The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-10-01
M'cARDY PLAYS THE SPHINX,
AND REFUSES TO, ANSWER QUE
RIEs MADE ny THE SCHOOL
BOARD.
TIM REARDoNA AS THE WATCHDOG
Insists the Expense of City Depart
ments Be Cnt Down Even by
Heroic Measures.


his office force as, to reduce the ex-
penses thereof to 81 900 month, was
considered by the assembly commit
tee on ways and means yesterday
afternoon. The pay roll for the month
or september just past amounted to
sl,9Ioo5. The committee went over the
list or employees briefly. Mr.. Reardon.
who was present, informed the com
mittee that in his opinion there was no
necessity for bridge engineer. nor for
-FOUR assistant engineers. City En-
gineer Rundlett was not present but
the committee took action notwith-
standing, without going into details or
recommending any specific changes.
the committee decided, on motion of
Assemblyman Mabon, to recommend
the adoption of a resolution restricting
the monthly expenses of the city en-
glneers office to 81 200, the resolution to
take effect Nov. I. 1886. The intention
Is to have the matter discussed before
the entire assembly.
Should the resolution as amended
ever become effective. 1t would necessi-
tate the removal Of several of the pres
ent members of, the engineers Office
force. .z&ocE ssa4 49,
President Abbott, of the school board
appeared before the committee and
submitted for it's approval a contract
with George McGeary for equfpping
the Van Buren, school in the Second
ward with new heating and ventilat-
ing apparatus. - The contract price
stated was 81, 99fs DR.. Abbott informe ed
the committee that the present furnace
plant In the Van Buren, school was
practically worn ont and Inadequate
to properly heat the school. The ques-
ton was, out of what fund could the
work be paid for. Dr. Abbott thought
that the fund known as the school
rental and repair fund.-" could be di-
verted for that purpose. City Comp
troller McCardy: was thereupon sent
for. In answered. DR.. Abbott's ques-
ton, Comptroller MeCardy said:
ANY contract Of this nature that the
school board may make must be paid
for out Of the fund devoted to sup
plies. fuel and repairs. No other fund
can be devoted to that purpose"
What amount is there In that rental
and repair fund % inquired DR.. Abbott.
Comptroller McCardy-Abou $780,
DR.. Abbott-It was $4,000 according
to the last report saw.
Comptroller McCardy-Alright call 1t
what you lilse.
DR.. Abbott-Can't the council by or
dinanee divert that fund as the council
originally created it? ad
Comptroller MeCardy-That is a
question of law.s@The council has
to the charter pro@iding a certain sum
of money for the maintenance OF the
schools, and all expenses must be paid
out of that appropriation.
DR.. Abbott-But why don't the coun-
Gil divert this specific fund to the pur-
pose in question?
McCardy-You must answer those
questions. I am not on the witness
stand. =
Then the comptroller vouchsafed a
scheme of his own. He said that he
intended to recommend to the COM
mon council that the rental and repair
fund, about which there had been SO
much controversy, be made a part of,
or be closed into the general school
fund. to help make up the amount ap-
propriated by the council for the main
tenance OF the schools. The rental ana
repair fund so added or 'c,osed into
the school fund would not constitute
an additional fund, but become only
an additional source OF income to the
school fund. 49,.
But. repeated DR.. Abbott, 'if the
council has a right to make such a
disposition of this rental and repair
council use it for thfs specific purpose
proposed?" : .9.ss4
Comptroller McCardy remained silent.
DR.. Abbott thereupon departed unable
to gain the information he desired.
The comptroller loosened up little
after the departure of DR.. Abbott, and
informed the conHsdttee that in case
the rental and repair fund were closed
into the school fund.- the prospects of
raising the entire amount appropriated
for the schools would be greatly i'm
proved The committee might there
fore, If It saw At. approve the contract,
which would become a. charge on the
regular school maintenance fund.
Upon examining the form Of the pro-
posed contract, the comptroller pro-
nounced. it worthless as It did not
state the fund out Of which the pay
ment was to be made. This defect was
remedied by inserting after the figures
"a 9S1 the words payable out OF the
fund for the maintenance and support
Of the public schools" The clause re-
curing the heating plant to be COM
pleted on or before Nov. 10, 1895, was
amended by extending the time to Jan.
s, 1897, and In this form. the committee
voted to recommend the approval OF
the contract. s
The committee received from the fire
board q statement containing the esti-
mate of the expenses OF maintaining
the department for the year 1897. The
amount actually needed, according 70
the estimate Of the fire board. will be
S20S, 50S22 The matter was laid over,
as It comes properly before the con-
ference committee next December.