St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-12-31
LEGISLATIVE NEEDS.
The Council Committee and
Department Heads Dis
cusS Them.
An Existing Statute Permits
the Borrowing From
Other Funds.
Anticipation of Revenue Held
to Be Wrong in the
Principle.
Comptroller Roche Will Pre-
pare a Redundant State
ment.

|
| gether with representatives of the vari-
| Gus city departments. Aid. Dobner in the
chair, there were present Aids. San
born, Sullivan, Flandrau, BanholZer and
| Van Slyke. President Cullen repre-
sented the public library board. Presi-
dent German the board OF public works,
President JOHN f. Hoyt the water com
mission. Judges Cory and Twohy, of
the municipal court. There were also
present Building Inspector johnson,
| City Engineer Rundlett, City Attorney
Holman, Comptroller Roche and DR..
| Hoyt. Mr.. Cullen, speaking of the
| library board, said that no leg
islation would be asked for. Mr..
Hoyt said that the health department
might ask for legislation in certain
matters but was not yet ready to sub
nit its needs IN that direction. City
| Attorney Holman, in behalf of the fire
| department, reported that the commits
sion would ask for no legislation. Judge
! Cory, of the municipal court, thought
| the court should be empowered to issue
| its own execution and select its own
| JurleS, the former being now done by
the district court and the latter by the
| sheriff. The committee decided to
| recommend that amendments be made
| accordingly. President Hoyt thought the
| water board required no legislation, and
in behalf of the board of control a SIM
| liarly satisfactory statement was made.
! PRESIDENT German, of the board of pub
| lie works, said that in view of the desire
to cut down expenses it might be ad-
visable to discontinue the publication Of
the minutes of the board meetings,
| which cost good deal of money and
were never read by the people supposed
| to be chiefly Interested Also to reduce
| the number of publications of notices
| Of assessment from three times, which
| cost $4,000 annually, to once, which
| would cost correSpondingly less. Re-
auctions might also be made. in the
street force, but he would pre-
| fer that the city engineer be
heard on that point. Underline present
economical conduct of the board. the
| running expenses, salaries. etc. amount
| ed to $4,000 annually. The contracts
let during the past year amounted to
| S1.0O0,000. They had run over that
| amount in previous years. In the last
| four years $500, 00O worth of bouds had
| been issued for sewer construction other
! than by assessment. One matter to
| which it was particularly necessary to
call the attention OF the committee was
that OF the construction of sidewalks.
! The
Most Vigorous Opposition
had been met with CT late regarding as
seSSment for sidewalks in outlying dis
| trlctS. These matters originated and
were finally passed upon by the council
without any reference to the board of
! public works. That body was compelled
10 make the assessment and stand the
resultant abuse. Mr.. German thought
| that these affairs should be submitted to
the board before their final passage by
the council. On motion of Aid San
born. the matter was referred to Attor-
ney Holman with instructions to draft
such law as will secure 10 the board
| the proper privileges.
City Engineer Rundlett said that
there was need of legislation as to the
| methods of assessment tor sewer con-
struction. Some law must be passed to
| equalIZe assessments, the existing law
being Inadequate. He moved that At
! torney Holman be instructed to look
into the matter and prepare an amend
ment suited to the requirements of the
case. The motion was carried.
As to the matter Of bridges, Mr..
Rundlett didn't see how bridges could
be built without the Issuance of bonds
for the purpose. An adequate bridge
must replace the wooden structure now
crossing the short line on Pleasant av-
enue, and a similar outlay would
be involved Oh the Lexington avenue
bridge. Mr.. Holman asked whether it
was suggested to issue bonds for all the
bridges necessary. Mr.. Rundlett re-
piled that he regarded some such meas
ure as necessary.
Chairman Dobner held that actual
| figures as to the proposed cost of the
structures should be submitted. These
being unprepared, the matter was laid
over until the meeting of the council
with the committee.
The matter of sewer bonds was
brought up. Aid. Flandrau asked If
there was any actual need for the i'm
mediate extension of the sewer system.
Mr.. Rundlett replied that the most
pressing Improvement was the Phalen
creek sewer. Aid Sanborn was OPP
posed to the extension of sewers in any
direction at present. He thought the
city could afford to wait.
A communication, signed by numer-
Gus members of the fire department,
asked an increase in the scale of pay in
the department in accordance with a
scale set forth as in vogue in other large
cities.
A lengthy discussion as to the finan-
cal condition OF the board of education
showed that body to preside over de-
pleted treasury and floating indebted
ness of $624, 900. The board would re-
celve s625,O00 from the tax levy. Aid.
Flandrau held that
Anticipation Of Revenue
was wrong principle in finance. and it
was evident that this had been the Gus
tom and was still the custom. After a
lengthy discussion it was decided to
| recommend that the board of education
be made to consist of five inspectors, to
| be appointed by the mayor, said APP
| pointments to be confirmed by the city
council. and all matters of expenditure
be subject to the approval of the coun-
Gil.
The question of anticipated revenue
TO meet city expenses was then dis
cuSSed. Aid. Sanborn argued that the
financial condition of the city was I'M
satisfactory, that the city was anticipat-
ing her tax levy every year, and that
| under existing conditions it would take
3, 4SS.000 to put the town out of debt
There was owing SS64.00 for school ex-
| penses. 1924, 000 Oh contracts, and the
! $1,000000 collectable would be sWaI-
lowed up at once for the payment of
current expenses. The revenues had
(. not for the past five years met the
amount that had been anticipated. Mr.
Holman, questioning Mr.. Roche, said:
!
National bank of New York Si5V, 600, as is
| currently reported:"
Mr.. ROche-It does not.
Mr.. Holman-Iias the city ever owed that
! benk that amount.
Mr.. Roche-No.
Mr. Holman-IIas the city paid all coupons
outstanding with the exception of a matter
| of S23,09ay
Mr.. Roche-It has.
Mr.. Roche said that the Chase Ma
tional bank had never advanced the city
$4,000. That amount, however, had
been advanced by the National Bank of
ST. Paul. Mr.. Holman told the COM
mittee that the statement OF the comp
troller had been verified in this regard.
Mr.. Sanborn asked how much money
| it would take to place the city out of
! debt. Mr.. Roche replied that it would
take the whole of the tax levy, s.. 000,-
900. MIR. ,Sanborn-H0w much has been
drawn from each fund to pay the ex-