St. Paul daily globe., 1888-07-29
IT LOOKS BLACK.
The Condition Of the Eighth
Ward Finances Fully
Exposed,
And a Shortage Of Over
$4,000 Turned to the
Light.
Job Upon Job Shown Up by
the Committee of In
vestigation.
Aldermen Who Arrogantly
and Illegally Usurp
Authority.
Money Poured Into Rat Holes,
With Contractors at the
Other Ends.
Taxpayers May Well Stand
Aghast at the Situation
Revealed.

No citizen of Minneapolis who is alive
to its welfare, is ignorant of the fact
that for the past two years, the Eighth
ward has been plunged overwhelmingly
into debt, but the extent and details OF
the situation have never yet been made
public. The GLOBE yields considerable
space, this morning, on account OF its
universal. interest, to the report of the
citizens committee of investigation,
which has thoroughly gone into the de-
tails and speaks as committee OF i'm
artial, unprejudiced citizens. 1t con-
sists of Messrs. J. r. Blaisdell, Henry
n. Avery, A. r. Chestnut, Alick Millar,
Cyrus w. Wells, ID. w. Roberts. and
j. n. Christopher. The report is ad-
dressed to the taxpayers and is signed
by ii. n. Avery, Alick Millar. and Cy-
rus w. Wells. the subcommittee.
THE REPORT.
The undersigned having been ap-
pointed committee to investigate and
make report concerning the condition of
the ward funds and concerning the in
debtedneSS now outstanding and charge
able against the ward, have given the
subject careful investigation and submit
the following report:
We find that on March l, 1856, the
Eighth ward street fund, i'll the hands
IF the city treasurer, amounted to
SS57.05. Between that day and March
.lSSS, the treasurer received on account
Of this fund from sales of earth, the
total sum of 81, 1875, and from taxes
collected between those days the aggre-
gate sum of S31 ,S52.5S. 1t is thus seen
that the total sum applicable to the re-
pairing and grading of streets dur
ing the two years was S34, 1866.
We do o not consider advances by
property owners and the temporary
transfer of money from one fund to an
other. Admittedly illegal acts, the OBJ
legation to retransfer or repay could
probably be repudiated. But so long as
advances are repaid and the money so
transferred is returned, the ward fund
cannot in that way be increased so as
to justisy increased expenditures.
In the two years ending Feb. %, 1883,
work was done in the repair and grad
ing of streets and croSSwalkS laid, and
lumber and other materials purchased,
for which the sum of S34 ,3S0.12 has
already been paid out of the Ward
street fund. During the same two
years other street grading was done in
the ward for which certified bills to the
amount of S26, ,S71.55 are now outStand-
ing and unprid, making an aggregatd of
liability incurred in these years, if all
certified bills are valid obligations, to
the amount of SCI, ,251.67. These figures
SHOW AN ATTEMPT
to create a ward Indebtedness in these
wears of not less than $27,OS4.S1.
In addition to this, Messrs. Badger
& Penney say that they graded streets
and avenues in their addition in which
the fill was 10S,695 cubic yards, for
which the Eighth ward aldermen have
promised that they should receive a
reasonable compensation, payable five
wears after the performance of the work.
MIR. Penney has stated that he considers
16 cents cubic yard of fill reasonable
compensation for the work, and that his
firm will ask from the city for the grad
ing of the streets and avenues finished
prior to March 1, 1888, exclusive OF
grading done by them under written
Contracts, the total sum of S17, ,S91. 20
We are informed that Badger q Penney
will seek to have this claim passed upon
and considered by the city council be.
fore the terms of the present aldermen
shall have expired, as they claim that
the aldermen now representing the
ward have promised that the claim
should be paid by the city.
Feb. %, 1888. claims were outstanding
and unpaid for the grading of streets III
the Eighth ward in favor of the persons
and for the amounts following, viz:
Palmer & Co. ...... .................. 1929 81
Anderson & Douglass. 3S9 7t
Roach d Wilson. ................. 2O01 OF
Badger d Penney y...-....-......... 5,502 II
Charles Fllteau.. ............... LIl3 81
w. j. Bowen NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 1I,32o 81
Totol 500 S71 x
This sum is exclusive of the claim OF
Badger & Penney for SIT 7,391.20, and eX
elusive of advances by property owners
which had not been paid to the amount
OF So, 900. Adding these sums, we have
all told the aggregate sum of S4S, 162. 7s
as the Indebtedness of the Eighth ware
at the close of the last fiscal year, all o.
which we believe at least majority o.
the aldermen intend and will endeavol
to have paid out of the taxes assessed
for the current and future years. The
amount of the Eighth ward street fun(
on hand at that time was $3.50, and tht
amount set aside for the use of thu
Eighth ward street fund for the fiSca
wear commencing March l, 1888, il
S22, 1000. If this sum is all applied il
payment of this Indebtedness there vii
remain to be met and paid by future as
sessmentS the sum of SIG, ,044.35. Ii
other words, if these claims are valit
the ward is now indebted in that sun
in excess of the taxes applicable to ware
work during the present fiscal year. ]
is probable that no less than 81 900 viii
be expended the current year in payins
the salaries of the street commissions
and his assistants and in necessary re
pair. In that event the ward will still
be indebted, if the claims are valid oh
legations, in a sum in excess of $50, 600
judging the future by the past the in
debtedness is likely to be much greater
1t is unnecessary to say that the incur
ring of any
SUCH INDEBTEDNESS is ILLEGAL.
The charter does not authorize or EN-
power the city council or any city Off
Ger to incur on behalf of the city any in
debtedness of this character. On tn
contrary, it forbids the making of an,
contract when the amount already con
tracted or appropriated to be. expende'
out of any ward fund IS equal to OF eS
10 f,nA antna1lu on hand an,