St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-01
CALDERW00D TALKS.
The Comptroller Rejects
Some Ward Pay
Rolls,
And Quotes the Charter in
Defense of His Ac-
ton.
The Aldermen, However, Give
the Bills Their APP
prevail,
But the Comptroller Will Re-
fuse to Countersign
Warrants.

The city council held a special meet
ing. with thirty-One members present.
last night, called by the mayor, to act
on the pay rolls and budget of bills for
the month. The comptroller, whose
duty it is to audit the pay rolls and pass
them on to the committee on claims,
reserved the rolls for ward work and
sent in long communication de-
failing his reasons for rejecting
them. In order to get the objections
before the council Aid. Potter moved
that the comptroller be heard. Aid.
Grimes objected, and the president de-
clared he could not be heard without
unanimous consent. He also ruled the
reading of the cOmptroller's COM
munication out of order because
it was special meeting. The
council then passed the bills nOtwith-
standing the comptroller's objections
and passed on to other business. The
disagreement between Mr.. CalderwOod
and the aldermen involves the point
whether the street commissioners have
the right to grade new streets. and per-
form other work without orders from
the council. He is also dissatisfied with
claims, are not sufficiently in detail.
His communication was as follows. IN
full:
The Honorable City Council-Gentlemen:
Having refused to audit the pay rolls of street
commissioners in the following wards of this
city, namely: Second, Fifth, Seventh.
Eighth. Twelfth and Thirteenth, and having
been called upon to assign my reasons for
such REFUSAL respectfully submit the follow
ing: If the time has cOme-and if reports be
true should say that the time had come
and was being improved-when individuals
are permitted to ignore the provisions OF our
charter-let contracts ad lipitum-spend as
they individually see fit the city's money (D
thereby disturbing that just balance IN
public expenditure wherein alone lies the
financial safety (bl OF our municipal organ
ization-I say if such u time has arrived
then what NAV say counts for naught.
If the PROVISIONS Of our charter are illib-
eIal and unJus. reIer them IL the Hennepln
county delegation for correction. II our
laws are just and equitable then the faithful
compliance with their provisions will injure
no one.
Chapter Will setrion 4, of the city charter
requires, That no street commissioner shall
do any work upon the streets except such as
is necessary to keep travelled streets and i'm
proved sidewalks in repair and passable con
dition, and unless such work is especially
ordered by the city council" understand
that much. or at least part or the money
is for work done on new grad;
ing of streets. without the formal
sanction of your honorable body.
and in my opinion plain violation OF the
charter requirements. This. in itself, be-
lieve to be sufficient cause for rejecting the
pay rolls. You may say, how do know that
all OF any of the labor performed and to be
paid for in the pay rolls in question, is tor
grading. or for work other than that which
may be done-under section 6, chapter s. I
can only answer this by referring you to Sec
ton 5, chapter 8, which reads as follows:
The street commissioner shall keep ac-
curate accounts Of all their work and ex-
penditures-and make detailed and itemlzed
reports thereof to the city council at least
once in every two months not two years.
and oftener if ordered by the council and no
bill for compensation to such street COM
missioner shall be allowed unless the same
iull and itemized reports of his work
rendition Of such BILL Up to this
date no report itemlzed. or otherwise,
to th e best Of my knowledge has been pre-
sented to this council, the pay rolls being
the only ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS for theconsider.
alton of the city committee. 1t is true that an
unwritten law exists by virtue Of which the
comptroller has heretofore been accustomed
to sign these pay rolls without any report or
previous action of the city council, but this
has been abused. and in view of the
magnitude of the interests involved and the
amount expended, have determined, that
in order to protect myself and provide ade-
either demand the itemiZed reports required
in the charter and proof of their adoption by
your honorable body, or If not some formal
action of your honorable body indorsing the
present loose system and relieving me from
liability and censure thereunder-if upon in
quiry the city attorney decides that this can
be legally done.
1t requires but moment s thought to con-
vince any thoughtful person that under the
present tacit agreement, or system, vast sums
are expended without adequate records OF
work done, material furnished or any vouch
ers to show that the money has been prop
erly expended or that l have faithfully per-
formed the duties of my Office, or in such
manner as would be required by any bust
ness man in the regulation and proper man.
agement of his private affairs.
The rejection eff the pay roll for the Eighth
ward, together with bill for grading, both Of
which have passed the committee on claims,
requires further word OF explanation from
me. have been mildly reprimanded by one
of the aldermen from the Eighth for my
seeming injustice to them-in performing
my duty. While my general reasons. as be-
fore stated, are in my estimation amply suf-
ficient to cause their rejection. yet there are
other and sufficient reasons why they
should not pass. That according to
withstanding the fact that the expenditure
involved was more than 500. Public notice
and invitation was not given, but as far as 1
can ascertain the contract was let without
notice by one of the aldermen from that
ward, and that too, without formal sanction
Of the council or the approval of his col
leagues from the same ward. l also claim
that the bill of W. ID. Van Norman is not
specific enough, and to bear me out in this
assertion l ask the city clerk to read the bill.
The charter provision on contracts is plain:
whenever the city council shall deter
mine to do any of said work or construction
by contract, if the amount of the expendi-
ture involved in said contract shall exceed
the sum of 500, public notice shall be given
and proposals invited for the same in such
manner as the said city council may direct"
Perhaps this provision does not include al
derman who usurp the rights OF your hOnOra-
bic body by letting contracts and doing work
without the knowledge and consent Of your
honorable body.
In conclusion: The more I see the more
am convinced of the necessity of closer
adherence to the laws as set forth in our city
charter, and it these laws are unsuitable to
the present demands Of our city, it is your
privilege to have them changed, and not my
privilege to permit the violation of the city
charter, so far as it comes within my juris-
diction to prevent
THE BILLS PASSED.
The Van Norman bill rejected by the
comptroller was for s267.04, and was
o. KID by the street commissioner and
aldermen of the ward. The largest
item, S239.54 was for grading and
excavating Lyndale avenue, but did
not state the contract price per yard or
the amount of work done. After the
comptroller's communication had been
ruled out by the president, the councillor
motion, passed all the pay rolls and the
Van Norman bill. In explaining his
vote on the latter Aid. Sterling offered
to take all the blame there was for the
making of the contract. 1.-The work
was ordered" he said. "while the
Eighth ward was laboring under two
catastrophes, one alderman sick another
off on his wedding tour. l am, perhaps.
biamabfe for not knowing the provis-