The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-01-23
The Municipal campaign is now on.

ACLO11Hs ACt nave Tue real SCuII.
1t is an insincere cry, is it, that we
should be partisan in a municipal
campaign? That is a strange position
for a twentieth century candidate for
a municipal office to take. Mayor Hugo
knows as well as any one else that
every member Of the city council dur
ing the past two years :. has laid
aside his partisan prejudice in the dis
charge of his duties as a municipal Of
ficer. The members of the council who
are Democrats in National and State
politics have supported Mayor Hugo
at times when some of his Republican
colleagues deserted him. They sub
ordfnated their partisahship in the
interest Of good municipal government.
It was the Democratic members Of tho
CITY council who inaugurated most Of
the good moves, which the Republican
party has the audacity to take credit
tor in Its Declaration of Principles.
This is said without fear of. CONTRA
diction.
Mayor Hugo claims that is was his
wise administration that enabled every
department to have a balance in it's
favor, Of money that it might have ex-
pended, while when he went into office
every department was in debt.
Be charitable Brother Hugo. Give
the Charter credit for something. Had
by charter provisions a different tune
would be harped at this election. 1t is
the charter that is responsible for the
condition Of the City's finances and
not the Republican Administration.
When this charter was up for adoption
in the Mayors first campaign he posi-
lively refused to endorse it, and his
city committee specifically declined to
join with the Democratic city COM
mittee in recommending it to the peo-
pie, although requested SO to do by
Republican members Of the Charter
commission; thus showing that the
leaders in the Republican, party of this
city refused to stand for the charter
under whose provisions it was possible
for these balances to be accumulated
in the; various funds. -
T. - ~
\ The Republic p*citX committee Is
laying great deal Of stress upon the
fact that the tax rate has been reduced
considerably during the past year.
Last year, or the third year of Mayor
Hugo's administration, the rate was
considerably higher than it had been
for several years. For campaign pur-
poses an extra effort was made to keep
it down this year. Giving the rate Of
anything is very deceptive. The cost
OF running a city may be considerably
higher, and yet the rate can be lower.
Talking about rate reminds us Of a
discussion on the wage question rec
emily. Freight handlers We're receiv-
ing 80 cents an hour. They asked for
40 cents. This was an increase of
| 80 1-3 per cent. Later some men get
| ing 40 cents an. hour were reduced to
80 cents an hour on account Of hard
times. This was a reduction of only
25 per cent. The employers in both
cases laid particular stress on the rate,
and yet labor got the worst Of it in
both cases. So it is in discussing tax
rates for campaign purposes. Don't
you see the point.
Last year every body complained
abouth their taxes. This year the
amount may be slightly less. The fact
is that the assessed valuation of prop
| erty has been raised, and a
! considerable amount Of property
has again been put on the live
list after a period Of several years.
Thousands of dollars worth of property
has been sold for taxes, and much OF
this has had high assessments against
it. Now this property is all paying
q M iS
lower rate cannot be made. DR.. Cul-
lum pledges himself to work to this
end.
There are several clauses in the Re
publican platform to which every fai,
minded voter may take exception. The
the credit upon itself for the public i'm
provements of the past two years. The
fact is that a Democratic council is as
much responsible for the improvements
as a Republican mayor.
i It was Dr.. Cullum who forced &
pledge from the Duluth Street Railwa,
for an improved street railway service
for double truck cars on the West Du.
luth line and for many other improve
| AAAOAto 0OSAACA L1OIA1 C1lhL
AS chairman Of the committee on rail
roads in the common council DR.. Cul
lum has been persistent in his effort.
to compel the street railway compan,
to show some regard for the comfor
OF the travelling public, and no alder
man, be he Democrat or Republican
will say differently.
Il Democratic members of the counci
in some instances inaugurated and a
othertimes fathered the following pro
positions, for which the Republican
party takes all of the credit the re
=: moval of overhead wires in the bust
= ness portion OF Superior street; abolish
1 ing unsightly overhead signs, and in
stalling in their, places handsome elee
/ trio signs: extending the water system
i to, Woodland; the making of contrac