St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-11-07
M'GIAH AND M'FETRIDGE
ALLOWED BIG EXPENSE BILLS IN NEW
Y0RK TRIP.
rHE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.

Two Long Sessions The Board of
Control Hauled Over the Goals
T z for Its Method of Securing
Groceries at Extravagant
Prices for the Poor of Ramsey
County.
! The board of county commissioners
held two long sessions yesterday. and
then adjourned to meet next Monday.
= Chief j. e. McGinn was allowed
S267.7O as expenses in bringing Benja-
min Miller, one of the alleged bank rob-
bers, from New York. and Detective
i William j. McFetridge was allowed
Sl4S50 on account of the same service.
Each were allowed $50 for twelve days
services in going and returningfromNew
York. Chief McGinn was allowed S4.60
for street care fare i'll New York. but
his tips to the sleeping-car porter were
not ON the bill allowed. Aside from re-
ducing the claims of the detectives from
| S. per day as asked, to $3.50 per day, the
! bills were allowed substantially as orig
| inally presented.
| The board of control was before the
commissioners to answer to complaints
made as to giving orders to poor people
for groceries. Complaint had been made
that 81 per bushel had been charged by
| grOcerS for potatoes, and other things
were placed at too high figure. Com
missioner DAILY claimed that he had ill.,
veStigated the operations of the board
| of control and found them correct. Mr..
| Lavallee disputed the fairness of the
business, as did all the members, to-
gether with President Kerwin and
| other members Of the board of control.
| Mr.. Kerwin stated that it had been the
epstom 10 make out slips of seven
articles which they proposed to furnish
poor people. The list included potatoes,
beans, pork, sugar, -four and soap.
These slips were sent to grocerS
with request to state what they
would furnish the items for during a
period of three months on the basis of
the aggregate of the prices, and the
grocers were allowed to substitute other
items to the amount of an order. the
order for large family being IS. 10 and
| a small family Sl.65. The method was
| severely criticised by Mayor Wright,
Mr.. Lavallee and other commissioners.
Mr.. Kerwin and Mr.. Judson, of the
board of control, took umbrage at some
| plies thereto. Mr. Kerwin asked that
some one make a suggestion of another
course to pursue. Commissioner Lauer
suggested that it would be better for
the board to grant the requests of the
applicants for the neceSsaries asked for
only. and not compel them to take the
whole list down to soap, as MI. kerWin
said the applicants were compelled to
do, since otherwise they would not be
I given anything. Mr.. Lauer also said
that the board of control should
groceries to the applicant and let him
get them at the grocery nearest his
home, the board of control to specify OIL
each order the market value of the sup
plies at the time and let the grocerS
furnish the articles in the amounts and
prices designated on the order. This
proposition met with the favor of the
board. The mayor was then author
lied by resolution to appoint commit.
tee of three to confer with the board OF
control and devise new plan of giving
orders for supplies and also for pur-
chasing supplies for the almshouse and
hospital.
The board ordered refunded to Sarah
Terhune S254.70 of back taxes errone-
Ously assessed to her.
The motion to advertise for bids fol
preparing personal index for the
abstract office was laid on the table.
The petition to direct the board OF
cont roll 10 sell lot belonging to Peter
Flnkler, who has, been in the aims
house for some years, was laid over.
The chief matter remaining undis.
posed of is the old grading contract OF
Mulligan q Lux on the Rice street
road. Some of the citizens in the neigh
borhood claim that the grading was moi
done as contracted for, and that the
county surveyor made mistake in the
estimates. The matter has been agitat-
ed before the board for some time, some
wanting the work resurveyed by an out
side party. County Surveyor David l..
Curtice made proposition to the effect
that he would pay the cost of resur-
vey i'll case substantial mistake was
made. This proposition was agreed tc
by B. Kuhn, who petitioned for re
survey, and put up check for 800 to
pay the expense of the survey in case II
was shown that there was not all error
, of over 500 yards in the grading done
E. c. SauIez was selected to make the
survey from the notes of the county
surveyor. and will report to the meet
ing Monday next.