St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-05
CHANIBERLAEN,s OPINION.

IS next to folly 10 say that it is not, or to
show in the strongest light that it is not;
for these people propose to carry
through their scheme despite the char
ter, If they can bring the comptroller
into submission. From present appear
anceS, however, MIR. MCCARDY has no
thought OF allowing the charter to be
violated. This official is the bulwark;
argument amounts to nothing.
But, useless though it is, one cannot
resist the emptati0n to refer once more
to the provisions of the charter in conf
paris9n with the stand taken by the
mayor and the sO-caIled opinion of the
attorney supporting it. OF the idle and
surplus moneys Of eleven city funds,
S316,500 is invested in the city certif-
Gates of indebtedness Of other depart
ments, which fall due this fall. The
comptroller is saving money of the in
debted departments to pay the certifi-
Gates when due, thus to comply with
the charter and cut off the accruing
per cent interest, which must DE paid
into the sinking fund. The process of
paying the certificates is simply the
placing the amount of money due
on the paper to the credit of the de-
partments for which they were issued.
and destroying the certificates. The
mayors plan is to let the certificates
run on after they are due, and to use
the money, which should be placed to
the credit of the indebted departments,
for the fire and other departments
which are behind because of eXtrava-
gance. The city attorney says that if
these certificates were held by private
parties it would be necessary to pay
them when due; but as they are held
by city departments it is not necessary
to pay them when due, since the char
ter has not made special provision
that they shall be. This is absurd SOph-
istry. Section Is of the charter provides
as folio Ms:
No money belonging to any department
shall be borrowed or diverted for the use of
any other department or for any other pur-
pose, except in case there is at any time a
surplus of cash to the credit of any depart
ment Three-fourths of each BODY Of the
common council may by resolution authorize
said surplus cash to be invested temporarily
in the purchase of the certificates of any
other department.
Section 10 provides that no power
shall exist to create any additional in
deb-edhess for any department, cor
which shall be in any manner valid
claim against the city," W.,
Among the funds which had moneys
to spare to invest, and which have been
invested in the certificates of other de-
partments, are the public building in
surance, school board insurance, Phalen
creek sewer, Sixth ward levee improve
ment. Mendoza road Improvement. etc.
Now, suppose that an emergency should
arise by which one or more of
these funds should come very much
into need OF the money due them this
fall, and the money hes been used for
the fire department, hence cannot be
bad? The funds are just as much en-
titled to the money due them as though
they were banks and had no connection
with the city. The Bell charter has
clearly placed these funds, or depart
ments, in the attitude of individuals
toward each other; and the purpose of
1t is Enthusiastically to deprive the city
government of all arbitrary power. The
failure of the city to pay these certifi-
Gates when they are due, and to use the
money which has been saved for their
payment to help out the fire aud ether
departments which have been too ex-
travagant, would be nothing more or
less than an arbitrary action. 1t was
the purpose of those who framed the
charter to make it impossible for the
city government to rob or embarrass
department which, for instance,
does not stand in high favor
with it, for the benefit of pet
department. Suppose that the charter
were a flexible apparatus" and the
city government could assert the arbi-
trary power it is seeking to exercise,
how easy it would be to rob or greatly
embarraSS Democratic department by
falling to pay back to 1t when due
money it had invested in certificates OF
| other departments, in order to use the
money which should be applied to such
payment for the benefit of a Republican
| department which had been living ex-
lravagantly. 1t will not do for the city
attorneYto say that i'll the present stu
alton it is for the city's best interests to
delay the payment of the certificates
which fall due this fall, and to use the
money for the fire department; for if it
| can be done in this case, it can lust as
we'll be done in the case used for illus
tratioI, whereby one department is
robbed for the benefit of another. If
these certificates are not paid this fall,
and the money which should be credited
to the funds is used for the fire depart
ment, it will be just as much diversion
of funds as though money were deliber-
ately taken out of one fund and spent
! or'the benefit of another.
1t is amusing to note how the mayor
and Mr.. WHEELOCK are now convinced
that they must make it appear that the
fire board has not been extravagant.
They are still sticking to their BULLDOG
ing policy of carrying their scheme
through by woodworking the public into
the belief that the fire department has
! exercised the utmost economy, and
therefore it must have more money than
it is allowed by the charter. We may
expect to see these people engaged in a
desperate effort to convince the commit
tee of citizens that the fire department
could not have spent a cent less than it
has. This was not their first tactics
but they have been driven to it. and are
! forced to take the back track on some
things they have said about the fire de-
| partment.
If these certificates are allowed to
run on, the city will be compelled to
pay an additional 6 per cent interest,
and this will be violation of section 10
| of the charter.
A CONFUSED EDITOR.