The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-10-30
MAYOR OF ST. CLOUD
PRAISES new SYSTEM
From Thursdays Daily.

which took place I'm the auditorium
OF the Elks' club mouse, was n pa
per by Mayor J. p. Seberger OF 81
Cloud, on telling what the commits
sion form OF government had done
for that city. According To the
claims made by the mayor, the good
effects OF the new form OF govern
ment were so apparent that there
was absolutely no room for argu
ment against ID. He stated that the
city government was not only more
efficient but far cheaper than under
the old system. He said the city
tax rate for the year 1919 had been
PAS mills and for the year 1911
il had been 22.7 mills, but for the
year 1914 II was only II mills. This
great reduction was the more re
markable in view of the TACT that
other taxes were generally higher
on account of the increased cost OF
living and the larger amounts OF
money that had TO be paid out for
service of all kinds. The mayor de.
Clared that the balances in the treas.
ury, instead OF being depleted with
the reduction OF the city levy, had
actually increased.
Work Done Cheaper.
The mayor said sprinkling and
other city functions were carried OIL
more cheaply and more efficiently
than before. The saloons were we'll
managed and clean. They closed
promptly at eleven o'clock according
TO the state law. Minors and habit
ual drunkards were kept out OF
them. Men sentenced to Jail for
such ofTenses were made to work
On the streets. while their earnings
were paid over to their wives ard
families. Old buildings that had
been condemned were torn down as
fire menaCes. lie enumerated many
other particulars OF the satisfactory
working OF the commission form Of
government in ST. Cloud.
Paper on Taxation.
Charles p. Hall, city attorney OF
Redwing, read a paper on Taxa
ton OF Abutting Property for Local
improvements in Minnesota" taking
the position that there should be a
general rule for such taxation. and
not n multiplicity of rules. He ar
gued that the matter of assessing
should be in the hands OF a COM
petent body. and that body should
be governed by one general rule. He
said the best general rule he had
ever known was that OF assessing
according TO benefits in every in
stance He spoke of instances of
unjust assessments under other rules.
G. A. Gesell, In charge of the
municipal reference bureau OF the
general extension division of the
state university. distributed lengthy
typewriter statement, showing the
different principles on which assess
ments were made in the various CT
ties and villages of Minnesota for
local improvements.
Pay For Local improvements.
S. e. Scott of Hibbing. city attor-
ney. told Of the payment for local
improvements by the various towns
on the Mesaba range. where most
OF the taxes are paid into the city
treasures by the great mining and
other corporations. He said there
had beeL many suits over the ques-
tiOn of paying for local improve
ments out Of the general funds,
which mad been raised by taxation,
but. in many instances. these suits
had been settled and compromised.
Professor William A. Schaper OF
the state university, in discussing
The City Charter Situation" dwelt
for some time on the point that
provision made in locally framed
charters were being continually over
ridden by the passage of new laws,
whereby individuals gained ends that
they could not gain by having the
charters themselves amended. lie
spoke of the many classifications OF
cities. due in part to such legislation.
He said the legislature should not be
allowed TO make so many classified
tions of cities. He declared there were
eight different classe of Minnesota cit
les, as divided by the state legislature
He remarked incidentally that the
city charter Of st. Paul had been
overTidden during eleven years by
about three hundred acts OF the
legislature applying to St. Paul alone.
City Manager Plan.
S. A. Siyerts, city manager at Nor
ris, spoke for some time in advocacy
of the city manager plan. He said
that under that plan, the city corr
missioners could be business meu
who did not have to give their
whole time to the city affairs. All
they needed to do was to get a good,
competent manager, a man who had
been tried and had taught himself
his profession In the school of ex-
perience. This, he argued. was bet
ter than having men on the commits
sion who were expected 10 do the
work for large salaries, and who
sought the offices because they paid
more than the candidates could make
out OF other business. Mr. Siverts
has had his position at Morris during
the past six months.
Free Use OF Offices.
At the beginning of the session
this morning. the president, j. L.
jerks, announced that City Attorney
Schaub had offered the free use of
his Office. and the services OF his
stenographers, to any OF the dele
gates in attendance at the eonyen-
ton.
The president also announced that
he desired that the convention ses-
sion Of the afternoon should be
through promptly at 1880 in the
afternoon. An automobile ride had
been prepared for the delegates. IL
had been proposed to take them to
see the power dam, and also to wit.
ness the blasting OF vast qualities
of quarry rock.
Moyor Mava. hr;aH, anno,,raoa