St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-10-15
This Is Not the Time for Phi
lippics Against the City
Salaries.
Judge Burr Poses as Hymen
and Makes Six Hearts
Beat Happily.
A Batch Of Interesting Suits
on Trial in the Several
Courts.

The Carpenter park scheme received
black eye yesterday at the hands of
City Comptroller Roche. The blow was
unexpected, but it came as direct re-
suit of the methods adopted in levying
the assessment for benefits. 1t will be
remembered that about three years ago
there was talk of establishing club
house on the triangular lot just above
the Summit avenue lookout. The resi-
dents of that exclusive" district stood
aghast at the mere mention OF such
thing, and the influence eXerted was
not long in blocking the scheme.
Under special state law the property
was designated for park purposes. and
the city council appropriated $4,000 for
its purchase. The owner received about
S12, 900 for the land, the residents of the
vicinity raising the other $4,000 and
paving it to him rather than to have a
club house established in their midst.
This fund, collected by subscription.
did not pass through the city treasury,
but was, it is supposed, paid directly TO
the owner of the lot. The councils
resolution, however, stated that the
$4,000 appropriation was for half
of the purchase price. When Car
penter park was, established this
it, and throughout the proceedings
of condemnation and assessment was
valued at $4,000, being included in the
total cost of the park, S64, 1890. One
half of this amount was paid by park
bonds. and the other one-half the board
of public works assessed to property
said to be benefited by the alleged i'm
provement In making the assessment
tile board considered the $4,000 sub
Seription originally paid to secure the
park and to keep out the club house as
having already been paid on Carpenter
park. The exact figures are not $1,000,
but S., 032.50. In the present assessment
these contributions Of three years ago
are deducted from the levy made against
the property whose. owners raised the
fund. City Comptroller Roche holds
that this is not business. When the
warrant for the assessment collection
was presented to him he refused to sign
it, explaining his reasons in the follow
ing communication to the board of pub
lie works:
Gentlemen: l return, without my sigma
ture the accompanying warrant, issued for
the collection of the assessment for the land
i'll course of condemnation TOR the proposed
that your honorable body in making the as
sessment of benefits to pay the damages and
costs was under an erroneous impression
that subscription of S5,032.50 was paid
into the city treasury as part of the consid-
Grafton, to apply in payment of the damages
and costs. No subscription money has ever
been paid to the city for any land whatever
in connection with the so-called Carpenter
park. Such being the fact, the assessment
warrant is deficient and it would be an i'm
position upon the city for me 10 sign the
warrant causing thereby heavy outlay OF
public money, when there can be no doubt
but that the courts would declare the assess
meut void through Irregularities. Very re-
specially, JOHN W. ROCHE,
City Comptroller.
A member of the board of public
works stated yesterday that the boards
action was upon the advice of able at
tOrneys. City Attorney Holman and
Gen. Gordon E. Cole, attorney for the
board of park commissioners, were both
consulted 1t was their opinion that
the assessment SO levied would stand
good in equity, and upon their advice
certain property owners were given
credit on the assessment for the
amounts paid to the owner of the
triangular lot. What the next move
will be is not stated.