St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-10-30
An Investigating Committee
Says Records Are Improp-
erly Kept.
Mine Owners Responsible for
the High Rates Charged
for Fuel.
Market Hall Suggested as a
Proper Public Audi
forum.


on city and county affairs, which was
referred to the proper committee. The
report set forth substantially that
The special laws of 1881 chapter 3S7. re-
CURED the sheriff. clerk of the district court,
register of deeds. abstract clerk. city treas
uTer. city comptroller and some other officers
to keep proper record book. entitled Sal
airy and Fee Record which must show at all
times the services performed bv them and
charges for such services. the daily money
receipts for their respective offices from sal
arv and from fees. and from all sources what
ever" The public examiner of the state of
Minnesota prepared the form of the book.
also the blank on which monthly reports
were to be made. The object of Snch rec
ord was to inform the public as to the in
come of the officers mentioned. with a view
of reducing burden of taxation.
THE LAW Is A DEAD LETTER.
The sheriff keeps no such book as required
by the law. An inspection of the annual re-
port of the county auditor shows The follow
ing sums paid to the sheriff out of the county
treasury during the wear 1887: District
court expenses, So Jail expenses.
SS sos Sc: taking insane to state hoSnJal.
$3.50 10; salary, 5000: lax matters, SIGS;
court keeps Such record book. hut does not
comply with the law. The monthly reports
made by him to the board of county commits
siOners for the year 1897 show: Recei"ts,
- - > - ]
record hook in his Office does not show re-
ceipt from the county of Ramsey for the fol
lowing Sums paid him. Attendance at court.
s.. 694. rs: abstrartOf JUDGEMENTS. S2,9ls.o9:
birth and death records. S796: total.
Sc. 400 e. The sum paid for abstract of
judgments formerly went into the county
revenue fund rs il had been earned by sal
AIRED officer or the county Che abstract clerk
for the county. in making abstracts. The alb
sfract clerk keeps such record. The fees Of
., Off moi = fllfc of
INTO THE COUNTY TREASURY.
Said fees. however. are soon drawn out
again in way OF salary to the abstract officer
and his clerks. fees paid to the clerk of the
district court. and the books and papers re-
quired for the Office. II leaves little if anv
revenue 10 the eDnnt' in return for records
which have cost the county not less than
S75.0an. The only apparent necessity for
this Office is to provide clerkships for dozen
or more men. The register of deeds keepS Il
record foak. 1t shows as follows: From
Nav. 1897. TO August 1888 bath months
inclusive Sixteen months: Receipts. S45.-
esq 81: disbursements. sd 39904: bal
ance. S23. 6SS. 81: or about S57 per working
day per month. The county auditor and
county treasurer are salaried officers. being
paid n fixed sum, ont of which thew pay all
clerk hire. The cit treasurer said that no
salary or fee record had been kept for
some wears past. as the law did not require
it. The com pirOller'S published report shows
that there was Maid 10 the treasurer rs fees
from Nov. l. 1886. to Dec. 81, 1887. the
sum of SO go. This does not
INCLUDE THE ANNUAL sALART.
An often-re neated request in the mast two
weeks for permission to inspect the books or
the city comptroller has been as often re-
fused. Application has been made TO the
courts for mandamus compelling him to
permit such inspection. The city charter
provides that this officer shall keen regular
books of account which shall at all times
''slIow the precise financial condition of the
citv.' COMPARISONS can be made with other
cities REGARDING our expenses 1t would not
look well for us. We can compare with orr
selves however. IN 1885 there was placed
on the tax roll for city revenue account
S6S2. 1868 In the year 1883 nearly
81. 100000 are asked for. These figures are
from the county auditors rolls In the
various boards winch are in the city very
great reductions cOuld he made in expenses
by simply going ut it in 4 business way The
estimate for the board Of health this year is
| $4,000. One-haif Of the force of this board
could be dispensed with. saying not only the
expenses. but the useless ANNOYANCE of our
| people bv some of this boards employees who
| assume the powers of dictator. The board
of fire commissioners and the board of edu-
cation should he forbidden to buy lots and
build houses until the funds have been pro-
vided. Ten thousand eight Kindred dollars
per annum seems high for services in the
law department of the city.
1t was determined that the chairman
of the committee on taxes and city and
county officials should request permits
sion on behalf of the chamber to exam
inc and obtain from the books of the
city comptroller such information as
| might be proper and desirable.
The resignation of Charles f. Otis as
| director was referred to the committee
| OH nominations.
The committee on health and santa
| ton was instructed to confer with the
proper city officials and investigate the
experience of other cities in regard to
the disposal of garbage and other
WASTE BY CREMATION.
Also to investigate and report whether
any change and enlargement of the
sewer system is required for sanitary
purposes.
A resolution was offered by Mr..
Stone to convert Market hall into a
large, cOmmOdiOuS public hall.
The committee on transportation was
instructed To confer with the railroad
companies operating between st. Paul
and Lake Superior with reference to a
reduction OF freight rates on coal be-
tween those points, and obtain their
reasons, if any, why such reductions
could not he made.
Gen. Bishop presented a report from
the committee on coal, in which it was
stated that:
The present retail price of large size anthra-
cite coal in st. Paul is made up as follows:
Cost on vessels at Buffalo after going
| through breaker" ian expensive plantl at
! the mine, loading on ears freight to Buffalo
| and unloading. per ton of 1000 pounds,
| So 70: freight. Buffalo to Duluth. So cents
! unloading ut Duluth. 10 cents; depreciation
| by breakage in handling screening etc in
\ unloading % frSipht n11tufb To-
| Paul, 81 so: yardGge ana handling in ST.
! Paul, % cents: wholesale dealers profit. in
! Guiding interest on all above stems previously
| invested in cash and interest on cost of
| plants in Duluth and st. Paul. 65 cents; re-
| tail dealers profit, out of which he pays for
! delivery by wagon TO house, 81. Total cost,
| $50.
Coal is delivered in St Paul from the yards
| of the wholesale dealers TO the wagons of the
retail dealers, and is weighed alongside of
| bins from which exact tons are easily placed
| iii the wagons surplus. if any, that has first
! been loaded at the larger pockets being
| thrown OFF into the biniand shortage thrown
! from the bin to the wagon.
The weighcrS are employees of the whole
| sale dealers ana are paid by them. They are
| not under bond or licensed by city authority.
We think they should be both, but not APP
! pointed by the city or paid in any other Way
| than. they are at present A bond, an oath
To faithfully perform their duty and a license
| following would at least reassure the public.
| who at present have no guarantee that they
| get 1000 pounds OF coal for ton except
the integrity of the dealers. We do not be-
| lieve, however. that any OF the wholesale
dealers now here would. tolerate ''short
weight They all say that they cannot
afford 10 have their particular coal get ans
such reputation, leaving out the moral as
| Dect of the question. They tell us that they
| have in rare instances had small retailers
send TO their yards for 900 or 1,S0a pounds
of coal for a load, but in all eases they have
refused TO sell the parties. knowing that they
must be selling the quantity named for hall
or full ton. A purchaser can easily verify
| his annual
MiNTEg's PURCHASE OF COAL.
| A ton of anthracite cosl measures from
| thirtV-two to thirtv-Six cubic feet VARYING