St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-06-13

hlOiito VI NCalti duO pOWCls hafO OCCli
of such a remarkable character as to
necessitate a very large expenditure of
public funds to keep pace with the
wonderful growth. School houses to
accommodate the large increase of chill
dren, engine houses, station houses, eX-
tension of water works, and thousand
kindred improvements which make up
the appendages of a great city in the
short time alluded to. NOtwithstand-
ing the vast sums of money expended
in public improvements of various
kinds, it is my honest conviction that
not one dollar has been embeZzled or
nected with the city government.
Our city has always maintained high
financial standing in Eastern moneyed
centers, fact largely due to the capac-
ity, honesty and efficiency of the COM
mittees of the Common Council, and
the officers of the city connected with
them. l need only illustrate by allud-
ing to our AZ per cent bonds, which
have always commanded ready sale,
and even in periods like the late finan-
cial distress they sold at par and &C
crued interest. 1t is your duty to see
that this financial standing Is continued
by a careful and economical manage
ment of the affairs of the city.
FINANCES.
The conservative financial policy of
the city of st. Paul has been such as to
inspire confidence at home and insure
sound credit abroad. In referring to the
bonded Indebtedness in his statement of
June 1, 1888, the Comptroller speaks as
follows: 49,,
''Tbe bonded debt of st. Paul is
strictly conservative for the reason that
the great aim of her citizens has always
been to keep the debt within IS per cent
limit of the assessed valuation of prop
erty.' just the same as if such limitation
applied to st. Paul, and also to issue no
bonds unless for such purposes abso-
lutely necessary and representing large
assets like those which the present
bonded debt of the city of st. Paul
represents. The bonded debt at this
date June /, 1889 is S5,7SS,090, to which
add S303,66 for Sundry Indebtedness,
which includes the bonded debt of the
old water company, will make the total
liabilities of the city of st. Paul amount
to S6,091, 75S. This amount does not in
clude $3.50, 900 bonded debt OF the Board
of Education and S549, AGO bonded debt
of Ramsey county, which, if added to
the total liabilities of the city, will make
the great grand total debt amount to
s1.29l ,21S for city, county and Board of
Education, and for which the faith and
credit of the city of st. Paul are ire
vocably pledged"
In this connection I desire to call
your attention to a communication of
the City Treasurer, which demands
your immediate attention. He says his
''Office has been hampered in every di-
rection by weariSOme litigatiOns and de-
clSiOns, compelling the Treasurer to
prepare all assessments in his hands for
court. only to have judgment denied,
and ordered to have reassessments
made. To avoid technical objections all
proceedings must be gone over again,
and the burden of all the clerical work
caused by these lawsuits falling upon
the Treasurer'S Office" He says further:
st is absolutely necessary for the finan-
cial welfare of the city, to get all de-
linquent assessments into Judgment
and sale as soon as possible and have
everything in smooth running order, or
it would be dangerous to contract for
more public improvements, for which
the city might not be able to pay. TO
accomplish this and to bring everything
down to a solid basis again requires
much extra work, time and expense,
and would involve on him personal
loss and risk that he cannot afford 70
undertaken
The TreaSurer's books show the total
fees of his Office for the months of
March, April and May to be s1,420, and
clerk hire for the same time to have
been s., $50; cleyk hire in excess of fees,
SLIGO: fees for the year. "a, $50; clerk
hire, s.. clerk hire in excess of fees,
1895. He is required to keep the ac-
counts and diSburSe the funds of the
Board of Education, the Fire Board,
Library. WOrkhOuse and Water Board,
and these boards have grown in such
proportion as to require for their proper
management number of clerks.
The Council should at once inveSti-
gate this subject and give such clerical
aid to the Treasurer as the public
necessity demands.
LAW DEPARTMENT.
refer to the report of the Corporation
Attorney as to what has been done in
the law department for the period from
November 1, 1856, to December 81, 1887.
1t will be seen from an examination of
the same that while a large number of
actions have been commenced against
the city during the time named, and
large sum claimed in the way of dam
ages for personal injuries, damages to
real property by opening streets and
change of grades, the amounts recOv-
cred against the city has been compare
lively very small.
POLICE DEPARTMENT..
To this important branch of our city
government devOlveS the task of pre-
serving order and protecting the lives
and property of our citizens. The high
efficiency of this arm of our service
has resulted in giving St. Paul the envi-
able reputation of having fewer crimes
of serious character than any city of
its proportions in the country. The
chief of this department is man of
sterling Integrity, and a conscientious
| and faithful officer, aided by a corps of
efficient assistants.
The force comprises 100 men of all
grades, as follows: Chief, /; senior
captain, l; captains, 8; lieutenantS, ):
SergeantS, 8; chief detective, 1; detect
ives, 4; patrolmen, 121; drivers patrol
wagons, 5; jailerS, 4 bailiffs municipal
court, 2: p0undmasterS. 3; driver work
house wagon, L; clerk, 1. In his report
to the Mayor and Council, the Chief
recommends an increase to the force of
fifty patrolmen, and in my message
transmitting the report to your honor
able body / approved of his suggestions
as to the necessity for the increase.
The Committee on Police of the retiring
Council reported adversely upon this
subject, which report was cOncurred in
by the Council. | deemed it my duty to
call your attention to this matter, as
several petitions from citizens residing
i'm various portions of the city have been
filed with the Mayor. clamOring for bet
ter police protection, and you can give
the subject such consideration as in
your judgment the public necessity de-
mandS
BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS.
The attention of your honorable body
is called to the able and exhaustive re-
port of the City Engineer and Board of
| Public Works, in the examination of
which | have found most instructive
! and interesting reading. AS detailed in
this report, the work accomplished is a