St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-02-18
OF the Park Funds, and His
Duties in Relation
Thereto.
Local Democratic Leaders
Enjoy a Smoking
Soiree.
A Carnival of Pleasures Be-
fore Lent Subdues
Society.
The German Bal Masque
Leads the Pleasing
Revelry.

Comptroller John Roche has adj.
dressed letter to the board of park
commissioners concerning the parks OF
the city, and defining his position
thereon. The communication explains
itself. 1t is as follows:
To the Honorable Board of Park Com
miSsi0nerS of the City of st. Paul-Gen-
tlemen: 1t is claimed that the city
comptroller in the discharged the func-
tiUnS of his Office, has no right and it is
none of his business TO consider matters
i'll the condemnation OF lands selected
for park purposes until the assessment
warrants are officially in his hands. and
that he should recognize said assess
ment warrants in their regular order of
date received from the board of public
works in place of treating the date of
confirmation of the selection of the land
by the park commissioners and the date
of filing the plats of the park or parks in
the register of deeds office. as appropri-
atiOnS holding the moneys in the city
park fund.
Financial public officers throughout
the country, particular city cOmptrollers,
have prescribed duties and non-pre-
scribed duties to perform. Official doe
umentS in their hands for consideration
priations of money set apart in the
treasury by the action CT common coun-
Gil, park commissioners, etc. for spe-
cific purposes requiring no official pa
pers In hands fer consideration, are un-
der the non-preSeribed duties.
SOME ILLUSTRATIONS.
Illustration FIrSt-The common coun-
ell of St. Paul on the 18th day of Decem-
Der, 1889, appropriated $50, 600 out of the
railroad bridge fund for the anticipated
construction of the SeIby avenue bridge
over the Short Line railroad. thereby
making it my nOn-preScribed duty to
regard and respect the action of the
common council by preventing SubSe-
quent anticipated improvements from
absorbing the appropriation, while, at
the same time, there are no official
papers in my hands to consider.
Illustration Second-The board of
park commissioners of st. Paul appro-
priated various amounts out of the city
park fund for the purpose of paying
one-half of the cost of certain lands Sc
lected for public parks. at such time
whenever the other one-haif is collected
from the property assessed, thereby
making it my non-preScri6ed duty TO
regard and respect the action of the
board of park commissioners by recog-
niZing the appropriations In regular
order frem the date of the confirmation
of the selection of the land by the park
commissioners and the date of filing the
plat or plats in the register of deeds
Office by your commission. while at the
same time there are no official papers in
my hands to consider.
The date of the confirmation of the
lands selected and the date of filing the
Mat in the repiStpr 0f deeds office rppII-
late and fix without doubt the time
when each appropriation is set apart in
the city: park fund, consequently max
ing it my non-prescribed duty tOpre-
vent subsequent anticipated parks from
absorbing existing appropriations. Sec
ton 3, act OF 1887, and section l. of 1889.
appear to be mandatory upon the board
of park commissioners and board of
public works to Immediately proceed
accordingly.
THE PARKS, IN ORDER.
The following shows the parks in the
regular order of selection and filing of
the piats in the register of deeds Office.