The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-03-07
SAYS COMPROMISE
TRICKED THE CITY
President of First Ward Inn.
provement Association Re.
fers to GlIded Brick
Gold bricked."

Gold bricked."
This was the terse but expressive
term used by Swan ]. Popthan, presi-
dent of the First Ward Improvement
association, in speaking of the COM
promise resolution adopted by the city
council last Wednesday night
The city was gold bricked' by the
street railway company" he said, in
the settlement of the gross earnings
tax and other disputed questions"
AT the meeting of the First Ward
Improvement association held last
night in the Odd Fellows hall at Wells
street and Payne avenue no mention
was made of the compromise agree
ment accepted by the city council.
It's failure to discuss the action of the
council would have proved a surprise
In view of the decided stand previously
taken by the association of mo COM
promise without adequate concessions
on the part of the street railway COM
pany," had il not been for the earnest
efforts of First ward politicians to head
on any agitation on the terms of settle
ment- 1t was plainly intimated by the
president of the association at the con-
clusion of the meeting that extraor-
binary efforts had been made by poll
ticians OF the ward, to first, show that
the compromise was a good thing, and
upon failure TO carry conviction TO
that any further discussion would but
serve TO injure the Democratic party.
The arguments had been particularly
directed toward members of the asso-
citation.
Changed Their Minds
I'VE intend to take the matter up"
said the president, land it was under
stood that that would be one of the
topics under discussion tonight. But
T.,
ter over and in Difference to the opin-
ions Of others came to the conclusion
that no good could come from a fur
ther discussion of the matter, as we
understand it is settled finally
While II was not directly stated by
members of the association it was
learned that certain politicians of the
First ward are becoming alarmed at
the widespread discontentent noticed
among the people over the concessions
st. Paul made to the company when
the city got so few in return.
The association labored long and
earnestly in favor of certain beneficial
concessions which 1t was believed the
city was entitled to. Those conces-
sions were not Incorporated in the sat-
tlement. The association feels that il
has lost, and that nothing it to be
gained by a further discussion of the
matter.
Voted on Advice
But one member of the association
who talked to T h e Globe expressed
anything like a feeling of satisfaction
with the compromise, and that was
Aid. Nyberg. He, however, still feels
that the matter ought to have been de-
layed long enough to permit of public
expression. Mr.. Nyberg frankly
stated that he voted for the measure
entirely on the recommendation of the
corporation attorney and that he had
not had an inkling of the contents of
the resolution until it was read before
the council. While permitting himself
to a doubtful feeling of satisfaction.
Aid. Nyberg admits to lingering re-
grets that several other propositions,
which he considered as of much i'm
portance, were not Incorporated into
the resolution.