St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-09-13
CITY HALL GOSSIP.


work No one will grudge the employees of
the city the two days holiday they enjoyed
this week, though it is a remarkable fact that
Tom Prendergast, the city clerk, was in his
Office hard at work Monday and Wednes-
day when all other officials were having a
good time. Mr.. Prendergast or ''Fom,"
as he is called by his legion of friends. is one
OF the most modest of men il would be pos
sitle TO find in ST. Paul When a few months
ago he was unanimously re elected TO his
present position ne was approached by q
reporter and asked for his photograph for
publication in the paper the reporter repre-
scented. Tom made a nice little speech
and begged that his portrait would not be
published, and finished up by saying that he
really did not possessa reproduction from
a flmY plate plate of a photograph.
A few days later the reporter
secured very fine picture of the city clerk
by means of detective camera, and it is a
joke in the city hall that Tom was SO fear
full that his portrait would be published that
he sent for the newsgatherer and after the
Interview messenger boy arrived iii Mr.
Prendergasts Office with a small package,
which contained Photographic plate. The
glass was smashed to pieces by genial Tom.
and The same messenger boy carried away
with him a box of fifty cigars to q certain
newspaper Office.
Mayor Smith is home again after his hunt
ing trip, and, with renewed health. is pre-
pared for hard season of work. His honor
works as hard as any of the officers in the
building, and can always be found at his
desk before 9. One of the most arduous
tasks he has to perform is to listen to the
numerous applicants for assistance and ad-
vice. Peddlars who want licenses for
nothing, wives and mothers begging for
pardon for husbands and sons punished
for misconduct widows and orphans
asking for assistance, are but Of
a few specimens of the people who wait upon
the chief executive of the city 10 pour forth
in his ear their woes and sorrows. Yesterday
a neatly dressed old lady called upon the
mayor, and, after informing him that she had
lived in st. Paul for thirty years, begged his
honor to sign petition for the pardon of
her son. who is in the Wisconsin state prison
for life, having killed man in quarrel.
The old lady told a pitiful story, and the
mayor gladdened her heart by afixing his
signature to the paper. dramatist might
have received inspiration from the scene, for
the old lady with tears in her eyes showered
blessings upon the mayor for his action.
Truly, the poet sang that lone touch OF ma
ture makes the whole world kim"
The conference committee which meets to-
morrow evening in the council chamber is
likely to be productive of some passages at
arms President Murray of the assembly, is
understood to have sharpened up his weap-
ons, and President Albert Scheffer of the
board of school inspectors, is also OH the qui
vive. and, if the question of the reduction of
so1o nc of io NV hn ri
should crop up, there will be such a
crossing of swords as will eclipse the
famous encounter of Ivanhoe and the knight
Templar at Ashby de la Zouche which Sir
Walter Scott has immortaliZed. That the
matter of the salaries must be amicably, or
otherwise, settled without further delay
there can be no question. Twice the assem-
bly, has thrown out the pay roll of the school
board and twice has il been returned. 1t
was hoped that when conference was held
between the assembly special committee
and the committee on janitors of the
school board that the matter would I.
be settled, but the war wages as flriously as
ever. The school board has the legal right
to cut down salaries of its employees; and pro-
claims its right in loud tones, the assembly =.
with louder vehemence makes known Its
right TO eritieise the action of the board and
refuses TO pass the pay rolls sent up. The
city attorney says both parties are in the I
right, that the school board can cut down i
salaries II it SO DESIRES and that the assem-
bly, can refuse to pass pay rolls if
it is of that mind and no legal
proceedings can be instituted to force the
assembly to do otherwise. The matter is a
most serious one, for if salaries are not
forthcoming. it viii be impossible to find
janitors to take charge of the schools, and
the result would be most disastrous. Per-
haps the best way so settle-the dispute would
be to submit the whole question to board
of arbitration and abide by the result.
5
From hints made in certain quarters, 1t
looks as if the Azotine company's con tract
for disposal of the garbage and the question
of the collection of the refuse will
be shortly settled in manner which
will cause some surprise to inter-
ested parties. A prominent city official has,
during the past week, made some inquiries
on his own account, and in speaking of the
matter yesterday said:
Il consider this question a most serious
one, for it affects every person in the city.
Now 1 find that the health officer has been
denounced in very strong terms by members
of the council, and am not surprised at 1t,
becoming sworn officer of this city. While
DR.. Hoyt may not think it very serious
matter, he should remember that the law
under which he was appointed on March
last calls for bond for So, 900 for the faith
full performance of his duty. Such bond
has never been filed by him. Now as to this
question of the collection and destruction of
the garbage. DR.. Hoyt, less than two months
q 20, addressed a letter to the mayor and COM
mon council saying that the garbage was not
being collected, that the health of the city
was imperiled and asking that some steps
should be taken in the matter at once. He
recently stated before a committee that he
knew nothing about garbage being col
lected. and did not know if the
Azotine company was destroying any
garbage at South st. Paul. where
their plant is located. He has also stated
that he has numerous complaints in his Of
fee as TO garbage not being collected, and
the books in the health Office show that since
May to Aug. 81 over 1900 complains have
been filed. Yet in the face of this knowl-
edge he puts his signature to the accounts of
of the Azotine company, and certifies that
the work has been done. Why the company
itself has admitted that the work has not
been done properly, as they term it, and l
say that it is simply robbing the citizens to
pay one single cent for either collecting or
disposing of the garbage.
''Now, on these matters of disposing of the
garbage, the contract says the work must be
done in st. Paul under the Merz system and
under the supervision of the health officer
What little garbage has been collected has
been dumped in the river, according to the
testimony of responsible parties The books
of the city comptroller show that
from Jan. to Aug. 81 the Azotine
company has been paid the enormous
sum of S15.053.u for really doing nothing.
1t can be perhaps understood now why there
has been so much scarlet fever ana diph-
liberia in ST. Paul during the present year
The city attorney is of the opinion that while
the contract of the Azotine company is good
for the disposal of the garbage. yet it could
be declared null and void if the city should
tender garbage to the company at the site of
their works on the upper leyee, and it should