The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-28
kNAUFT SPEAKS OUT
SECOND WARD ALDERMAN PRO-
FANELY DECLARES CONTEMPT
FOR CITY HALL ORGAN
TALK ABOUT MARKET SITE
No Two Members of the Committee
Seem to Favor the Same Site
The Council VIII Have to Make
the Selection If One Is Made
Two or More Reports Are In
Sight.

The city council of st. Paul is expect
ed to designate site for market pur-
poses, but if it waits for unanimous
report from the joint committee it will
wait until the eternal regions of Pluto
are frozen from pole to pole.
The joint committee met yesterday
afternoon and WreStled with the prob
lem, and when the first round was fin
ished the individual members were
further apart than when they started
In. The committee is composed of AS
semblymen Benson and Thompson and
Aid. BantZ and Knauft. The meeting
was called to order by Chairman Ben
son, who submitted report which he
evidently wanted adopted by the COM
m1ttee. 1t was a very exhaustive re-
port, reclting all the bids and giving
reasons why each one should not be
selected. until it came to the Eagle
street site, and then 1t recommended
that it be chosen, for the reason that
it was the largest site, was the geo
graphical center of the city, and the
character of the surrounding buildings
was SUCH that they could not be in
Jured by having the market located
there. 1t contained 1861 900 square feet,
only required 14,500 yards of filling, at
am estimated cost of $4,350, and the
buildings located on it could be sold
IOI perhaps SZUUU.
In explanation Mr. Benson said that
large majority of the council was
In favor Of this site. bounded by aEgle,
Franklin, Exchange and Chestnut
streets, and 50 We're the newspapers
About that time Aid. Knauft, who had
been very uneasy, said:
Il don't care a d what the news
papers say: why, I can go down to the
Pioneer Press now and for a consid-
GRAFTON get an editorial in the morn
lngs Press advocating any site I
wanted them to-"
Aid. Knauft evidently expected that
Bensons report would be Endorsed by
Thompson and Bantz, for he produced
solo report, as follows:
AS the result of information received and
personal investigation made a member of
the Joint market committee, l feel impelled
to state that l consider the Eagle street sight
the most undesirable of all the sites offered
for public market.
First. Because of its inaccessibilty and
out-of- the-way and undesirable location
second. Because OF the time ard great ex-
pense necessary to place the property in fit
condition for public use, and even If finally
graded up to the surrounding streets there
would not be single foot of level ground In
| the entire block, Exchange street averaging
16 feet above Franklin street
In1rd. Considering present real estate val
ues. the location of this land, its surround
ings and its assessed value, the price asked
for this site is altogether too high.
| Fourth. If the city finally decided to ne
gotlate for this land, I fear no definite and
great expense and final recourse to the
courts, there being thirty or more interested
owners and heirs of estates.
Fifth. The locality above mentioned being
| so undesirable and inaccessible, If the market
was located there it would become dealer g
market only, and the public not patronizing
1t extensively the market gardeners would
become dissatisfied, and instead of attracting
other gardeners would cause some now sell
| ing in this city to seek other markets.
| Sixth. The market gardeners desiring a
| market that will attract the pubic generally
and as they have and do most decidedly OPP
| pose this proposed site, and as the market is
primarily for the market gardeners, their
| opposition alone would suffice for nv being
opposed to such arbitrary and as I believe,
unwiSe location.
Mr.. Knauft didn't want his report
adopted. but just referred to the coun-
Gil as minority report.
Mr.. Thompson said: Il am In favor
Of the Eagle street site, but I object
to the report as read, as there is no
use in going into details why we do
not choose some other site" and then
he proposed all manner of amendments,
which were not adopted.
Aid. Bantz wasn't prepared to in
dorse the Eagle street site, nor did he
have any other choice, and while
Knauft was moving to adjourn, Benson
lions before and after each word, but
he managed to get it out that he would
submit his report. even though the
heavens fell. and the rest could do as
they pleased.
Aid. Bantz presented a petition sign
ed by seventy-two market gardeners
asking that some site east of Wa
basha be selected. That started the
talk, and it was had all over again.
The committee finally adjourned until
Thursday afternoon, without any de-
cisive action. 1t is a good safe guess
that, when the assembly meets Thurs
day night, it will have at least four
different reports to consider from the