The Saint Paul globe., 1898-08-13
MR.. HILLS POSITION.
1t Is SonHd, and Should Be Recognized
by the Counci1.

1t Is Sound, aid Should Be Recognized
by the Counci1.
To The St. Paul Globe:
There are few persons in st. Paul wso
are disposed to adversely .criticise Mr.. Hill
because he expresses desire to the council
that it make certain concessions to his COM
pany, which If not complied with may cem-
pei him to select some other point to loc1te
the company shops where sufficient room can
be obtained to enlarge their buildings, owing
to the rapidly increasing business of the
road. There are many others who take the
broad view that the city cannot afford to lose
his enormous plant and its possibilities for
helping. st. Paul.
Broadly speaking, council has no right to
give anything away belonging to the public,
either by its own volition or by virtue OF any
legislative authority. Legislatures cannot ia
vest councils with any greater power other
than that they possess by virtue of the au-
thority delegated by the people. In the under
standing of the writer Mr.. Hill does rot ask
the council to do anything but what is W tn
in the legitimate scope of its power to grant.
The request of Mr.. Hill that the council
vacate the street asked for is not uneas IN
able or unjust. The land was originally the
private property of Mr.. Fill, or Of the COM
pany, being dedicated by him as pltIi,
easement, the fee still remaining in the
original owners possession. At that time the
company never dreamed that the rapid growth
of the business of the road, which has been
so phenomenal, would ever necess tate it's use
In the matter of the Broadway bridge mud
die, which has caused so much litigation and
trouble, there is a question that calls for
some severe criticism.
The building of said bridge was a scheme
born of speculation during an abnormal boom
hy U},ir fox tod ma Hos -
make their eternal fortunes. The schemers
worked bill through the legislature auth o iz-
ing the issue of $780, 000 in bo-ds, OF VIII h
$150, 000 were sold, and about S1GO OsD of the
money obtained by this sale was sunk in the
Mississippi river in the shape Of unsightly
piers. A monument to munic pal folly AMI
exhibiting useless expenditure OF the public
money. 1t Is true the question of the nd
issue was submitted to the people for rat f.
cation, and was claimed to have been carried
If SO it without question adopted in Ike
manner that voting upon constitutional
amendments was accomplished, which from
time to tine, have been sprung upon the
people, and it Is believed that not ore in q
hundred of the voters knew anything about
the real merits of the matter they were
called upon to decide
Upon the breaking up of the histori ,al
and devastating boom that swept like a
sirocco over the city and which buried
so many of the citizens under the financial
wreck, those who had anxiousiy advocated
the measure were glad that the bridge WAS
not built. They realized it would practically
have confscated all the property owned b.
them upon the line OF the intended structure
by reason of the heavy assessments tn at
would have been charged for the necessary
fills of the abutting property for the pur-
the bridge and If today the bridga were
built the property supposed to be benefited
if sold, would not perhaps pay one-haf OF
the assessments which would be levied for
that purpose.
In defense of James ]. Hill. the writ.r
is OF opinion that the opposition to the mag
nate of the Great Northern. If successful
Mr. Hill Is not unreasonable or unjust. All
of the favors he has asked, or received In
exchange, have been given fun ."quid pro
and in every way worked and expended mon
ey In the advancement OF his adopted G ty.
It is Exc @exceedinsly difacult M to find man like
take hod Of bankrupt and broken down
railway such as the iold St. Paul & Pacific
and Structure syens re as ~ ass e Sss
under his comulandipg genius, has sfanlned
the continent and bridged with palatial
steamers the vast Paeitle. thus Placing his
commercial and social relations with the
far East, and enabled the cities of the coast
and the inhabitsnts q s. pf the great Northwest
20 pe eIiicneu ~ AZ soSsaseres ors ana WONDER
Mr.. HIPS request should in all fairness
be granted not only fn the vacation Of the
street as asked for, but also that the Broad
way bridge building scheme should be aban-
doned indefinitely, at any rate until such
time as st. Paul shall reach a population
sufficiently dense to Justify It's necessity.
Should his petition not be granted 1t will
mean an exodus of at least 5000 of the bone
and sinew of the city now depending upon
the Great Northern for support, thus losin4
the advantage of many thousands of dolIars
monthly put into circulation by che employees
~ fha ca1npany. --fIdrrir (lra1,l,IS