St. Paul daily globe., 1893-06-25
HOY1 TOLD TO REDUCE
The Everlasting Conference
on City Expenses Finally
Does Something,
By Instrueting the Health
Commissioner to Slacken
His Work.
Mr.. MeCardy Talks to the Fire
Board Like a German
Uncle.
Blunt Accusation That the
Commissioners Would
BulldOZe.

Another meeting of the conference
committee was held yesterday with rep
reSentatives from all the boards present
except the president of the park board.
During the session Comptroller Nc
Cardy made a talk which, although not
well received by the mayor, defined the
position of the comptroller and the pre-
aicament in which number of the de-
partments find themselves. Some
practical results were arrived
at, one OF them being the
adoption of a resolution inStructing the
eommissloner Of health to see that the
Expenditures of his department were
Kept within the so per cent limit of the
$4,000 allowed the department. Aside
rom this, the committee did nothing
put argue and discuss how, without
making reductions, the money to run
lhe other departments could be OBJ
Jained. 1t is needless to say that the
Question was not settled.
President Smith, of the school board,
who had been requested by a resolution
Introduced at the last meeting by the
president of the park board to be pres
ent at the meeting, was given the floor
as soon as the meeting was called to
order. Mr.. Smith explained that he
had not been advised of the previous
meetings Of the committee except in one
instance, and that meeting he was un-
able to attend. Looking around the
room, Mr.. Smith said he was sorry the
president of the park bOark was not
present to listen to his explanation.
Smith Is Sarcastic.
The mayor cut in by saying that Mr..
Wheelock was expected shortly. This
was the chance Mr.. Smith had been
waiting for, as he dryly remarked that
the meeting was called for O'clock and
all the members should be present at
that hour. The organ controlled by the
president of the park board, Mr.. Smith
Said, had published that he had failed to
attend the last three meetings and this
was not correct; he desired the state
ment be retracted.
The mayor, having smOothed the mat
Ter over by telling Mr.. Smith the papers
hardly ever had anything right,
plunged into the business by saying
that he had talked with the president Of
the fire board, and that gentleman was
ready to make a report showing how
the expenditures Of the board could be
reduced so as to keep within the $195, 900
which would be available. Mr.. Free
man took out several sheets of paper
and announced that with all of the $780,
900 spent but $4,000, ii would be
necessary to discontinue Chemical En-
gineS Nos. 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7, Hook and
Ladder Truck No. and Engine No 10.
The closing up of these houses would
allow the pay rolls for the next five
months to be reduced to s63. 741.90. This
would be still further reduced by a
Cut of 10 Per Cent on Salaries,
which would leave Sc, 73S.09 out of the
$4,000 for running expenses after pay
ing salaries. In answer to inquiry by
the mayor, Mr.. Freeman said the de
partment could not be run as it was
now for less than S2l5,000. Again Mr..
Freeman reiterated the old song about
what the members of the legislature
who had passed the Bell charter had
told the fire commissioners about pro-
vision being made for the fire depart
ment to have S215,000 with which to run
the department. This amount, he said,
the board hoped to get, as 1t was the
only way by which the department
could be run and run right.
Comptroller McCardy was on his feet
as soon as Mr.. Freeman had concluded,
and said the members of the fire board
had no right to appear before the con-
ference committee and plead ignorance
as to the state of their finances. 1t was
the duty of the commissioners to look
after the affairs of the department. This
was time when he was going to talk
plain, simply because the occasion de-
manded it. The department, he said.
had been run under the Bell charter
since March, 1891. and the members of
the board of fire commissioners were
familiar with the provisions of the
charter, or should be.
Late last fall he had notified the fire
board that they would have to live