St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-12-07
Thousands of Dollars Lost to
the City by the Ex-Treas-
upep. Says He.
Concluding Move in a Plan
to Give Two Needy Pol
iticians a Job.
Instances Of Terrible Deppav-
ity in the BookS--Coun-
Gil Routine.

ground out large grist of business.
! Every member was present, and every
one paid strict attention to business.
The city treasurer is still bent on
making himself the most conspicuous
person in the city government Last
evening he had before the meeting a
second attack upon ex-City Treasurer
| Refs In his new communication he
| asks for an investigation of tue books
during Mr.. Refs term. asserting that 1t
will show that thousands of dollars
have been lost by the city during the
| many years Mr.. Refs was treasurer, for
which some one should be held reSpOn-
sible."
When the reading of his letter was
concluded by the clerk, Aid. thinner
man arose and said he thought the in
vestigation asked should be had. He
then offered the following resolution:
THAT the state public examiner he re
quested and authorized with power TO APP
point such assistants as he may need. to eX
anime all the books i'll the city treaSurers Of
flee for the last ten years and to report 10 the
common council as soon as possible q de
tailed statement of ali Irregularities ii any
such are found. -
Aid. Cullen said that he thought a
better way would be to refer tie matter
to a joint committee of the council, with
power to appoint experts to make the
examination. He thought there would
be less friction and less expense in this
way.
Aid. Franklin said he thought the
plan proposed by the resolution the
better one. If there were any such il
regularitieS as those charged he thought
the more public the matter was made
the better. The city treasurcr'S office
was public, and not a private one. If
the present city treasurer were so sure of
his position that he wanted the matter
made public, certainly every one else
should be willing to accord him the re-
quest, for if he failed he was the one
who must stand the responsibility.
Aid. Conley said that he believed Mr..
Refs would prefer the method prop osed
by the resolution.
The resolution was then put to vote,
and prevailed unanimously.
TO Help Needy Ones.
The method was not a thing sprung
last evening. but was plan which the
Republicans have matured. And al
ready the men who will do the work for
the state examiner are chosen. They
are NJ. j. Bell and Harry Griswold. It's
a nice fat take for both Of them, being a
Sc a day job. It's cold day when the
Republican party does not improve an
opportunity to feather the nests of
these two old politicians.
Mr.. Miller begins his letter with the
statement that he bears no illwill to-
ward Mr.. Refs, and more rot like that;
and ends his letter in the same way.
As a mere specimen of the caliber of
the man it may be mentioned incl
dentaIly that he went to City Clerk
Prendergast Monday and asked to have
his communication placed upon the
calendar. proceeding required by the
rules of the board, and then kept the
effuSion off file. producing it in the
meeting when the evening was half
over. In this movement he indicated
that he feared the clerk would break the
seal prematurely and give the contents
to some newspaper which was not in
touch with his party. The communities
ton, stripped of the beginning and end
ing, is as follows:
MilIer's Recital.
SIN a number of cases found, where
judgments had been obtained against
property owners, said judgments en-
tered III the books, but sold by Mr.. Refs
for original assessment. In a number of
other cases found Judgment had been
entered in the books but erased, al
though the payments we're made from
one TO six months after the entry of
Judgment had been made, and have the
certified COPIES Of judgments in the
vault to prove what | state.
The name of Charles H. LIenau APP
pears in that connection, with 9TH
ers more than once. Other parties
that paid before Mr.. Lienau did, paid
interest, Judgment and cost of sale to
date of payment. In 1890 Mr.. Lienau
was assessed on ten lots for grading
Bunker and Page streets and sewering
Robbie and Concord streets for the sum
of $S24.55. August %, 1890. the lots
were sold to the Scandinavian-Am
can bank and T. V. Veyderst@dt for
1898. Is. On the same day Mr.. Lienau
treasury only SS24.55, making differ
ence between the amount sold for and
received of S6S6l, for which refund-
ing receipt was made to Mr.. Lienau the
same day. In the cash book under
same date. under head of redemptions,
is credited as follows: Charles S.
Lienau, SS24.55; refunding order n 10,
S6S.61, making the amount balance with
the money paid out to the holders of
the certificates, 1898, 16, showing that
the city paid the interest for Mr..
Lienau.
1.-The late Mr.. Lindeke was assessed
on three lots in 1888 for a sewer ON
Brook street, Kittson's addition. judy
ment was obtained by Mr.. Refs against
above and other lots on Dec. Is, 1888,
sold Jan. II, 1889, but no one bidding on
the property it was struck off to the city
and the certificates transferred and as
signed by Mr.. Refs to Mr.. BigeloW on
Jan. 81, 1889. June 81, 1890, Mr.. Linde1e
paid into the treasury S5S1.90, amount
of the original assessment; and again
refundfng receipt to the amount of
S1260S was issued the same day ana EN-
tered in the same manner as in the Lie
nan case in order 10 make the cash
balance with the amount, $707.9S
paid to George G. Powsr June 80, 1890,
the city again paying the interest for
Mr.. Lindeke.
''Sprinkling assessments levied for
the years 1888, 1889 and 1890, although
judgments had been obtained in each
case, were collected in a majority of
cases WITHOUT Judgment, cOSCS or inter-
est by Mr.ReiS up to the day he stepped
out of Office. A number of similar eases
can be cited, which, if investigated, will
show that thousands of dollars have
been lost by the city during the many
years Mr.. Refs was treasurer, for
which some one should be held respon-
sible."
Legislative Committee.
AT the last meeting of the assembly a
resolution was adopted for the appoint
ment of special joint legislative COM
mittee. to be composed of three men,
bers OF each body. The assembly ap-
pointed as its half Messrs. Lightner,
Johnson and Doran. Before the meet
ing of last evening the standing leglsla-
tive committee of the board, which is
composed of Aldermen Hickman.
Cullen, Dorniden, Montgomery, War
ren. Conley and Franklin, held meet
ing and decided TO recommend that the
board appoint special committee of
three to act jointly with three members
of the assembly on legislative matters