Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-05-11

($172O0) dollars in excess of the legisla-
tive appropriations, and do not include
the claim of the Chicago architect, and
any future service of Mr.. Willard for in
spection, and the usual extras growing out
of the change of plans &c. &c.
Payment of the first estimate allowed
at the last meeting to Fox & Co., upon
their steam heating contract, is withheld
in consequence of the delay in the approx
al of the bond, which will be perfected to-
day-probably,
Very respectfully,
JOHN w. ROCHE.
City Comptroller.
The following communication from the
City Comptroller was read and on motion
of Inspector Kerr laid on the table.
CoMPTRoLLER's OFFICE, CRY HALL,
SAINT PAUL, May 8th, 1888.
To the Board of Education of the City of
Saint Paul,
GENTLEMEN: Under q resolution of
your honorable body, passed at the last
regular meeting, requesting the city comp
troller to report by what authority he sold
the so NJ. per cent school bonds to the
Kountz Brothers at par, respectfully re-
port as follows:
The finance committee of the board were
authorized to negotiate the bonds. After
the committee exhausted all endeavors, by
advertising and receiving no bids, and con
sulting with bankers, brokers and others,
one month having past, Mr.. Gilbert the
Chairman of the Committee called at my
Office at 4o'clock p. m. Saturday, April 9TH
and wished to know if the faith and credit
of the City of Saint Paul, were irrevocably
pledged for the payment of the principal
and interest of the school bonds, and if so
to give him certificate to that effect, as
he wished to give it to E. H. Bailey, ESQ.
Cashier of First National Bank for Kountz
Bros. At the same time Mr.. Bailey was
having prepared by Judge Young, all pa
pers relating to the city bonds such as res
olutions of council, certified copies of laws
&c and an opinion as to the validity of he
bonds. l then asked Mr.. Gilbert the Chaia =
man to allow me to offer the bonds.to Kountz
Brothers at the same price as paid for the
city bonds being 5.32 per cent. premium.
He consented. I telegraphed accordingly.
and received in reply TOO High" 1 then
consulted with City Treasurer Refs, as no
time was to be lost, and concluded to tele-
graph upon my own responsibility that
they could have the bonde at par which
was accepted by Kountz Brothers. I i'm
mediatdly notified Secretary Donnelly, who
telephoned to Mr.. Gilbert the par offer, ad
vising the Finance Committee to accept it.
Later in the day called upon Mr.. Gilbert
at his Office, and after some consultation.
he remarked "all right" I then bowed
out. The probability is, that if the bid
had been rejected by the Finance Com
mittee, the bonds would have fallen below
par, and would be yet unsold.
The Finance Committee should have re-
| ported to your honorable body that they
| sold the bonds to Kountz Brothers, al
''Par," in place of the report condemming
my action.
1 consider Mr.. Gilbert too honorable g
gentleman to make an Intentional mis-
take, and can only attribute the misunder
standing to the elapse of time,
Very respectfully,
JOHN W. ROCHE,
City Comptroller
The following communication from the
City Comptroller was, on motion of Inspec
tor Donnelly, referred to the Committee OF
property, the Attorney and Comptroller
with power to act, by the following vote:
! Yeas, Murphy, Wilgus, Kerr, Benz, Athsy