St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-03
So Would Mr.. Bell Designate
One Branch of the Coun-
Radical Charter Changes Pro-
posed by the Delegation
From Ramsey.
City Finances Overhauled
With a View to Securing
Economy.
Comptroller Roche Submits
an Exhaustive Statement
Of Finances.


delegation, held last night in the cor
pOration attorneys Office, was devoted.
| in the main, to considering the vital
| question of the eity's expenditures and
| receipts or III other words to determine
upon some legislation that would COM
pei the city fathers to SO conduct the
finances of st. Paul that both ends shall
meet. From information at hand IN
was ascertained that the current and
extraordinary expenses of the city are
$500, 900 more per annum than the in
come, and that the expenses of
one year are being paid out of
| the receipts of the succeeding year.
| To remedy what is considered a grow
| ing evil in that regard is the object OF
| the frequent conferences of the delega-
ton. Hon. II. z. Stevens presided over
| the meeting, and there was large rep
resentation of the delegation present,
beside number of aldermen, the cor
pOration attorney, w. 2. Murray and e.
w. Peet. The session was decidedly
interesting one, as it showed that the
delegation is working earnestly and In
unity to get at bottom facts, ana to de-
wise the best remedy for securing leglS-
penditures of the city's revenues.
A communication from Comptroller
Roche, printed below, showing the con-
dition of the city finances, was read. and
commented upon at length. The state
ment was most thoroughly cangasSed as
to the extent of the bonded and floating
indebtedness. and the method OF eX-
nding the revenues of the city; also,
as to the effect upon the credit of the
city of funding the entire floating debt,
as well as providing for the city aSSum-
ing the debt Of the school board. The
discussion also related to the advantage
to be gained by funding the floating
and miscellaneous debts which now
bear per cent interest, so that saw
ing in interest may be made. Gen. San
born said lie was opposed to practice of
paying this years expenses out OF next
years receipts. He then turned to w.
Z. Murray and SAID: You have had
twenty-five years experience, what
Would be your plan to get clear Of this
matter?n
Mir. Murray said his idea was to issue
bonds and clear up the floating debt
and start anew. "Can we retrenchw
asked Gen. Sanborn. Il think we CAM"
responded MIR. Murray.
Gen. Sanborn spoke of the interest on
the total debt being about $600,0O0. The
interest on about a million and half of
nearly twelve millions of debt is at the
rate of z per cent, and he favored fund
ing the per cent debt at lower rate.
The discussion was informal and very
general. but it seemed that the con-
sensus of opinion was in favor of fund
ing all the floating debt. which amounts
to 81, AGO, 900, and adding it to the $685.,
965 of bonded debt so that the former
would bear arate of interest correspond
ing to the latter. =.
Sweeping Council Changes.
g. N. Bell, of the special committee
appointed to draft bills covering desir-
able legislation. read report covering
points which had been thus far agreed
upon by the special committee. One of
the provisions related to the council, and
provides for two branches after the next
city election in 1892. For the interim,
after the enactment of the bill and before
the next election, it is proposed that all
ordinances and resolutions relative to
expenditures Of money shall be read at
two separate meetings of council. in
1892 the bill provides for electing two
classes of aldermen, the one class to be
denominated senators. who shall be
elected for period of four years. They
are to compose branch distinct from
another class of aldermen TO be elected
| for period of two years, each branch to
| hold separate meetings. The branch
| composed of senators is to consist of
eight members, to be elected by the city
at large, four of whom should be elected
every two years for term of four years.
| Each of these branches is to be the Judge
as to the election and qualification of Its
| respective members. A vote of each
branch shall be required to pass any
| legislation. Another provision requires
! that sidewalks should be built under
| the supervision of the board of public
| works in a manner similar to the con-
| struction and extension of streets.
| Another provision is that when an
| alderman refuses to vote when his
| name is called, on a proposition under
| consideration, he shall be recorded as vot-
ing Ill the negative. Another provision
! reciteS that council shall not have power
| to release citizen from the payment of
any tax, fine or license. or from any
| burden incurred under the law, nor
! authorize the compromise of disputed
| demand or claim, or make any allow
ance or any demand except such as is
| provided in contract. 1t shall not
1
| personal property, or lease any property
| except by an ordinonce adopted by a
three-quarters vote of each branch OF
| council.
A Few Restrictions.
The water commissioners are to be
! inhibited from extending the water
| mains or to incur any debt exceeding
500, unless authorized to do so by an
4 aAa 1.ry l.,
| vote. This provision eXemptS the sal
restraints the water board from requir
ing the city to pay for water used by it.
This latter provision brought out some
opposition by F. G. Stevens, who
thought people in the outly
ing districts had an interest in
seeing that the city paid for sprink
ling the streets, as there was no benefit
derived to them by such use Of the wa
ter. This suggestion was accepted as
an amendment, and it was declared tt
be the sense of the delegation that with
the exception of applying to sprinkling
the provision relative to the water
board should be enacted into a law
Another amendment proposed to the
charter seeks to prevent the city from
appropriating money for charitable pur
poses to persons residing out of the
state of Minnesota, such as the Johns
town sufferers, and to sufferers from
failures of crops, etc.
Another proposed change in tn,
charter is to require the council to des
ignate times for the meeting of thu
committee on claims, and restricts thu
committee from allowing claim unles!
three-quarters of the whole COMMITTEES
approve it.
1t is also proposed to require the cit!
treasurer to keep an account of tn,
several funds applicable to the seyera
improvements, and to prevent borrow
ing from one fund for the benefit of an
other fund, and to prevent the use O
funds provided for specific purpos
for some other purpose. This was eX
planned by Mr.. Bell to mean tina
when fund was raised by assessmen
to do a certain piece of work it shoul,
not be used to pay for work done Oh
another project, and money should no