The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-03-15
T|NKER|NG A CHARTER
THE MEMBERS OF CTHE COMMITS
SION ADOPT A FEW MORE
CHAPTERS
SCHOOL FINANCES ON DECK
On Motion of Mr.. Ambrose Tixhe
ALI FrOvIsiOns for Per Capita
Taxation scheme We're
Eliminated.

The ten members of the charter COM
mission who attended the session last
evening decided Informally that it would
De best to have the new charter sub
mltted to the voters at the coming city
election. The chapters already adopted
will be turned over to the revision COM
mittee next week and 1t IS the expecta-
ton that the entire charter will be ready
for submission TO the mayor the first
week in April. The revision committee
will, as 1t passes the several chapters
make notations of the changes and when
the charter is submitted to the mayor
the commission will issue an authorita-
tive synopsis statement to the public
Inc question OF school finances was
brought up at the meeting last night and
| there was a lengthy discussion as to
whether the chapter providing for a per
capita assessment of not more than S25
on the average attendance should be
eliminated. This provision was inserted
In the new charter previous to the de-
clSlon or the supreme court which held
the law of 1889, allowing an additional tax
of one and one-half mills, valid Com
m1ssioners McNair and Zimmerman. who
are also members of the school board
capita provision to remain. Both gentle
men argued that while the law of 1891
and the law of 1899. would allow a tax
OF four mills on the assessed valuation
In the city, and this, together with the
one mill county tax and the apportion-
ment from the state, would give $543, 900
per year, there would come time when
the S25 per capita tax on the average at
tendance would raise more money than
the tax on the assessed valuation. The
school attendance was Increasing and, as
Mr.. McNair expressed it, there would be
no objection to the. council having two
strings to the bow and the charter should
give the council the option of either tax
i ing on the assessed valuation or on the
per capita attendance The motion Of
Mr.. Tighe to have all provisions for the
per capita taxation scheme eliminated
and base the amount to be raised for
school purposes on the laws Of 1891 and
1899, together with what, would be re-
! celYed from the county one mill tax and
| the state apportionment Was carried and
| the chapter will be amended SO as to
conform TO this idea.
The chapter providing for the board of
public works was adopted. 1t allows the
| members of the board to- serve until the
second Monday in March, 1901, on which
date the mayor is to appoint one member
for term of one year. In March, 1902,
! the mayor is to appoint three members
! for three years each. In March, 1902 the
mayor is also to appoint a commissioner
| of public works for term of three
| years The commissioner is to be duly
| qualified civil engineer for five years
previous to appointment. He is to have
! the appointment of "a first assistant who
Is also to be a civil engineer and the
appointment of other assistants and eni-
| ployes and Is also to fix all salaries The
commissioner of public works is to have
| charge of all engineering work as we'll
as the cleaning of the streets and the
removal of waste and garbage. Until
January, 1901, however, the health coat,
missioner is to have charge Of the re-
noVal of garbage and after that date the
| city engineer is to take charge of this
branch. The commissioner of public
| works is also to he building inspector
| after the term Of the present incumbent
has expired
The commission decided that the chap
| ter relating to street sprinkling should
| be SO drafted that after Jan. /, 1901, the
| street sprinkling Should be paid from the
! general taxation rather than by special
I assessment and that under the new plan
the water department should not charge
| for the water used in sprinkling the
| streets.
| Those present were. Messrs. Flandrau
Tighe, Smith, Zimmerman, Bridgman,
Nelson, O'Brien, Taylor, Albrecht and
| McNair