The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-06-06
CHANGE IN HEAB of CITY ADMIN
IsTRATIONl AT NOON
YESTERDAY
CEREMONIES WERE SIMPLE
The Outgoing Mayor Reviews His
Stewardship, and the New Mayor
Gives HIS Views on City
Government.

Simplicity marked the ceremonies of the
occasion. from their inception and the ex-
pressed wishes of the man, who, for
the fourth time, takes up the response
bilities of the chief executive Of the city,
We're observed to the letter.
Mayor Smith left his office at the post
office few minutes before noon, and, in
company with M. ]. Costello, his private
secretary in the office OF mayor, walked.
to the city hall, and went at once to the
executive office. where he met Mr.. Kiefer,
the outgoing mayor. They remained in
the mayors private Office in conversa-
ton while the two branches of the
municipal legislature were meeting for
purposes Of organization in the council
chamber. Then the outgoing and the
inct ming executive walked together to
the chamber
After some preliminary handshaking
Mayor Kiefer made an address in re-
view OF his work as mayor of the city
during the last two years. He expressed
some radical views on the power held
by municipal executives, saying he be-
HeVed now, more than ever, that city
officials should be elected by the peo-
pie by ballot and the appointive power
curtailed
following Mr.. Kiefer's remarks, he adj
ministered the oath of Office to Mayor
Smith, and after that ceremony was
rostrum of the chamber and made an
extended address. He said:
MAYOR SMITHS INAUGURAL.
Gentlemen of TIE Common Council: The
city charter noEides that THE mayor
shall, from time: to time, give the COM
mon council such information and recon-
mend such measures as he may deem
n "
Under the circumstances attending our
investment by2 the. people with public
authority and; responsibility 1t is not
made necessary at this time that I
should impose on you any extended re-
view of the operations of the several de-
partments of the city government. 1
cidentally direct your attention to certain
facts relative to the administration of
our city affairs which have of late been
the subject ofNgeneral discussion among
the people. lnTthel future it will become
necessary, from time to time, for NE to
provide your HONORABLE body, with such
Information as 1 may deem necessary to
the satisfactory and faithful discharge
L shall cont1ne myself 70 calling your at
tentfon TO certaiR very plain mandates
concerning the management of their local
concerns, to which the people of this
city gave expression in the result of the
election which haszJust been held.
POLICE DEPARTMENT,
AS plainly as tits permitted to the
mass of the community under our rep
resentatiye institutions to express their
will, the people Of st. Paul, through the
exercise of the elective franchise. on May
L last. declared their desire that there
should be a decided Improvement in the
efficiency of our local police adninistra-
ton. The security of person and prop
ferty, which represents the chief occasion
for the existence of a police force. has
not. in the general estimation, been made
SlItt1p1PntlU tiFon ocf
To whatever cause this condition may be
tracea Bile its existence is universally rec
ognized, and the imperative obligation is
made, for the present at least, TO rest
on the legislative and executive depart
ments Of the city government to put an
end to it. Steps must at once be taken
to secure such improvements as will dis
sipate the feeling"ef unrest and insecur-
ity which prevails throughout the city
relative to adequate police protection of
the citizen in his person and home To
this end l shall in the immediate future
make certain appointments and present
to you certain recommendations which
[ believe will be effective for present
purposes at least. 1 may, l believe, with
all propriety, at this time, convey to YOU
the expression of my determined pur-
pose, SO far as the. resources of the ex-
ecutive department. will enable me, to
furnish the people Of this city from this
moment forward with the most efficient
administration possible of their police
interests, in order that local CRIME and
amenable to public authority and the
city be restored 1.-The high reputation
which 1T bore in the past on account OF
its immunity from all forms of crime
As you are aware, the people have
adopted a new city charter That instru-
ment makes certain radical changes in
our former organ:esIaw. Among other
changes in that behalf is the one which
invests the police commission with the
immediate responsibility for the admin
istration of the police department Pend
inc tl,, ~
new charter the obligation rests on your
honorable body in conjunction with the
executive department to take such steps
as will promote the. increased efficiency
of the police department.
PUBLIC FRANCHISES
Among the dother material changes
wrought through the new city charter.
to which [ feel at liberty to tall your
attention at this time. is that which pro-
hibits the bestOwaE of public franchises
lie functions on private individuals, or
corpora tons, except subject to certain
limitations and conditions. Public senti-
ment has recently found very forcible. eX-
preston against the allowance 20 in
diViduals of any privileges or easements
OF public nature save when the public
interests shall be Safeguarded IN every
practicable direction.
The conviction has been steadily growing
for some years among the Amer lean peo-
pie that their several municipalities should
tant public functions which are row as
sumed by private corporations, and VIII ch
are often the occasion of grave public
buId rs as well as of great private profit
Municipal ownership of public utilities
is in successful operation in many of the
greatest and most prosperous cites of
the old world. The example which
been so fruitful of publ benefits In
those far-off countries must ultimately
force Itself fer adoption on our Poop e.
But while the popular tendency is avail i g
concrf te expression through the subStast-
tial changes in municipal regula ions and
administration which are Involved, GU
duty is plain to execute the prov sions Of
est benefit to the city. The time has APP
parently not yet come when it wou d b
advisable from any standpoint to refuse
wholly TO grant such privileges and eaS
ments to private individuals or CORPORA
tons; but in the granting of them we q e
at least called on, to throw around the
grant all the protection which The pr vi
sionS of the new. eitN charter furnish and
to add thereto such 9dditi nal preeau-
tions as viii secure to III re pc he larg
est measure of compe~ Sa n for he PRIV
ileges granted,s the slightest po sib.e rec
ognition in every direction of the DubH,
convenience and comfort and the speed
lest restoration to khe people themselves
of the right either TO renew or 10 reserve
for public exercise the priv eyes and pow
ers so conferred. 81
CoNDITIoN22bF PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The most prefouHd dissatisfa ction has
existed among our citizens for many
months past concerning the eondi ion at
tending the adElinis tzati-n eff Gu sch az.
Both pupils and teachers have been made
to suffer grievosls wrong through the ex-
iStence of such c0nfa i2nS. The Oh ldren
have been deprived OF the facilities VIII CHI
icently to secufe o1them the advantag