St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-06-27
allowance. that the funds allowed them

allowance. that the funds allowed them
have been used IN such manner that
either retrenckment or indebtedness is
sure to result. They have seen tie fire
board, for instance, endeayoring to
meet expenses aggregating over ssO.O0o
with a revenue of about $4,000. They
have seen the mayor of the city sug-
costing the temporary transfer of money
from one fund to another, sort of Dor
rowing from st. Paul to pay st. Peter.
and they have seen Comptroller Nc
CARDY telling these gentlemen plainly
and emphatically that they must incur
no unauthorized debt; that he would
draw no warrants hot authorized by
law, and, to the mayor. that no money
could be transferred, even TEN porarily,
from one. fund to another. His position
is that the law must be obeyed.
The GLOBE is bound to say that the
comptroller is right. When he says to
the boards that they must cut their gar
ment to their cloth, that expenses must
be reduced to income, he is not only
standing by the law, but he is standing
on sound financial ground. 1t is not
cheering spectacle on the one hand to
see the executive head of the city Sug-
costing that the law be evaded in order
that scale of expenses suited to the
better times when it was drawn may DE
maintained. and Is is cheering to see on
the other hand that the mantle of JOHN
ROCHE has fallen on equally sturdy
shoulders, and we have comptroller
who can veto the proposed evasion.
The GLOBE suggests to the gentlemen
of all these boards that it is just as we'll
to recognize the fact that the whole coun-
try is going through process of liquida-
ton and readiustment. We have been
flying high; we have been living beyond
incomes; values have sunk to lower
plane and we have got to Get down on
it too. Business men are recognizing
this, and those who do not are contem-
plating assignments for the benefit of
their creditors or will soon be. We are
down on hard pan, back again to con-
dition where the small economies be-
come decisive of the balance being Oh
the right or wrong side of the ledger.
Expenses that went unchallenged in the
flush times are now pared down or Oft;
salaries are being scaled down; the
working forces are being trimmed down
to the absolutely essential. Business
sees that there is gale on and it is
reefing its sails.
The city is nothing, should be Moth
ing but great big business corporation,
to be conducted on sound, safe business
principles. 1t draws its funds from the
business community. In justice to
those who support it it should not en-
deayor to run on a scale Of expenditure
unsuitable in good times but too broad
now, but it should enforce the retrench-
ments which business men feel neceS-
sary in their affairs. Because the
money is derived under compulsory
process is only stronger reason why
it's expenditure should be guarded by
economy. Because salaries are paid in
tax money is no reason why they should
not be readjuSted to the changed value
of services.
1t is condition, gentlemen of the va
rious boards, and not theory that con-
fronts you. That condition is dimin-
shed incomes among the people ana
diminished income for the city,. Com
mon sense and business sense dictate
but one course, and that is that you
bring your expenses within the incomes
O. your departments. The operation
III ~ be painful, but the subjects OF it
will have at least this consolation-th
everybody is in the boat with them.