St. Paul daily globe., 1891-03-27
HAS PLENTY OF GRIT.
The Silk Stocking Municipal
Society Swoops Down
On the Delegation
With a Resolution Swipe
Every Vestige Of the
Fee System.
The Peoples Representatives
Refuse to Be 0veraWed
by Outsiders,.@
And Proceed to Draft Legisla-
ton to Their Own Sweet
Will.

Ihe Municipal society sent about a
dozen of its leading members to the
meeting of the Ramsey county delega-
ton last evening, to urge general re-
duction of city and county salaries. The
following resolution, which had been
passed by the society, was presented to
the delegation:
Resolved. That all the salaries of the police
and fire departments i'll the city be reduced
as follows: All salaries over 81 00e and under
Sl.5 per year TO be reduced 10 per cent; all
salaries betwee nS1 800 and 5000 10 be re-
duced 20 per cent; and all salaries of $1,000
and over to be reduced - per cent That all
county Offices now sustained on the fee
system be placed on the salary basis, and
that all fees be paid into the county treasury.
That the salaries of county officers bc fixed
as follows: Auditor, 5000; treasurer. Sj,0O0;
assessor, $1,000; sheriff, 5000; clerk of
courts. 5000; register Of deeds, 5000;
county attorney, $4,000; Judge of pro-
bate, $4,000 That the number of dep
utleS and their salaries be fixed by the
county commissioners. That the sery-
the police, fire, health and building in
Spector'S departments be dispensed
with. That the abstract Office be abol-
lShed and its functions be added to the
duties of the register of deeds.
Inc lawmakers announced their Will
ingueSs to hear the members of the
Municipal society in support of their
resolution.
Russell r. Dorr, the first speaker,
thought the fee system a public abuse.
He couldn't see any more reason in run
ming city and county business on the fee
system than any private business. The
city and county were actually living be-
yond their means, and there should be
tr91D Ia Of
Nj. ID. Mum said the financial cendi-
ton of the city and county warranted
careful consideration of expenses. He
felt that some of the present expenses
were unnecessary, and that salaries
should be cut from the head TO the foot
Of every department.
Col. Lamborn, Claiming Scabury and
II. z. Upham also spoke i'll favor OF cut
ting salaries and abolishing the fee sys-
tenn.
After hearing the above-named gen.
tlemen, the delegation went into eXecu-
tive session and virtually ignored the
resolution and arguments of munich
pal society. 1t was absolutely decided
not to change from the fee to the salary
system. A bill requiring the sheriff,
clerk of courts and auditor, after the eX
pir alton of their present terms, to turn
% per cent of their fees into the county
treasury was recommended to pass.
1t was agreed to allow the sheliff only
$3.50 week for boarding a prisoner
instead of 1926. as at present. The fee
for taking insane people to the asylum
was cut from S25 for each case TO s. a
day, mileage and actual expenses, and
the fee of 81 for bringing each prisoner
into court was abolished. Another cut
of s., 800 in the clerk hire of the water
def rfI A Al
sion it was decided not to reduce the
salary of the county attorney, The
question of abOliShing the abstract
clerks Office came up, but action was
deferred until the conclusion of Mr..
Murnane's trial, lest it might influence
the jury in reaching a verdict.
Chief Clark was called upon to state
what reduction was possible in the eX-
penseS of the police department. He
replied that the allowance for his de-
partment should be Increased rather
than decreased. In st. Paul the eX-
pense of the police department is less
the reverse is the rule in all other large
cities. At present the police force is
being run very economically and a re-
duction is scarcely possible. The police
force is really inadequate, and should
there be riot of any kind in
the city the department would
be strained to quiet it. In answer to a
direct question Chief Clark stated that
a cut of 20 per cent in the expenses of
| the department would place it in a
| deplorable condition.
The delegation took no action in re-
gard to the police department.
The board of county commissioners
| asked the delegation to amend the pro-
| posed law creating the new court house
commission by providing for the election
10y the board of their representative
upon that commission. The amendment
asked for was allowed.
| The fire commissioners submitted a
communication stating that the expense
of the fire department from Feb. /. 1890,
| TO Feb. L. 1891, amounted. to s235, ,696.36,
| and asking for an appropriation of
1925, 900 annually for the next two years.
| The matter was referred to Senator San
born with instructions TO draw and pre-
sent bill allowing the amount asked
for by the commission.
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