St. Paul daily globe., 1893-04-23
MONKEY BUSINESS.
The Work of the Reform and
Republican" Council Partakes
OF This Quality.
Press Club Entertainment Not
Likely to BE FavOred-A
Political Search.

AS Aid. Freddie Ingersoll expressed
1t, The Republicans are again united"
The unity meeting to which the would
be mayor alluded was held yesterday
afternoon in the Rebekah lodge room
in Odd Fellow hall. Present were
fourteen of the reform members of the
board of aldermen and assembly and
Comptroller McCardy. The comptroller
assumed the part of Rebekah, and by
his talk and argument prevented any
dipping in the city treasury except that
interests of reform.
The first matter considered was the
appropriation of $4,000, to aid the press
club in entertaining in a proper man
ner the National Press clubs cOnven-
tiOn to be held in this city in May.
Some of the members were in favor of
passing the appropriation, bat McCardy
put in his protest, and it had the effect
of making those advocating 1t weaken.
The comptroller said the law stated
$4,000 year was set apart for advanc-
ing the best Interests of the city. On
Dee. 81, 1892. the council had passed
resolution ordering the issuance of
$4,000 worth of certificates of indebt-
edneSs, the proceeds to be used i'll de-
frayIng in part the Great Northern cele-
bratioh. In bis opinion this amount
would nave TO come out of the appropri-
alton for this wear, ,and. if such were the
case, there would be no money left in
the fund for the Press club.
Some one suggested that the money
was to come out of the appropriation for
1892. and that was the understanding
when the special meeting was called on
the last day of the year and the reSolu-
tions passed by both bodies and ap-
proved by the mayor. McCardy. how
ever, raised the point that the publica-
ton of the resolutions was not made
until after the first of the year, and con-
SeQuently the money would have to be
taken from this years appropriation.
1t was finally decided to leave the point
raised to the city attorney. with the un-
derstanding that if the $4,000 for the
Great Nerthen celebration could be
taken from the appropriation of 1892.
then $1,000 would be given the press
club to help entertain their visitors.
In case the Great Northern celebration
was TO be under this years apprOpri-
alton then the press club will get
nothing. Some of the members were
loud i'll promises that if the money could
not be given, they would put their
hands in their pockets and keep them
there.
The question of continuing the inveS-
tigation of the city treasurer'S books
now being made by deputy under the
supervision of Public Examiner Ken
yOn, provoked long and decidedly
warm discussion. 1t was argued that
under all circumstances the investiga-
ton should be continued. The advan-
tage to the party by having the report
made as late this year as possible
was thought to be the best kind
of campaign ammunition. This plan,
however, while meeting with favor, was
somewhat spoiled by Comptroller Nc
Cardy. who announced that there was
no money in the treasury to continue
the work. The law provided that not
more than $500 could be paid in any one
year for the examination of the books Of
the city by the public examiner. The
council. he said, had passed resolution
ordering the public examiner to 90 over
the books in the treaSurer'S Office for
period of ten years, but the resolution did
not say what fund the money was to be
paid from, and in fact there was no
fund from which the money could be
paid. This threw damp cloth over
the meeting, but it was decided to allow
the public examiner to finish the 5000,
aud then submit his report. Several of
the members were of the opinion that if
the report was made in the right way it
would be better thantO have it suddenly
stopped. as it would give the admins
tration chance to hint that if they had
been allowed to proceed there was no
telling what would have been dis
covered.