St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-06-21
His Merry Communication Is
Every Way Character
istic Of Him.
The Ordinance for a Selby
Hill Cable Device Pass es
the Board.
Despite the Torrid Heat, the
Aldermen Transact Much .
Business.

transacted large grist OF business.
The president, OH petition OF Sixth
street property owners, appointed a
special committee of three to act with a
like committee from the assembly to
investigate as to the proposed sale by
the city treasurer of property assessed
for the building of the Sixth street
bridge.
The communication, which is signed
by ali the property owners on Sixth
street, is as follows:
The undersigned property owners,
assessed for the building of bridge on
Sixth street, would respectfully petition
for relief in the following matter:
About two years ago the undersigned
with other property owners were as
sessed in exceedingly heavy amounts
for the bridge on Sixth street. The
assessment in Kittson'S addition was the
heaviest ever imposed anywhere in the
city. and, together with the additional
assessments for opening, grading, sewer,
sidewalk and paving, was great hard
ship to the property owners. who were
all of the opinion that the amounts as
sessed for the bridge. on the lots in
Kittsen'S addition in particular, were
isproportionately high.
After contesting the matter for some
time, arrangements had been made by
the property owners to carry the case to
the supreme court, when, after due con-
sideration and consultation between the
property owners and parties interested,
it was stipulated and agreed in court,
between the attorneys representing the
property owners and the city attorney,
that if the property owners would drop
their appeal and not carry the case to
the supreme court, they should be al
lowed to pay the amount of the original
assessment into the treasury, and that
the city would not attempt to enforce
any additional penalties, interest and
costs.
The property owners having in good
faith paid the amounts so agreed upon
into the treasury, it is now being at
tempted to enforce these additional
amounts and to sell our property for
them. We therefore would respectfully
ask 10 have committee appointed to
investigate this matter so as to give us
a hearing, and that your body request
the city treasurer to withdraw or ad-
journ said sale until said committee
has reported. AS we dropped our ap-
peal, paid our money i'll good faith. and
there was a surplus left to the credit OF
this account after we had done SO, we
have no doubt you will grant our re-
quest in the interest of justice.
The attention of your body is respect
fully. called TO the annual report Of City
Treasurer Miller for 1892
On page II, under collections, III the
cash account, appears the sum OF $685.
517.51. received OH Sixth street bridge
which agrees with the
as given i'll he comptroller'S re-
port.
On page IS of the same report, Ac-
count No. 10 is the ledger account of
the Sixth street bridge fund, and here
the receipts from assessments collected
are given as $56, 1914, instead OF $685.,
5l7.51, a difference of S425.97. which
credited to the Improvement where it
belongs, and the report does
not account for what has become of 1t.
Your petitioners have reason to be-
lieve that an attempt is being made to
retain these excess amounts Wrongfully
eXorted from us, and to divert them
into another channel in order to prevent
them from being returned to those to
whom they tightfully belong.
The above is in direct violation of the
city charter, which prohibits the diver
sion or nom crediting of funds belonging
to an improvement account or fund
under penalty of $1,000, removal from
office or imprisonment, in the SevereSt
possible terms.
For the above reasons, your petitioners
would respectfully ask that steps be
taken to prevent any further recurrence
Of the matters complained of, and to
a committee to be appointed
to employ reliable expert to examine
the books of said Treasurer Miller and
his annual report to see whether there
are other cases, similar to that above
mentioned.
The president appointed Aldermen
Conley, Copeland and Zimmerman as
the aldermanie end of the committee,
and resolution was passed, requesting
the treasurer to adjourn the proposed
sale until the committee had submitted
a report as to the merits of the case as
far as the city and property owners
were concerned.
John WAGNER also sent in protest
in the same matter, and said the city
treasurer was attempting to enforce
penalties and costs which were unlaW-
full and illegal. as he had. with the
knowledge and consent of the city at
torney, been exempted from them by
the courts. For this reason he requested
the treasurer be directed to satisfy the
Judgment against him and stop further
in the matter. The COM
was sent to the committee
on claims.
Oh! The Nerve of Him!
City Treasurer Miller who has been
to make political capital
out of alleged illegal acts of eX-City
Treasurer Refs, sent III the following
communication. While there has been
some question as to the ability of the
incumbent to properly conduct
the affairs of the Office, perusal of the
following will convince the most skepti-
cal that as a classical and original
writer he cannot be eXcelled;
Some six or seven weeks ago your
honorable body practically stopped the
public examiner from going ON with the
of the books in the city
treasurer's Office kept by eX-Treasurer
Refs, from June, 1882, to June. 1892, and
appointed joint committee to investi-
gate whether or net to 90 on with the
and find out how much
lllO Clly IOSl lHIOuSll MI. pGIS Nv HIS
fayOring certain class of citizens to
the detriment OF others and try to re-
cover the money so lost. Fhe commit
tee never met to this day. not to my
surprise, for L expected that would be
the end, as far their Investigation would
go. / have continued the investigation,
and guaranteed payment therefor, and
herewith hand you statement Of the
grand total, which is as follows:
Public Examiner Kenyon notified
you some time ago that he found
interest moneys and judgment costs
not collected as the law requires,
from iS87to 1898 .................. $4,000
ure. ...........,.. 49,. 4,sss o.
Forty sheets not added up (esti-
mated) ........ -. 49, 49,. 5000 90
Since AIR Kenyon stopped. found as
follows, from 1852 to 1887. ....... 19,94S Sc
Refundlng orders. Observation-Disclosures. 6,2D0 90
Grand total. ............... SCI, 47G IS
If your honorable body is NOT inclined
to bring an immediate action against
XIreasuer Refs III order to recover
the Observation-Disclosures then |
ask you to return to me
The detailed report made by Public Elk
aniner Kenyon 10 your honorable body,
and | will find means to go Oh with the
without your aid.
On motion OF aid. Cullen the epistle