St. Paul daily globe., 1891-05-10
No Provision for a Central
Station When the Pres
ent Is Removed.
To Make Way for the Govern
ment Building in That
Block.
Retrenchment Ideas Have
Left the City in a
Tight Box.
Rather Poor Quarters Might
Be Provided at the
County Jail.

The retrenchment and reform policy
OF the Ramsey county delegation IS
bearing fruit in manner which
promises to handicap the working of
many of the important city departments.
One Of the most important questions
which will demand the immediate at
tentian of the new common council is
where are police headquarters to be
located, and where is the money to
come from to build the premises? The
action of the city Of st. Paul in dOnat-
ing the federal government the property
where the old city hall now stands
has most important bearing upon the
matter. 1t was understood that work
upon the new government building
would not be commenced thisI year,
but information reached the city yes
terday that the government experts
would, i'll the course of few weeks. ar
rive in st. Paul, close up the transfers
of the lots purchased and donated by
the city, and at once commence work
and tear down the present police head
quarters and start in upon the new
building. This will neceSsitate the ac-
QUESTION OF new police headquarters
cannot be- easily answered.
City Attorney Phillips, in the absence
of Mr.. LaWler. yesterday stated to a
GLOBE reporter that the city had no
funds with which to buy any property
or build new quarters. The only thing
that could he done was to lease a suita-
ble building and fit it up, but the con-
tractors would have to wait for their
money until the next legislature Iati-
fled the proceedings.
Chief Clark, when asked for his opin-
ion said: If we are to be turned out
of the old city hall, don't know
where we can go. The only thing can
think of is to have fence put around
Rice park, and have all persons arrest
ed herded there, and let the pound
masters take care Of them"
The chief then stated that he had
many times called the attention of the
common council to the urgent necessity
OF providing new police headq uarters.
put nothing had ever been done by that
body. The delegation had been re-
queSted to Increase the police force by
| hTty men, and also to have SO, 600 ap-
prOpriated for new headquarters, but
with the policy of cutting down all de-
partmental expenses, the increase of
the force and the appropriation
for the new buildings were
totally ignored. In addition the
expenses of the department were
cut down to $1S5,000, though last year
the cost of the city's police was Sl9l,-
COO. The salaries alone amount to $780,
600, and the balance of $1,000 has to
| cover the cost of fuel, lighting, pur-
chasing patrol wagons. horses for Wag-
onS and mounted men, and all the eX-
penses OF the elaborate police telegraph
system. 1t will thus be seen that not
only is the department cut down to less
| than the actual sum required, but that
, not single cent is available for fur
nishing a building in place of the one
soon to be demolished.
Supt. E. b. Birge, of the police tele-
graph system, when spoken to yester-
day on the cost of removing his ap-
paratus said it would be costly work.
but he was unable TO make any esti-
mate, for 1t would all depend where the
temporary or new buildings were to be
located. 1t would take some time
to do the work without inter-
fering with the usefulness of
the present alarm system, but
If they had to cut all their wires at
once and run them to another location,
it would mean that the entire system
would be rendered useless for the time
being, and not single police officer
could report to headquarters or call for
the patrol wagon or assistance.
What is to be done under these cir
cumstances, and where are the persons
arrested to be placed?
Sheriff Bean said last evening that he
| could find accommodation in the county
Jail for certain number of prisoners,
but it would cost about S1,5OO to have
the basement fitted up. He, however,
had no rooms where the batteries and
apparatus OF the police telegraph could
| be located, neither conld he allow the
| police officers to have access to the Jail.
All he could do was to have pris-
oners brought to the jail, but
1t would be impossible to have
the police headquarters located
there, first or account of want of space,
and secondly that the management of
| the jail would not permit of the doors
being opened at all hours of the day
and night to admit police officers and
persons who wished to hail ont arres ted