St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-08-09
Cullen Springs a Mine Before
the Conference Com
mittee.
Department Heads to Be Held
Accountable for All
Waste.
The East Seventh Street I'M
provement Again Gone
Over.
The Cable Company Held Re-
sponsible for Funk's
Killing.

The regular monthly conference of
the heads of the various departments
was held last evening. As provided by
the Bell charter, Mayor Wright acted
as chairman of the meeting. Those in
attendance were Aid. Cullen, chairman
of the ways and means committee of
the board of aldermen; Assembly man
Wolterstorff, president of the assembly;
City Comptroller McCardy; President
OGorman, of the board Of public
works; City Engineer Rundlett; Presi-
dent Bement, of the board of water
commissioners. and City Treasurer
Miller. The feature Of the session was
the introduction of the following reso-
luton by Aid. Cullen:
Whereas. The so-ca1led Bell charter directs
the heads of departments to meet together
monthly for conference and consultation
relative to the welfare and financial affairs of
the city, and it also directs that the head of
each department shall furnish said confer
ence al each meeting an itemiZed statement
under oath relative to the business and eX-
penditures of his department.: and
Whereas, Said charter says: ut shall be
the duties of the members of said committee
at said monthly meetings TO consult and adj
wise together relative to the care supervision
and economical management of each and ali
CT the affairs, duties and expense of each de-
partment OF said city, including the affairs of
the board of education;' and,
Whereas, Said charter also empowers said
conference committee to curtail the expenses
OF any board or department whenever, in the
opinion of said committee said department
is rot economically managed ond is liable to
overdraw the amount of money named in the
tax estimate tor the fiscal year applicable
thereto: aud,
Whereas, 1t is claimed that certain depart-
mems of the city have not made tho
monthly distribution of their expenses for
the fiscal year. and that the amounts that
said departments are authorized to eXpend
will not furnish the means for continuing
through the gear. and it is further claimed
that the conference committee is partly
chargeable with this condition of affairs by
reason of the neglect OF its members to con-
suit together monthly. and advise the differ
ent boards as to the expenditures as directed
and intended by said charter;
Therefore, be it resolved, That in the opin-
ion of the members of this conference com
nlttee sald provisions of the charter are
among its most wise and beneficial require
ments, provided the same are observed and
carried out according TO the letter and spirit
in which they were written and intended,
and that the members oh this committee
shall and will consult together monthly as
intended and provided in said charter rela-
tive to the welfare and economical manage
ment of the business affairs of each depart
ment of said city: and
Resolved, further. That the chairman of
this committee is hereby requested to appoint
three members whose duty it shall be to re-
port at an adjourned meeting, not later than
two m onths from tonight, rules and regula-
tons for the ORDER of business to govern
this committee III its conferences and deIb-
erations. and also report what part of the
monthly reports of heads OF departments
and what part of the monthly proceedings OF
this committee shall be published.
Comptroller McCardy said to his ''no-
ton" the resolutions would Indicate or
intimate that the heads of the depart
ments had been derelict in their duty.
AS to reporting set of rules to govern
the conference meeting, the charter
gave the rules under which the, confer
ence meetings should be conducted.
Mr.. Bement thought the adoption of
the resolution would reflect only on the
heads OF the departments who were to
blame for the expenditures. Mayor
Wright said he had been thinking of
calling the attention OF the committee
to the same thing as expressed in the
resolution of Aid. Cullen. For the edi-
tication of the members he read section
p of the charter, which provides as fol-
lows:
Whenever in the opinion of the confer
ence committee any officer board or depart
ment of said City or said board of education
is not observing economical management of
his or its official business. and has, i'll the
OplIllOIl VI lllS COUllHltlee. CURING Tie TScal
year made or incurred such amount of eX-
penSe that said officer or department Will not
be able to go through the fiscal year without
overdrawlng the amount OF money named
III the tax estimate. then said conference
committee shall Immediately by resolution
so advise said officer or department. And
that thereafter said officer or department
shall have no power or authority to create
any additional expense or Indebtedness save
after the approval of four-ifths of said
committee which approval shall be evil
denced by resolution adopted by the com
mittee and entered upon its records Said
resolution of approval shall not be con-
strued as granting any officer. board or de-
partment any power or authority not granted
By existing laws. SAID committee is also
authorized and directed from time to Ii me to
give any officer or board of said city such
caution and advice as in its opinion the wei
fare and economical management of the city
affairs of said city demand.
After reading this section the mayor
remarked that the meetings of the con
ference committee were the most inn
portant in connection with the city
government. Aid. Cullen said his reso-
luton was based on the section just
read by the mayor. If, ne said, the
conference committee had done as they
ought and as the law directed there
would now be no shortage in the health
or fire departments Ii the committee
followed the charter strictly it would
certainly be for the best interests of the
city.
Comptroller McCardy thought the
passage of the resolutions would not
affect the charter in the least nor the
rules governing the conference.
Mr.. Bernent Endorsed the resolutions,
and said while their passage would not
change the charter they might result in
the city affairs being managed more
economically. Mayor Wright said the
resolutions would certainly do DO harm
and would call the attention of the
heads of departments to the provisi ons
of the law.
On the vote to adopt the resolutions
all voted aye except Comptroller Nc
Cardy and City Treasurer Miller.