St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-04
And Council Refuses to In
struct or Indorse the
City Treasurer.
Licenses Will Not Be Issued
to Applicants in the
Como District.
More Alleged "Villainy" is
Written Of by Refs
Enemy.

aldermen met last DlGht ana transacted
a grist of routine business. The city
attorney informed the council that IN
der the charter all judgments, costs and
penalties mentioned in the report of the
public examiner as not having been
collected were liens against the prop
erty. Also that under the law the city
treasurer was clothed with power to
proceed with the collection of the same
without any authority from the council.
Upon this opinion Aid. franklin moved
that the entire matter, together with
the report of the public examiner, be
referred to the city treasurer. The mo-
ton was adopted by a unanimous vote.
City Treasury Miller sent in bill for
S201, paid by him as fees for concluding
the examination OF the books in the city
treaSurer'S office from 1882 to 1887. Pub
lie Examiner Kenyon commenced the
investigation, but as the money avail
able did not hold out he quit work after
going back over the books for five years
from June, 1892. City Treasurer Miller
took up the work where Kenyon left Off
and completed it. The bill was referred
TO the committee on claims and the re-
port accompanying it laid on the table.
Conrad Cries Villain.
City Treasurer Miller announced in a
lengthy communication that he had
been examining the record book kept
by eX-Treasurer Refs; it appeared that
large sums of money had been paid for
addressing. checking ami other clerical
work. The fact was, Mr. Miller stated,
that the work was done by clerks paid
only monthly salaries, and that Mr..
Refs put tie difference, amounting to
$500 in his pocket. In conclusion Mr..
Miller asked that the public examiner
be requested to investigate and report
at the next meeting, and that Mr.. Refs
should be compelled to pay the money
drawn back into the treasury.
AID Ingersoll thought under the
the treasurer would have autho5ity
in the matter without the council. He
was Ill favor of the letter being sent to
the special committee which had been
attending to other matters OF this kind.
Aid. Cullen thought, under the circum-
stances, the committee which had
charge of the Miler-Reis fight should
be made permanent one. The chair
decided, as the special committee had
not been discharged, the communica-
ton would be so referred.
Ex-Treasurer Refs, who was present,
explained that the charge was like all
others made by Miller, nonsensical. He
did not object to any Investigation. but
did object to charges being made every
day or so in manner to miSlead the
public and do him an injustice.
The communication from the board
of public works in relation to the laying
of gas mains on Rice street was sent to
the committee on streets. The gas
company are willing to lay gas mains
on Rice street, providing arrangements
are made TO put in the next tax levy an
amount sufficient to pay for the lighting
with gas of Summit and University av-
enues, on which streets gas mains we're
laid last year. The expense of lighting
the streets mentioned with gas where
gasoline is now used will be about
$500, which includes the Rice street
lighting.
Licenses Refused.
Aid. Zimmerman, as chairman of the
committee on licenses, wanted the
council to pass on the question as to
whether he should sign the bonds for
saloon licenses at 1852 and 1919 Rice
street. The residents of the district
did not want any more saloons, and he,
as chairman of the license committee,
had refused to sign the bonds. Some
question was raised as to whether the
license committee did not have exclu-
sive authority in the matter. City At
tOrney Chamberlain said the council
had no power to delegate authority to
issue liquor license to any committee,
but licenses must be acted upon by the
council, especially when there was a
protest.
A number of the residents and prop
erty owners who were present eX-
planned to the council that there were
already SIX saloons between the Great
Crth
and there was no necessity for two adj
ditiOnal ones.
Aid. Conley said it was not question
of whether there was a necessity for
the saloon in that or any other place.
There was a saloon within fifty feet of
the place where one of the proposed
places would be located, and he had
been informed on good au-
thority that the saloonkeeper was
the one who objection to any
competition. Aid Copeland, who had
been Il member of the license committee
up to the time Aid. Hickman announced
the new standing committees,
said he had voted in the com
mittee against any license being issued
for the two saloons, and saw no reason
to change his vote.
Aid. Franklin asked if the council
voted at this time not to grant the
license whether this would settle
the matter. The chair said it would as
far as the applications for these two
places were concerned. On a motion to
refer back TO the license committee only
four members were in favor of such
action.
Aid. Zimmerman, to clinch the ques-
ton, moved that the chairman OF the
committee on license be instructed to
sign the bond and that licenses issue to
the two applicants. The motion was
lost by vote of Z 10 4, Aids. Conley,
Cullen, Dorniden and Jensen voting
for it.
The resolution appropriating $500 to a
committee to advertise the city was
passed by vote of 8 to 2, Aids. Frank
lin and Zimmerman voting against it.
The communication from the medical
staff of the city hospital asking for an
appropriation TO complete the ward
building at that institution was re-
ferred to the conference committee.
Under suspension OF the rules the
ordinance granted to the Fifth Ward
Transfer Railway company in March
last was amended so as to provide that
the time for completing portion of the
road De fixed at August l, 1894, instead
of August l, 1893.
Against Fast ssE8ikes. -
Aid. Ingersoll offered an amendment
to the bicycle ordinance providing that
mo person shall ride any bicycle or tri-
cycle along or upon the roadway of any
street within the city at a rate of
speed to exceed eight miles per
hour" Under the present ordinance
Mr.. lngerSoil said the speed was I'M
limited, and. as one young man had
been killed on st. Anthony hill and an
other dangerously injured, it was neces-
sary something be done to stop the
practice of fast riding. Aid. Cullen
wanted the speed reduced to six miles an
hour. Aids. Copeland aud Montgomery
thought this would prevent business
men from using machines to ride to and
from their homes. After a deal of dis
cuSsiOn. the amendment as introduced
was passed.
Aid. Warren introducedfan ordinance
making prohibited district for saIoons