The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-10-19
CHARTER AMENDMENTS.


Continued From Page One.
gone into in every detail with those most
familiar with the work And 1t Is believed
by them that If the amendments are adopt
ed the whole work of the Board of Public
improvements. the Municipal Assembly and
different departments of the city will be
greatly facilitated, and all expenditures for
public improvements will be made more
equitable and just
Il have only referred to amendment No.
4. for. by reason of my long experience.
both as Street Commissioner and Presi-
dent Of the Board of Public improvements.
am more competent to speak on the sub
jects of which 1t treats. The other four, l
have no doubt, possess equal merit: of
them, however, l leave to others to speak
who are more familiar with the defects of
the present Charter which they seek to
remedy
NO CHANCE TO IMPROVE
THE CITY'S BUILDINGS.
Citizens of St. Louis are compelled TO get
along with public buildings which are, in
many cases. a disgrace to the municipal
ity,'said n supporter of the Charter amend
ments yesterday.
mo matter how earnestly or unani-
mously they might desire to make improve
ments that grow more and more impera-
tive as the months pass. the people can
make absolutely no provision even for
necessary repairs. From bad to worse We
are bound to go unless radical change is
made
Under the proposed amendments the
people Will be permitted, by two-thirds
vote. to authorize a special tax for the
special purpose OF completing or erecting
public buildings. The fund raised by this
means Will be used exclusively for the
purposes named In the call for the election
at which the levy was authorized. Surely
the people can trust themselves to vote on
the proposition whether they desire better
public buildings
ONLY TAX INCREASE IS To
PAY WORLDS FAIR BONDS.i
In only one case is an increase of tax
alton provided for by the proposed Charter
amendments. That is for levy sufficient
to pay interest on the Worlds Fair bonds
and provide a sinking fund for their ulti-
mate payment. This, of course, will be-
come unnecessary II the Worlds Fair is
able to pay back all Of the s5.O0OOOO voted
by the city in aid of that enterprise But it
Is only common honesty and business sense
10 provide for payment of a debt already
incurred. No man can object to this amend
ment on any reasonable ground.
"St. Louis is the only city in the State
that attempts to do the work of city and
county with a revenue intended for munic-
sfNA PaAPoSSo OiiiSs 4lS SCpdId 1IOul
county was an excellent idea and has
worked admirably, but when the scheme of
separation was put into effect the necessity
Tor revenue for duties which the city as
sumed and which properly belong to a coun-
ty was overlooked.
THE Charter amendments. II adopted. will
not have the effect of levying a county tax.
But. If a proposed constitutional amend
ment, which is to be submitted to a vote
next year. IS carried. the amended Charter
will enable. the Municipal Assembly to levy
tax equal to the county tax paid in every
other city in Missouri. IS cents on the 500
valuation
ABSOLUTE NEED FOR
INCREASED REVENUE.
Assistant Comptroller Gabel has shown
how this increase Is absolutely necessary in
order to overcome the annual deficiency of
100000 in the present municipal revenue.
The city's expenses must increase as the
city grows and provision must be made In
some way to meet them. This is the fair
est plan that the Public Welfare Comnis-
sion. composed of taxpayers. could devise.
ITO keep the Waterworks forever the
property OF the city is the desire of nearly
everybody in the city. While 1t is not now
proposed to sell the Waterworks. there is
nothing in law to prevent such action and it
is now proposed 10 incorporate the wish OF
the people in their organic law. Moreover.
this plan will insure that the revenue from
the Waterworks shall be used only for the
improvement and extension OF the system"
Former Comptroller Isaac II. Sturgeon. in
. letter responding to the request to sign an
address prepared by the Public Welfare
Commission. said yesterday:
AMENDMENTS NEEDED
EVEN WITHOUT WORLDS FAIR.
Il know from my experience Of twenty
eight years as City Comptroller that the
proposed Charter amendments are essential
whether We are to have a Worlds Fair or
not. But, as 1t is n fixed and settled fact
that We are to have a Worlds Fair. feel
that every citizen of St. Louis should gladly
and willingly do all in his power to put our
city in creditable condition
'It would cost st. Louis very much II we
failed to put our city in the very best at
tire possible for the great Exposition. Rep
resentative persons from all the Govern
ments in the world will be here to see us.
and We owe It to ourselves not to disap-
point them either as to the Fair or our city.
II want. when representatives Of all the
nations come and see us and our great Ex-
position, that they shall feel as the Queen
Of Sheba felt when she determined to go
and see for herself IL all the glories Of Solo
mons Temple were as great as they had
been pictured to her. When she had seen
them she exclaimed that the half had not
ptcu tOiu. % lel ~ NC WALL ~ A<ouiS a1ie
our Worlds Fair"
WEDNESDAY CLUB
APPEALS TO WOMEN.
The Wednesday Club. at its last meeting
passed the following resolution unanimous
ly:
Resolved, That the members of the
Wednesday Club. appreciating the value Of
a clean and healthy city, which can only
be had by clean streets and proper sewers
strongly appeal to the women of st. Louis
to use all their influence with the voters
to secure the passage of the Charter amend
ments that will be voted upon on Octo-
ber 22.'
UNION MEN DECLARE
FOR THE AMENDMENTS.
The st. Louis Union Labor Democratic
Club, Thursday night, met at Eleventh and