St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-05-01
Everybody should register to-day.
THE IRE ASURY WATCH DOG.
The History of n Long and Efficient
Financial AdMinistra ton.

The biography of Comptroller j. W.
Roche is the history of the development
which has resulted in the present splendid
financial condition of this municipality. He
has occupied that Office for just twenty
years, having been elected by the city cOun-
Gil May l, 1865, on nomination of William
Dawson, without his own knowledge, and
was reelected by the council the succeed
ing two years without having asked for it.
At this time, the office was annual, in the
appointment of the council,
and the salary was $1,000.
In 1868 it was made elective by the people
and the Democrats nominated Maj. Forbes.
The Republican party sought out Mr.. Roche
for its candidate, but he refused and they
made their nominations, leaving the candi-
dacy of comptroller untitled. Afterwards
the citizens held a convention and nomi-
mated Mr. Roche for the position, and he
was elected thereto by 70 majority.
From that time to the present he has filed
the position, while the city has been con-
stantly growing and additions to its labors
and responsibilities have grown from small
dimensions to great magnitude. Through
out this period he has performed the duties
of the Office honestly, faithfully and to the
credit of the city at home and abroad,
WITHOUT ANY FLOURISH OF TRUMPETS,
and hardly without clerical assistance,
being successfully nominated by the
Democratic party and elected by the people
as a Well-tried and faithful public servant
Few appreciate the comprehensive and
complicated character of the work of the
city comptroller of st. Paul. Outside of
his business acquaintance, and outside Of
those who are Immediately drawn into bust
ness relationship with him and the pioneer
settlers of which he was one, having, pre-
vious to occupying this office, been engaged
with Messrs. KittsOn, Harrington and others
in the Red river Indian trade, Mr.. Roche
is as little known as is the immense detail
of the city comptroller's office at the pres
ent. Suffice it to say Of his personnel that
he is genial and pleasant gentleman.
IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY,
with business leaping from a rivulet into
a mighty stream of brain work. with insult
ficient assistance, holding the confidence of
the business men of his city and the many
interests of financial centerS in his hand,
never unsteadied by the use of stimulants
and narcotics, he has without prOclaiming
from the housetOps how hard he was worked
stood all these years faithfully at his post
until his name is synonym for the finan-
ciaI success and credit of ST. Paul grown up
under his guardianship.
Possibly when Mr. Roche signed his first
city bonds amounting to 81, coo, May 1,
1885, for the redemption of the old city
scrip, the payment of which has been pro-
vided for in this years tax levy and which
will be liquidated at the county treasurer
Office to-day at noon, the business did not
occupy him more than an hour day But
this city has been steadily growing for
twenty years from that hour and from Sill
600 bonded Indebtedness alone it now has
SO, OF, 14O.71, and on these bonds many of
them requiring the cOmptroller'S signature
many times, on face and coupon is written
the name of John W. Roche with his pen,
it never having been Autographed
and this stands on every
bit of the bonded Indebtedness
of the city TO more fully illustrate this.
the 600 water works and sewerage bonds of
81 900 each issued yesterday to the highest
bidder had this name written on each bond
siXty-One times, making So, 600 signatures
thereto.
But this labor is mere bagatelle COM
pared with Others now included in the labors
OF the comptroller.
THE EXTENSIVE WATER WORKS
of the city with its bills and collections, all
have to be infinitely examined audited and
signed by him. Then follows the bills of
the fire commissioners and fire department.,
then the board of public works with its as
sessments and expenses, the system of car
ing for the poor, with its hospital and other
attachments, the public system and ac-
counts. and besides the financial business of
the council grown in size from pigmy to a
giant.
When morning newspaper published in
st. Paul printed an attack on the efficient
integrity and ability of Mr. Roach by stating
| that the Portland Savings bank of Maine,
was worried over S46. 900 of ST. Paul bonds
which it had bought from third parties, and
the reply came back from this bank to Mr.
i Roche that it held S110,O 900 of these bonds
which it held at per cent. premium and
did not desire to part with, while it had not
| a single bond of Minneapolis III its vaults.
| was sufficient rebuke to the libels on this
/ faithful officer and the credit of the city,
which libels should be trampled under foot
along with McCardy and his voucher and
'postal-card" system of keeping the public
ledgers next Tuesday.