St. Paul daily globe., 1896-01-15
MORE AT THE JOINT COMMIT
TEE MEETING.
COMPROMISE is AGREED ON.
ALDERMEN TRADE THE FIRE DE-
PAHTMENT REDUCTION TO
SAVE THE CLERKS.
City Officers, Salaries Are Cut Willy.
Niiiy, and Other Funds Changed
Materially.

At last the tax estimate for the year
1896 has been practically fixed, as the
joint committee OF conference appoint
ed by the council came to an agree
ment yesterday afternoon. That the
decision of this committee will be in
dorsed by both bodies of the council
is generally conceded, as the COM
mittee was organized for the very pur-
pose of harmonizing all differences be-
| tween the assembly and the board of
aldermen.
AS result of the labors of the COM
mittee, a net reduction amounting to
| SlS,916 was effected over the saving
recommended by the conference COM
mittee. This surprising result was
| brought about through the concessions
of the half of the committee represent
ing the board of aldermen. The net
| reduction recommended by the con-
! ference committee amounted in all to
| Sl62,544 Adding to this the further
| reduction of $1S,9l6 accomplished by the
| committee yesterday, gives a total re-
! duction of the original estimate as
| submitted by the controller of $lS1, ,46O
The reductions of the estimate as rec
ommended by the conference commit
tee were effected in the following de-
! paltments: Iigting fund, reduced from
$4,000 to $120, 900; city engineers de-
| partment fund, reduced from $S4 000 to
| 1000; board of public works fund, re-
duced $500; bridge repair fund from
5000 to $4,000; and the item for print
/ ing, advertising etc, was reduced from
$4,000 TO $2O,000 making a gross reduc-
| ton of $32, ,260; as against this the item
for street sewer and bridge mainte-
nance fund was increased from $13O, 900
to $14O,O00; the building inspectors fund
was raised from 81 00O to So 900; and the
city officers salary fund increased by
$l,444, making total addition of $l3 344,
the difference leaving net decrease
over the conference committees recon-
mendations Of $1S,9l6, as already stated.
When the committee assembled, Aid.
Brady announced that the officials had
all been seen since the meeting Of the
day before and asked what reductions
in their salaries they would accept The
mayor the city treasurer and the mem
bers OF the board of public works agreed
to accept a cut of 10 per cent, while City
Engineer Rundlett said he would stand
a cut of 20 per cent. The city attorney,
city comptroller, health commissioner,
city clerk and other officials, whose sal
aries are fixed by law, refused positively
to stand any cut. In view of this con-
dition of affairs Aid. Brady agreed to
lay aside his motion of the previous day
providing for a cut in salaries on the
basis of 20 per cent, 10 per cent, 10 per
cent and 3 per cent, according to the
rate of compensation received.
The committee then took up the
budget and proceeded with the items
seriatim The first second and third
items were adopted as a matter Of
course while the fire department was
laid over for a while The fifth item
providing $1S5 600 for the police depart
ment fund, was adopted. The sixth
item, street lighting, which the confer
ence committee had already reduced
from $165. 900 to $140, 900, was scaled down
to $120,000. The seventh and eighth
items were approved as reported by the
conference committee. There was some
discussion over the school fund esti-
mate, which had been fixed by the con-
ference committee at $500 Aid.
Wolf moved that the $3.50 900 for support
OF the public schools be reduced to $l35,-
000 and that the sum Of $4,000 be in
serted to make provision for an addi-
ton to the GOIman school building.
Mr.. Lewis said, in this connection, that
he thought the schools could be run for
$4,000 less than they were, although he
was aware that anybody who adVoCat-
ed such retrenchment was subject TO
have the finger cf scorn pointed at him
| by the newspapers, VINO seemed to be
controlled by certain powers favorable
to the schools. Mr.. Lewis then second
ed Aid VOLTS motion, which prevailed
The committee then passed to the con-
siGeration of the building inspectors
department fund. Building Inspector
Kingsley was called in to explain the
| needs of the department There was a
great deal Of discussion over this, and
the matter for the time was being laid
! aside, but later on it was taken up. and
nTt mr. nf Mr. A
recommended by the conference com
mittee was raised to s., 900. This allows
. the inspector salary of 81 500 year
as fixed by law, and the sum Of $4,000
for clerk hire, and 800 for office ex-
penses. Under this arrangement the
Office can be conducted with one man
| less than has heretofore been employed
The health department fund, for which
$40, 100 was estimated, remained intact
The court house and city hall main
tenance fund was adopted without
change.
So was the estimate for the workhouse
fund.
1t took considerable time to dispose
of the estimate for the engineering
department fund. The conference com
mittee had already reduced il from
$36, 500 to $4,000. On motion of Mr.
Strouse the committee cut it to S32,-
000
The allowance for the board of pub
lie works of S16.134 was reduced TO
S15,S74, the sum Of $3.50 being deducted
from the s46O originally allowed for
| office expenses.
There was no end of talk over the
estimate for the street, sewer and
bridge maintenance fund. The confer
ence committee had placed it at $780,
600. The board of aldermen had re-
stored it to $500 AS a measure Of
compromise Mr.. Strouse moved that
the sum of 600 be allowed, which
! was lost on the first vote. but the fig
Ure was ultimately placed at that
amount. This was offset by reducing
the bridge repair fund $4,000 and also
deducting $4,000 from the printing fund
The appropriation OF $4,000 for the
Raymond avenue bridge was allowed
| to stand.
The Judgment library and municipal
| court funds, with the reductions rec
commended by the conference commit
tee, were adopted
The twenty-fourth item for the gen.
eral fund passed with but one alter
alton, the $4,000 originally estimated
l hn ,.I,. Ix,,s, Il