St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-12-13
CITY HALL GOSSIP.

Vi QALL GOSSIRs
Tomorrow evening the conference COM
mittee. consisting of the heads of various
departments, viii, under the mandate of the
new charter, meet in the council chamber in
solemn conclave, and proceed to make out
ltemlzed statements showing the amount of
money which will be needed to maintain the
city government and the public schools for
the year 1892 If The Ramsey county delega-
ton of the last legislature ever had an idea
that the various departments could be run
Ior less than the amounts defined and APP
propriated they made a grievous error, for
the working OF the brand rev charter during
the seven months it has been in force has
Clearly demonstrated that the amounts al
lowed to maintain the Various departments
are totally inadequate.
%
When Chief Clark was called before the
delegation he informs the potent, grave
and reverend seignors" that the force of men
under his command was not large enough TO
guard and patrol a city of the size of ST.
Paul He urged upon the delegation the ad-
Visibility of increasing the force by fifty
men. The chiefs suggestions were totally
ignored by the gentlemen anxious to make
record on the retrenchment policy. The
delegation allowed S1s5, 00U for the mainte-
nance of the department. including purchase
OF stores, fuel and forage for horses The
most rigid economy has been observed in the
department. i'll order that, after deducting
the amount of salaries. the balance of the
sum appropriated may pay tor necessary
supplies. Even the cheap parlor matches
which used to be on hand at police head
quarters for use of the officers have been cut
of, in order TO make both ends meet.
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The fire department is inthe same position,
and the $4,000 allowed for its mainte.
nance is barely enough to pay salaries and
maintain horses and apparatus In the
event of an epidemic among the horses, or
the destruction of engines by failing walls at
ire, the department would be unable to
purchase new engines or horses, for the law
will not allow an expenditure of ten cents
above the sum allowed. The board of fire
commissioners asked for $4,000 more than
was allowed by the delegation, and stated
that the isrger sum was actually necessary to
maintain the department properly. The ex-
perience and integrity of such gentlemen as
Reuben Warner, j. C. Prendergast, George
Mitsch, George Freeman and Paul Martin
counted for nothing with the delegation, and
it was only after severe fight by certain of
the delegation that a motion to cut down the
appropriation still further was defeated The
spectacle of our fire engines going to a fire
and rendered useless because there was no
money to purchase fuel was narrowly avert
ed by the motion being defeated.
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The suggestion that a one-mill tax should
be included in the next tax levy for the pur-
pose of raising funds for changing the mar
ket house into an auditorium is viewed most
critically by certain members of the common
council. who doubt the advisability Of patch
ing up the building. Every member of the
council is strongly in favor of the proposal
that st. Paul should have d proper audi
forum, but they do not desire to move
hastily and take steps which will increase
next years tax levy The matter was dis
cussed one afternoon during the week. and
proposal will be made to the council that in
order to keep down the taxation and at the
same time give st. Paul magnificent audi
forum building that the following should be
done:
Erect a wigwam to take care of the Demo
cratic convention. and next year sell the
market house property which should bring
at the lowest estimate 100000. With the
sum thus obtained a block could be
purchased near by for say $4,000,
and the large sum of S25O,0OO would be left to
erect ar auditorium second to none in the
country. Wabasha street would be benefited
by the erection of a business block on the
market house site and the auditorium would
not necessitate any increase of the tax levy.
City Clerk Prendergast is back at his post
and his legion of friends who were alarmed
at his spell of sickness now breathe freely.
%
Tom Murphy, second assistant clerk in Mr..
Prendergast's Office, is the envy of every one
in the building. He wears a handsome pair
of silk-worked moecasins while on duty the
gift of one Of his numerous lady admirers
The clerks in the building. however, say that
Murphy purchased the footwear because he
has Ii tile corn on his left foot.