The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-30
WHAT THE MAYOR DIDN'T Do.

A few days ago Mayor K1efer III d
b,iaf address delivered before the Young
Mems Christian association, declared,
among other things, his belief that more
economical methods were desirable in tho
conduct of certain departments OF our
CITY government The mayor did not
specify what particular departments he
had IN mind. His only specification, in
deed as to any direction in which econ
omv might be practiced was in regard to
the Globes proposal for union OF
our city and county governments
This sort of thing on the part OF tie
chief executive officer of a great city
in public deliverance Is harmless ard
worthless enough. In preaching the need
of economy and combining himself to a
suggested remedy which Is outside the
possibility Of immediate realization, tho
mayor showed his skill as q politician.
He won little passing commentator
for himself, at least from his audience,
without saying anything ste arouse the
fears or Ill will of the other politicians
of his party to whom our people have
so considerably turned over the absolute
control of all the departments of the city
and county government
Had. Mayor Kiefer been disposed to deal
frankly with his audience or the public,
there was no need that he should have
made so barren a contribution to the
prevalent discussion of municipal prob
lens He might have shown himself an
equally good politician and have b2en
equally consderate of the feelings of the
other members of the order of local
officeholders had he; for Instance, called
his hearers attention to the fact that,
whatever he might desire or attempt to
do in the way Of the betterment of this
citys administration he could do abso-
lutely nothing. He might have called at
tention to the fact that, under the pres
ent system, he is the merest figurehead,
and that in practical operation the only
official of the system who has any rec
ognized substantial power or authority
in local affairs appears to be the incum-
bent of a purely administrative Office,
the comptroller of the city.
Mayor Kiefer might have particularized
by telling his audience that he Is able to
appoint policemen, dog eatchers, bailiffs
and such small fry; but that without the
concurrence of our double-headed local
Legislature he can do little or nothing,
even in the way of appointment of fit
men to do the departmental work of our
municipal government. He might have
recalled the discreditable deal he was
obliged to enter into in order recently
to secure his own choice for the office
of city engineer. He could have taken
up the cases of the city and county
physician, the city and county assessor
the city attorney, the building inspector
and other local officers and dwelt upon
the rare ingenuity displayed in the vary
ing methods in vogue for the selection of
these several officers under our present
charter
DJ spedhihS dloHs THESE lines In that
address Mayor sIliefer would at least
have done this much good: He would
have called public attention to the glo-
ries of the system of municipal govern
ment which a certain clique Of office
holders are now seeking to perpetuate by
trying to transform the new charter com
mission into a machine for it's re-enact
ment, coupled with some scheme to get us
out Of our present. school hobble. Thus
would Mayor Kiefer have done at least
the service of making known the ex-
istence of evils which he as mayor is as
incapable of remedying or relieving as is
| the meanest spittoon cleaner in the base
| ment of the city building