St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-19
AMONG CITY OFFICES.
The Mayors IIlneSs-ROche and
Finances-BuiIdin and Health
DenaptmantS

Finances-BuiIdin and Health
Departments.
The mayors office was about the only
quiet place in the city hall yesterday.
Most of the officials of the municipality
had their busy day signs hung out and
the corridors were constantly filled with
kickers, lawyers, politicians and citi-
zeDS-good, bad and Indifferent Sec.
Carson had little else to do than to in
form numerous callers of the condition
of the mayor: The fact is that Mayor
Smith is having an uncOmmOnly tough
tussel with the grip, and Tuesday night
he was in a critical condition. Yester-
day he was feeling much improved and
it is likely that he will be at the desk
again by the end of the week.
Comptroller Roche was Just a little
bit agitated over the report of the coun-
Gil committee on ways and means in
reference to the hospital fund. He
asserts that the comptroller and treas
urer have never diverted the use of
any public money. They have always
left that to the council and the com
mittee on ways and means because
those bodies have the power, under the
charter to divert the money. The law
compels the comptroller and treasurer
to pay off the police and fire depart
ments, the street force and other city
Indebtedness OH the first day of each
month. If there is no money in the
treasury for these especial purposes it
must be taken from the various funds
and returned when necessary. The
general idea that the actual cash is
Inseparable from any fund is erroneous.
Now, as to the hospital fund. On the
credited with 49,. 1884 and since then
Sl1,943. nave been paid out leaving a
balance of $50, 1912, which now stands
to the credit OF the fund. A month or
so ago the Taylor-Craig company pre-
scented four estimates on the hospital
contract, amounting in the aggregate to
500, GA. for payment. Inasmuch as the
estimates called for about 5000 more
than the fund was credited with, and as
1t will require thousands of dollars TO
pay for work yet to be contracted for,
The comptroller recommended the issue
of 1000 of bonds for hospital pur-
poses. But the committee on ways and
means, through confusion or miSunder-
standing, put damper on the hospital
work by refusing to issue more bonds
and ordering all estimates SO far allowed
to be paid out of the fund already exist
ing. In the face of all this, Comp
.troller Roche can only pay the first
three estimates of the Taylor-Craig
company. He will pay these next Mon
day. and after they are paid there will
be only $S.646.42 left to the credit of
the hospital fund. And as Estimate
No. amounts to $40, 795 it will have to
be left unpaid
Assistant Cashier Miller, of the Bank
of Minnesota, yesterday told Comp
trOller Roche that the city of st. Paul is
in AS good financial condition and stand
ing as it has ever BEEN. This speaks re-
markably we'll fer the present manage
ment of the finances of the cit , as 1t
comes from gentleman whois in direct
communication with the city'S financial
agent in New York.
City Engineer Rundlett has been
thinking great deal lately about street
cleaning. ST. PauPs thorOughfares ale
not very clean at present. but within a
few weeks there will be general clean
ing up. Beginning about April 10 The
streets of st. Paul will be kept clean.
The asphalt pavementS and the bust
ness streets will be given especial at
tentiOn. There are forty-one miles of
paved streets in the city. From
April Is to about Nov. l one
fourth of these streets will be
swept daily, half three times week.
and the remainder three times in two
weeks. About twenty men will be en-
plOyed to sweep, by hand, the asphalt
streets. Each mans territory will be
about 1000 feet, and they will all work
eight hours every day. True, this has
been an unusually dirty winter-but an
unusually clean summer is to come.
Building Inspector Johnson is opposed
to all ordinances which grant to certain
persons the right to build frame struc-
lures within the fire limits. He thinks
the passage of such ordinances by the
council is in violation of laws already
established. Mr.. johnson finds it very
difficult to enforce the building laws
while these ordinances are so easily ob-
tanned.
j. &. Wardell yesterday submitted
plans for a brick row of four residences
to be built on the west side of DelosS
street, between Hall and Stryker ave-
nueS. 1t will he noteworthy addition
to the numerous fine buildings in West
st. Paul.
The health Office received notification
of three illegitimate births yesterday.
The motherly maidens are Misses Anna
Smith, Maggie Kelly and Hiida Swan
son. Of course the unknown papaS are
paying expenses and keeping them
selves under cover.
Scarlet fever is reported at 352 Como
avenue, and diphtheria at 5 University
avenue.
SIRENS KISS.