The Saint Paul globe., 1899-02-13


Sweeping Fern.
f.. K. Burt, merchant at 152 Univer-
sity avenue west, said to The G o b e
yesterday:
L would like to advance a few IDEAS
and facts against the passage of the
ordinance against projecting street
signs. In the first place, l want to re-
ply to a recent article in the Dispatch
1t says the signs are a nuisance and
ought to be and will be entirely abol-
1shed, and that every high wind shakes
and rocks them and brings them down
few here and there, to the great peril
! of persons who may be passing at the
time.
In the last complaint the article states
that another veXatious imposition is the
habit of some StOrekeepers of using
tWo-thirds of the sidewalk as an extern
sion of their stores. Also that it is al
! most impossible sometimes to walk
j along certain streets, which are occu-
pied largely by stocks of goods. Now
! this statement is partly true, yet from
! time 1mmemOrial our merchants have
had the privilege of loading and un-
loading their goods on the sidewalks
1T is privilege that has never been
! denied to them, or even questioned be-
fore, privilege that is a necessity and
| that could not be dispensed with any
more than the heavy trucks, buggies,
| street vehicles and traction lines or
street railways, which are far more
dangerous to human life. CThere is
room for much reform here.) Why not
| reform them?
| L regard this Dispatch article as one
| OF the most ignorant and direct attacks
upon the commercial intere9-s and well
fare of our community that 1 have ever
seen; and it does seem like very poor
! return for the support the merchants
: have during the past decade given to
| the paper. enabling it thereby to be-
come what 1t is. 1 should recommend
i every merchant to discontinue that
support from now On and to give his
j undivided support influence and what
capltal ne can spare to tabiish an
other evening newspaper, and one that
would not trample on their rights and
| privileges as merchants
| The ordinance looks to ME like legis-
lat1on just to fit some single special
| case. L can already see underneath the
| surface the hands of trust, who are
pushing this bill through. as one
against a competitor, and their hand
was seen in other bills that went
| through the legislature two years ago;
but this is only a spite bill, that hurts
| the many to get revenge on a few.
!
IN power more than anything they can
! put forth
! We have no need of such laws in our
! city yet. excepting possibly on a few
| of our main thoroughfares, and then
| only within certain limited confines
| Ine time has not yet come when we
can imagine ourselves a second Chi
| cago, or even Greater New York; but
| until that time does come, then any
such political grating laws as this one
/ certainly seems to be should be
| promptly sat down upon by all classes.
| This law, If enacted, would work a
hardship on many poor merchants in
| the suburbs who have invested in real
| estate, built homes and stores. obeyed
the laws, paid the taxes, supported the
| community and become good citizens,
long before any of the present city ia
| thers ever dreamed of getting into pow
! er to turn against them We have
n ostly all paid our tithes and given our
support. and the present common
wealth is Indebted to US in many ways.
| This law would be @ very poor re-
turn to us, who have our ali invested
| ard besides, have the big stores to
| light against. We, at least, ought to
have some consideration It is the duty
| OF our Legislators to support US, not to
condemn us. Otherwise it will be only
| a question OF time when your outside
property interests will be laid bare,
| and few big stores will do all the
business, concentrated under a few
| roofs. and our citizens will often suffer
| in not having trade centers handy
when they need them. Acres of barren
stores and deprecated property inter
ests, in and around a small limited
confined activity, will be the final re-
suit. How can st. Paul and Mime
| apolls ever come together under such
| foul conditions of trade?
How about bicycle stands? There's
another great accommodation for the
Do these all have to go along with
travelling public, and storekeepers too.
the signs? big policeman came into
my place during fair week and told me
l. 1 had tc take all my signs in from
the Sidewalk. I lost nearly $25 profits
that week, on that account, from
strangers and transient trade alone.
as compared with the year before, when
mad my signs out and got some of
| their money.
About week ago another big police
man came into my place and said
we just got big book from the
| mayor, and he has ordered all the
signs off the pavements and off the
streets. No signs of any description
VIII be allowed outside; otherwise YOU
| will be fined. or we will be fined for
| letting them stand there
Our signs have been on the sidewalk
during the past five years, and these
are the only times that we have been
nlolested
Talk about nuisances, what's the
matter with the billboards? Those
great, big signs, some as big as houses
STUCK UP all over, where fences ought
TO be. and all over our houses and
thoroughfares. 1t seems they can build
them any height they want; but when
man puts up fence he can only
| make 1t five or six feet, according to
law. Now there is something about
that which l don't quite understand
Tor instance, man can put I'D as many
| big billboards, right where his fence
used to be, and shut out his neighbors
view, and everything is all right. How
Is that? Can you explain it to me?
1 think all the big billboar,is ought tc
come down, because If there ever was
a nuisance here is one. Why, it's a
positive fact that our women are afraid
to walk along the Streets at night
where they are, for fear of being at.
tackled from behind by some unseer
ruflian, criminal or maniac and dragged
behind them. assaulted and robbed. oI
probably murdered. Right in the hear
of the city these nuisances exist anG
on many prominent street corners II
you want to abandon nuisances. com
mence here; this is the biggest one, ant
a real nuisance too.
Now, when it comes to mayors-giv
ing the present one all due credit fol-
his wellmeaning, but very little fol
his experience-he has a great deal Il
learn about running a town, and an
sorry that old Carter II. Harrison. n
Chicago, isn't living to give him 3
pointer. This kind of legisIa ton ha,