St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-11-11
ASSEMBLY HOT SHOT.
The Insurance OF the City
School StipS Up the As
semblymen.
President Murray Turns the
Walls of His Wrath Upon
Roger Bros.
Mr.. 0ppenheim Poses as a Re-
former Against City Ex-
travagance,
While McCafferty Jumps on
the Everlasting Azotine
Bug-a-Boo.

order. The first matter which came up
for consideration was under discussion
for an hour, and the time was taken I'D
by certain members repeating their
views over ana over again. The
matter. however, was an i'm
portant one, the question of the
insurance of the school buildings. The
board of school inspectors. through
their secretary, sent to the assembly
schedules showing the amount of insur-
ance placed on each school, the rate
paid and the companies With whom the
insurance is placed. aud the dates of
expiration of the policies. The total
showed that insurance was carried on
the buildings for the sum of $1,000, 900 at
a rate of $3.50 per $1,000 for five years.
MIR. Oppenheim started the discus
sion by stating that since the assembly
passed a resolution to cancel all the
policies, all the agents in St. Paul, with
two exceptions. were willing to reduce
the rate of insurance. One Of the firms
which refused had telegraphed to the
commission in Chicago, which adjusts
rates frOr the Northwest. asking the
commissioners not to reduce the rate.
A bona fine offer of one and half
dollars per 81 1000 for five years had
been made by one of the most re-
sponSible companies in place of
the eXOrbitaht rate now paid.
Messrs. John Rogers Jr. & Brot hers
had sent in a bill for $50 for renewing
policies. and the committee on claims,
OF which the speaker was member,
had disagreed as TO allowing it, on the
ground that il was not legal. the school
board having no power to create any in
deOtedneSS. and the liter had been
referred to the city attorney to report
upon.
City Attorney Lawler reported that
the school board
Had No Power
TO create the indebtedness. the common
council having the sole power to do so,
as the schools were, by the act of the
last Legislature, vested in the city of
St. Paul
Mr.. Costello moved that a special con-
ference committee be appointed to adj
Just the matter of Insurance and secure
the lowest rate possible. This motion
passed, and MessrS. Oppenheim, Nc
and McNamee were appointed
by the president to represent the as
SembIy.
Mr.. Oppenheim then moved that the
MIR. Costello opposed the motion on
the ground that other agents had re-
Gently been paid for renewing policies,
and he saw no reason TO discriminate in
the case.
Mr.. Oppenheim replied that Mr. Cos
tello was in error: that no small bills
had been paid. and the comptroller had
so Informed him.
Mr.. AlcCafferty made long speech,
the giSt OF which was that the bills
ought to be paid, as other bills bad
been allowed Oh Aug. % and were
signed by Mr.. Oppenheim as chairman
of the committee on claims.
Mr.. Oppenheim-I cesire to explain this
matter. Those bills were paid before the
question of cancelling the insurance policies
came up before the assembly. This was in
September last and this body passed a reso-
luton to cancel the insurance. but when it
went to the aldermen it was promptly
shelved. My desire is to save money for the
city, but it seems that there is disposition
among certain persons TO avoid any possible
retrenchment.
Murray'S Hot Shot.
President Murray at this point. called Mr..
Van SIyke TO the char, and. taking the floor
said: Il am not SO much opposed TO allow
ing the bill of Rogers Brothers at this time
but want to see something definite done in
this question of insurance of the schools
thOrity III renewing the policies, which have
never been turned over TO the city clerk by
the secretary of the board, as requested by
this body. l know for a fact that John
Rogers Jr. d Brothers wrote TO Commits
sion No. in Chicago, which adjusts
rates for the Northwest requesting that the
$3.50 per 1000 rate be not reduced. Mr.. Bige-
low, of the Fire and Marine company. who
was supposed to be a st. Paul man. also re-
fused to reduce the rate because he was
afraid it would cause all Insurance rates in
the city to be reduced. Now, as 10 another
matter. Rogers Brothers recently wrote a
scurrllous letter TO the newspapers cum
menting upon me. l want to say in that
connection that l never spoke to any
one with the idea of taking away the insur-
ance from them. and when they make such
statements | denounce them as liars. am
not III favor of the city paying for any in
surance whatever, ana, if it carried its own
instance, it would save enough each I'VE
years to build new schOolhouse.'
A long wrangle followed as to what
should be done with the bills, and event
ually they were sent to the committee
on ways and means, pending the result
of the meeting OF the conference COM
mittee appointed.
Again the AZOtine
Once again the aZotine matter cropped
up, and Mr.. McCafferty delivered him
self long TRADE against the azotine
company, its method of business and
general makeup. The matter came I'D
when the city clerk presented for pas
sage resolutions from the assembly to
pay the AzOtine cOmpany's bills for Sep
TENDER, which had been passed by
the aldermen. Though City Attorney
Lawler has recently given his opinion
that the AZOtlne company must be paid
under its contract with the cityfor dispOs-
ing OF garbage, never having been de-
clared in default, Mr.. McCatferty per-
sisted in denouncing the payment as a
steal and robbery from the treasury,
and suggested that on the matter of col
lecting the garbage that committee be
appointed to take testimony OF citizens
as to the neglect ia performing the
work. He moved to disallOw the bills.
and, after long tilt as to whether the
bills should be disaIlowed, they were
eventually referred to the committee on
ways and means.
The assembly confirmed the appoint
ment of Edward NJ. Allen by Acting
Mayor Cullen. as a member of the DO
lice force, vice Maurice Hurley, de-
ceased. At the request of the board of
park commissioners, the resolution au-
thOrizing the issue of $4,000 bonds at
per cent for improving Lake Como and
boulevard was annulle6. and the bonds
ordered to be issued at 4 & per cent.aS the
per cent bonds cannot be disposed of.
A resolution to authorize the school
board to establish an electric plant in
the manual training school at a cost of
81, 200 was referred to the committee
on schools. On the claim of Nathan B.
Watson for damages for injuries alleged
to have sustained by reason of Chats
worth street being defective, CITY Attor-
ney Lawler and City Engineer Rundlett
was accordingly disallOwed.
In the matter of granting permit to
allow the st. Paul Depot company TO
erect corrugated iron building at the
foot of Wac0uta street, thebuilding in
spector reported that the company had