St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-08-15


McCardy in His Usual Role
of Mentor-ln Unheeded Sug-
gestion.
| A regular meeting of the conference
committee was held yesterday afternoon
with full attendance of the members.
Mayor Wright did not put IN an appear
ance at the time the meeting was called
to order, and Assembiyman WOlter-
storff was made chairman.
The clerk of the conference read from
| the report of the comptroller that the
city had on hand 81, 039. 123. 81 in cash at
| the banks and in the treaSurer'S vault.
4 This McCardy said was hardly correct.
as Of the amount mentioned S450.0U0
| had been sent to New York to meet
| certificates now due and about 100000
more was tied up IN suspended banks.
| Now that he had got started. he said he
wanted 10 call the attention of the con-
ference to 4 needed change in the law.
The county treasGrer's office cost about
$4,000 year, which amount might be
saved by combining The office with that
of the city treasurer.
Another point in law which the
| comptroller considered unjust was that
! 80 per cent of the penalties from de-
linquent tax collections went to the
| county and the same amount to the city.
1t was wrong when the bulk of the
/; delinquent tax penalties and also the
! bulk of the taxes came from city prop
! erty. The remedy, the comptroller
said, was to take the county into the
| city or change the law Sc as to have the
delinquent penalties on city taxes
J turned over to the city. Another mat
| ter the comptroller called attention to
was the long periods between settle
ments had between the city and the
| county. The city, he said, in this sway
Los. Control of tfae Funds,
and had nothing to say where they
| should be put; neither did it get any
interest on the amount. Speaking of
| deposits of the city money, the comp
troiler thought it wrong idea that the
city treasurer should have the say
where the money should be placed.
Suppose" said the comptroller, 1.-The
| city treasurer should have placed from
| $4,000 to 500, 000of the city money in
the Seven Corners bank, where would
| we have been?"
| The comptroller'S idea was to have a
| committee commence at once to make
revisions of the charter for the next
session of the legislature. The idea
| met with the views of the members,
| and after some discussion the matter
was left to the mayor to formulate
some plan.
There being some talk about the
| financial Siringency and the condition
of city funds. Mr.. Wheeiock. suggested
| that this would be a good time to take
j up the idea of the mayor, preached at a
previous meeting. that all of the officials
| stand 10 per cent reduction in their
| salaries.
| No attention was paid to Mr.
| Wheelock'S suggestion, the mayor a.
| once turning tile 0nyelSation into an
! other channel.
May Stop Contracts.
The comptroller wanted an opinion as
| to going ahead with the large contracts.
such as the Manchester sewer system
and tne paving of Rice street.
The mayor said the laying of cement
| walks was another thing which should
be stopped. In his opinion the city
| would be called upon to take care of a
large number OF poor people before the
winter was over, and it was useless 10
talk about pushing improvements. ~-
Mr.. Quinby. OF the hoard of public
| works. said in the Manchester sewer
system Assistant County Attorney
| Phillips had given an opinion that half
the work could be assessed for this fall
and the other half next spring. City
| Attorney Chamberlain. however, had
| given all opinion which reversed his
| assistant. aud decided that this plan
could not be pursued No definite action
was taken on tue matter except to talk
about il.
a resolution introduced by Mr.. Be-
ment, directing the departments and
boards to cut their bills for supplies aud
labor down to an absolute minimum and
requesting the Iequisition committee
not TO sign any acquisitions until after
l the next conference meeting, was
passed. This was followed by another
resolution appointing the mayor, comp
troller and Mr.. Bement committee of
three, TO whom all acquisitions for sup
plies are to be submitted before any pur-
cDaSeS are made.
The mayor called attention to the fact
that i'll Minneapolis the fire and police
telegraph systems were under one SUI
perintendent, and the cost was $4,000,
while i'll ST. Paul the cost of maintain
ing the two systems separate was SILL
! 000. The members OF the BOARD were
unanimous in the opinion that the TWO
systems should be consolidated, and the
matter was left TO the mayor to see If
the thing could not be done.
Reports summarized.
The following are summaries of the
monthly reports submitted:
Water Commissioners-Exp
S20, 02S.26. of which amount Sl0,02I.0 7
was for LABOR Oh pay rolls. Amount
collected since last report, S29. 464.59.
Board OF Control-Persons assisted
during last month IS, orders issued lO3
q amount of expense authorized since last
report, So, S3S so.
awarded during month. sos, 10, of
which amount $40, 7S4.25 was for Canal
street sewers; pay rolls passed, $14. 494 10
President Assembly - Amount eX-
pended by council, board expenses eX-
cepted, 1908. SS3.47.
Mayor-Warrants signed exclusive OF
those for principal and interest or
, | bonded debt, Sl97,5S4.23: number OF
/ | employees III police department, $50.
City Comptroller Indebtedness OF
school board, outstanding and unpaid
S747, 673.S7; whole amount of indebted
ness outstanding and unpaid, 81. 013.
1881; Indebtedness of city since las
report, s250,000; cash in banks anc
vault 81 ,039, 1881.
Board of Education Pay roll TO
July. 81, 523.31: nonresident pupils fo
year. %. and tuition fees, S310.61; re
ceiptS on account of public school funt
since Jan. L, f2S6. 579.4l.
City Engineer-Pay rolls for stree
force, s., 1853. Is: sewer force. s., 322 IS
supplies and materials for street ant
sewer force. 81, 525. 43; actual days worl
for men and teams were 1906 days
teams, 1,lS9 days.