The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-10
MALICE, SAYS HUBER
CHARGES IN MORNING REPUBLICAN
PAPER ARE WITHOUT SLIGHT
EST FOUNDATION
BRIsTLE WITH IGNORANCE
Fourth Ward Alderman Had Moth
ing to Do With Originating Paw
ing Orders-Acted on Con-
stituents' Petition.

The Pioneer Press yesterday morning
printed an editorial attack on Aid Frank
j. Huber, in which It was charged that
lie attempted to hurry through the paving
contracts, in connection with which the
outgoing members of the board of pub
lie works have achieved some notoriety
Mr.. Huber in discussing the charges last
night pronounced them false in every par
ticular. He said:
THAT may be the idea the Pioneer
Press has of political warfare, but if so
1 must say that I consider it very dirty
politics. and beneath the dignity Of any
reputable paper. if the Pioneer Press
counts upon defeating me in the coming
election by such tactics as that I am
convinced that its expectations will re
ceiVe a shock. AS to the assertions
made in that editorial they are not only
untrue, but l believe maliciousIy untrue.
for l do not think that the man who
wrote them could have been so little in
formed as to the facts as to believe
what he wrote to be true. If he were
so ignorant regarding the matter he
should not have presumed to write about
it.
I'm the first place, I will state that
since l have been in the council 70 order
for paving has ever originated with me.
The preliminary orders for paving as for
other public work emanate from the city
engineers department and board of public
works, and except in rare instances all
of the business connected with the paw
ing Of a street is transacted by the engi-
neer's department and the board of pub
lie works, the action of the council be-
ing almost entirely perfunctOry. When
a preliminary order comes from the en-
gineers department, it is accompanied
by an estimate of the cost of the pro-
posed Improvement, and is turned over
to the alderman Of the ward, whose name
is placed to it for purposes Of introduce
ton. 1t is sent back to the board of pub
lie works and the alderman, knowing
that body will investigate, does not par
ticularly concern himself unless he is re-
quested to do so. The property oW ners
so before the board Of public works with
their approval or protests as to these
improvements, and except a property own.
er goes directly to the alderman of his
ward, the aldermen known nothing of
the sentiment of the people. IN some
cases that is done. and then, of course.
the alderman takes action. Before a fin
al order for an Improvement is sent to
the council the property owners have a
final hearing before the board of public
worns and ample opportunity there to
make any protests, but even after that
juncture I have in some instances inter-
vened to hold up contracts.
Property Owner Protested.
CATER the final order was in for the
paving of Fort street a petition was
brought to me which showed that the
owners of 2,205 of the $500 feet abutting
objected to the Improvement, and l Sc
cured a reference of the matter to the
committee on streets. The question of
paving College avenue has also been re-
ferred to the committee on streets, ais
though not through my effort
81 had the order for paving Robert
street rescinded and a new preliminary
order introduced for the reason that the
property owners wanted brick instead Of
asphalt. On the paving of Exchange
street 1 was prepared to protest, but the
beard of public works allowed FOrrestal
to withdraw the lowest bid, and for that
reason the council threw out all of the
bids. The order for the paving of Min
nesota street passed, and as far as /
know, there has been no objection to this
day. The same condition applies to Ninth
street.
THE new pavement on Summit avenue
amounted only to three blocks, and l fa-
VOred that, for the reason that the i'm
provement was needed, and the DIRECTORS
represented only a small portion Of the
property affected"