St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-06-06
$35 Is

ules A and B, showing the cases in
/, which the city was interested either as
plaintiff or defendant" 1t contains no
summary showing the amount and num-
Der of damage suits against the corpora
ton OF the amount of judgments recov-
cred; in fact, no Information that would
be OF special Information or interest to
the council.
FIRE DEPARTMENT..
This department has been managed
with its usual efficiency. The report of
the commissioners shows the losses by
fire during 1898 amounted to $513. SS4.55.
and that the insurance on the
property was s.. So, S94. They esti-
mate the value of the whole property of
the fire department to be $3.50. $50. "a;
they report that force is we'll disciplined
under the management OF Chief Jack
son and his able assistants. 1.-The chief
recommends the necessity of all i'll
crease of the number of houses and APP
paratus in districts which are not well
protected at present." 1t will be your
duty to examine intD and determine if
these suggestions are of such impor.
lance as to require your immediate ac.
ton.
You will find the report of the fire
commissioners and chief of fire depart
ment worth your careful attention.
BOARD OF CONTROL.
The report of this board deserves
more than passing notice. The duties
and responsibilities of this board are
arduouS. difficult, and require the eXer-
else of good sense and judgment more
than any other in the city. They are
required. in addition to other duties. to
furnish aid to the outside poor, and it
is oftentimeS difficult to determine the
really worthy recipients. They show
an expenditure in this department for
the year ending Dec. 81, 1898:
For hospital. ,....... $3.50. 49,. S2535o II
Fer almShouse. ........ 10,041 OF
For salaries ................... S,449 SO
For outside aid. 1860 IS
A total. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS $50, 529 Is
The clerk of the board has kindly
furnished me statement of expendi-
lures for the months of January, Feb
ruary, March and April, 1894. which
shows all enormous increase over the
same months for 1898, as follows:
Hospital. .s9. 1871 SO
Almshouse. -. ................ 4,611 81
OUTSIDE. ~ 24UsS9
showing all increase in outside aid of
expenditure of the public money, but
how it can be avoided wnen we have so
many unemployed poor in our midst
appears almost impossible to say.
Your attention is specially called to
the very able report of the city and
county physician. DR.. Ancker, and if
you have formed unfayorable opinion
as to the management of the city hos
pital, your prejudices will he at once re-
moved. In the summary of work done
by the city and county physician and
his assistants he shows as follows:
Total number Of professional calls
made. 1880: number of applications
for professional service received at city
and county physicians Office, 14,6O0;"
and adds, VERY few of our citizens
have any idea of the scope of this por-
ton of the work of the department.
which [ have the honor of represent
ing"
WATER BOARD.
The report of the water commission
ers is in manuscript, as well as most of
the reports of the departments, and it
requires great labor to get the proper
information to lay before the common
council. This state of things ought not
to be tolerated. Reports of officers of
the various departments are required to-
be made at the end of the fiscal year,
Dec. 81; yet none of these reports are
printed up to the present time, five
months after they are made. with one
eXceptlon-the comptroller's reporter
which there was special arrangement
made to print. The water commission
ers report that there is now in the hands
OF the city treasurer to the credit of the
sinking fund sum amounting to S172,-
047.s2. Just i'll what shape this fund is
i'll the treasury the report does not say:
it cannot he in cash, for the city treas
I,ra rnnnrf ShnxvS nntU hol
TO the water board Sinking fund OF SlS,.
| 944.49. The report also claims that
there is still due this department, under
section 10, Laws 1891, page So, for the
water furnished the city for purposes
specified in that act, for 1898, for fire
and other purposes, SI27, 33lS 3d." and
asks that prOvi SiOns be made in the tax
levy to cover this amount and place it
in the treasury to the credit of the water
board sinking fund. This suggestion
is matter for your consideration. I
would not in these times advise the CON-
mon council to make levy for such a
| purpose.
have thus briefly repeated in this
message the subjects already reported
| to the common council, for the purpose
| of impressing oil your minds the grave
| responsibilities that rest upon you as
| the direct representatives OF the people,
| ana to urge upon you the necessity of
examining in detail the reports of the
departments of the city, and to correct
| abuses, if any exist, and 10 adopt such
! suggestions therein made as in your
| Judgment will be for the best interest
| of the city.
1t is welI-known fact that I have
| always in the past advocated the pay
| meDt of liberal salaries to all of the
officers and employees of the city, and
would now. if the exigencies of the
times did not demand retrenchment in
every department, when the industries
of the country are tottering to fall,
our people burdened with debt and
taxing every energy to pay their taxes
and Save their little, homes. 1t is true
that the tax-eaters should cUme to the
front and help to bear these almost I'M
bearable burdens
We would therefore recommend, if
the common council has the power, that
committee be appointed with a view
to liberal reduction of all salaries, and
we sincerely hope the council will see
the necessity of at once giving this sub
ject their earnest consideration.
CONCL USION.
we have very gem of city, sur