The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-03
NC cARDY SAYS NAY
REFUSES TO AUDIT THE SALARIES
OF THREE CITY OFFI-
GALS
Is GETTING LEGAL ADVICE.
CITY CLERK, CITY TREASURER AND
CORPORATION ATTORNEYS
PAY HELD UP.
LAW OR 1890 is THE CAUSE OF TT.
should Their Pay be Cut Down or
Are They Entitled to the old
Rate.
Law OR 1890 is THE CAUSE OF n

semDly committee on ways and means
Yesterday afternoon, 1t was observed
| that the city comptroller had drawn,
req lines through the names of three
/ oIilclafs, City Clerk Jensen, CORPORA
tlon Attorney Darragh and City Treas
urer Horst. The result of this action
| IS tnat these three city officials will
not receive any more salary from the
CITY until the courts have passed upon
the law OF 1895, regulating the salaries
| Oh city ofnclals, or the question is per
manently settled in some other way.
chairman Craig, Of the committee on
ways and means. sent for the comp
| troller for the purpose Of learning his
reason for striking the three names
from the pay roll. Mr.. McCardy ap-
peared in person, and enlightened the
committee He informed the members
that he was getting some good legal
advice regarding the law of 1895. which
regulates salaries, and until he had
received the opinion of his advisers he
would refuse to allow their old salaries
to the officials whose salaries the law
or 1895 reduces from S.. 600 to $4,000 a
year.
In the cases of City Clerk Jensen and
Corporation Attorney Darragh, the sit
uatlon is somewhat peculiar. Under
the former law the annual salary at
tached to each office was $4,000. The
law of 1895, which took effect July Of
that year, provided that in effect that
on and after July l. 1895, the salaries
| OF all the officials who were receiving
| $1,000 per annum should not exceed
$4,000, and that the salary of the city
comptroller, who has always received
$4,000 year.. should not exceed Sd. 900.
and that of the mayor should not ex-
coed $4,000, which sum is $500 III excess
of his former salary. But the law of
1895 also contains the following pro-
| viso:
Provided, however, nothing contained in
this act shall effect or change in any man
ner whatsoever the salary fees peruuisites
or otter compensation of any of the officers
OF said cities heretofore mentioned during
the terms of said respective officers nor
| shall the provisions OF this act apply to any
Of said officers until after the expiration Of
their terms of Office, nor shall the salary of
any such officer, deputy assistant or clerk
now holding Office and whose salary is fixed
by law, be decreased during the time for
which such officer, deputy, assistant or clerk,
I was elected or appointed shall any of
the provisions of the act apply to any of the
present incumbents of any such Offices"
About year ago the council attempt
ed to compel the city officials whose
salaries were fixed By law, to submit to
| a reduction in their salaries, but the
attempt failed. Subsequently the
council submitted schedule of reduced
salaries and weakly asked the city Of
ficials if they. would voluntarily assent
to cut. Some of them said thcy
would, the reduction in the case of the
$4,000 salaries being only $780,. But City
Clerk Jensen and Corporation Attorney
Darragh refused positively to accept in
full payment of their salaries one cent
less than $1,000 a year or S41ec6 per
month. The council, however, decided
| that the city should actually pay them,
at the rate Of $4,000, which it has been
doing ever since Jan l. and Mr. Jensen
and Mr.. Darragh have been actually
drawing only 1915 per month Instead Gf
$416.66, they, of course, reserving the
right to sue at any time for the bal
anoe.
Theaquestion that now presents itself
is whether Mr.. Jensen and AR OAR
ragh come within the proviso Sc .tion
of the law exempting present iucum-
DENTS from its operation. The law was
approved April %. 1895, but did not
take effect until July 1, Of the same
year. City Clerk Jensen was electad
| to his present office in June, 1895, and
| his term does not expire until June.
|. 1899 Mr.. Darragh was elected city at
10y - AeIl III, 1000, anu his term VIII
not expire until March, 1897
Comptroller McCardy will not ait
upon these three cases until the cues
ton is definitely settled one way or the
other. 1t is contended by many that
the salary law like that of the law to
abolish the board of public works. is
a piece of special legislation and there
fore unconstitutional Should such
prove to be the case, none of the sal
aries fixed by the old law can be dis
turbed by the city council The city
engineer and building inspector haviag
been elected since the law of 1895 took
effect, are receiving the salaries pre-
scribed by that law, namely $4,000
year and $1,000 respectively.
Comptroller McCardy's name appears
on his own pay roll for 1921 66, that be-
ing his compensation at the rate of
$4,000 a year. The law Of 1895 allows
him $4,000 and the mayor $4,000 a year.
but the mayor also is down for SOS. 80.
which represents only $500 year.
The Big Steamer Follows the Races.
Minnesota Boat clubs annual regatta and
contest with Wisconsin eight July 4th The
Great Northern railway will sell tickets at
nifty cents for the round trip to Minnetonka
July 3, and S; good to return Monday, the