
ton, because at any time the assessed
valuation, which is a flexible affair,
can be altered so as TO warrant the
expansion Of police expenses to any
sum that may be desired.
With a great many of the provisions
of the tri-city charter we are. as we
have already said In sympathy. but