St. Paul daily globe., 1896-01-24
THE OUTLINES IN THE. GLOBE
WE'RE CORRECT IN THAT THE
GENTLEMEN COULDN'T AGREE
ON FRONTAGE TAX.
ASSEMBLY sNUBs MIR. MCARDY.
VIII Keep the Money Set Aside for
the Interest of the City With
in Call.

submitted Its supplemental report to the
assembly at a special meeting of that
body held yesterday afternoon. The
report deals with two subjects, the wa
! ter works department and the va1ua-
tlon OF property for taxation. AS out
nned In the G o b e yesterday, the
members of the committee failed to
| agree upon the question of abolishing
| the frontage tax. Consequently there
are TWO reports upon this subject, one
faVoring abolition of the frontage tax,
signed by Messsrs Sanborn, Lusk, Cas-
| tie, Lewis and Parker, and the other
| advocating, a continuance of the tax
under certain conditions, which is sign
| ed by Col w. P. Clough and Aid Mark
nam. The reports We're received and
placed on file without being read They
are published in full herewith.
The assembly passed the December pay
roll and audited claims, and the city
employees will probably receive their
December salaries tomorrow.
A resolution authorizing the negotia-
ton and sale of certificates of indebt-
edness to the amount of $4,000, which
sum is annually set aside out of the
general fund for the advancement of the
interests of the city, was adopted But
When the accompanying resolution pro-
Violng that an order be drawn on the
city treasurer for SO, 900 in favor of the
mayor and comptroller was introduced,
Messrs Lewis and Reardon detected a
dark-compleXioned gentleman in the
WOOD pile. Comptroller McCardy, who
mad been sent for to explain the two
resolutions, said that the city had in
CURED during the past year an indebt-
of -.
clal fund. The sum of $1,000 had been
expended in the taking of the city
census, $4,000 was owing to the gentle
men who had given a joint note for
that amount with which to purchase a
library for the steamship "St Paul"
ana there was an additional indebted
ness of $500. As the resolution in it's
original form, as drafted by Mr.. Nc
Cardy, called for an order for $4,000
in favor of the comptroller, Mr. Lewis
and Mr.. Reardon both saw that such a
measure would place the sole control
of the remaining $4,000 in these two Of
f1cials. Remembering how the comp
troller had refused last year to sign a
warrant for $500 for a contingent fund
for the mayor, the assembly amended
the resolution SO as to provide that an
order be drawn on the city treasurer in
favor of the mayor and comptroller for
the sum Of ST 100, payable out of the
fund derived from the sale Of certifi-
Gates Of Indebtedness to the extent of
$4,000. By this coup d'etat, the council
retains absolute control of the remain
ing $2,700.
Following is the full report of the re-
trenchment committee, the minority re-
port being given first:
TO the Common Council of the City of st.
Paul-Your committee for examining the af-
fairs of the several departments of the city
tho
excepted from its main report, as follows
WATER DEPARTMENT.
This department is controlled by a board of
five commissioners, designated the "board of
water commissioners, appointed by the may
years. The officers of the board are presi-
dent, and a vice president, required to be
elected annually by the board, from among
its own members; and secretary, elected by
the board, without stated term. BY law,
the salary Of the president is fixed at 81 200
per year. and the salaries of the other mem
bers Of the board at the same rate as at the
time is paid to aldermen The salaries of the
secretary, and of all other officers appointed by
the board, are fixed by the board, subject to
approval by the city council. The salary of
the secretary has been SO fixed at So 500 per
year. By law, the city engineer, city treas
urer, city comptroller and corporation attor-
ney have respectfully been made ex-officio en-
g1Deer, treasurer, comptroller and attorney of
the water board, without additional compen-
sation. The water board is separate munic-
lpal body, empowered by law to acquire and
hold property, make contracts and sue and be
sued in its own name. All matters pertaining
to the construction, extension, maintenance
and operation of the water works, and the col
lection of the revenues therefrom, save the
amounts of salaries of officers and directors,
are under the exclusive control of the board.
Whether, under its general powers, the
board could issue its time obligations for rails
ing money, is not entirely clear Bonds
for money expended on the works thus far
issued, have been made under express and
specific legislative permission. and in the
name OF the city. By law, it is the duty of
the secretary to collect and pay into the city
treasury all moneys due on account of the
operation of the works, save the proceeds OF
the frontage tax, and those of bond sales and
to keep accounts showing all financial tran
sactions of the department By practice of the
department, the secretary is general manager
of all its business; and the position is there
fore one of Importance and responsibility For
immediate supervision af the works, super
intendent is employed, with salary Of So 500
per year. fixed in the manner before stated.
compensation of the president Of the water
board has been limited to the sum of 81 900
per year; that of the secretary to the of
$500 per year, and that of the superintendent
to the sum of $1,SQ0 per year. The question
of the applicability of this act to the present
1ncumbents of the office named has been
touched upon in your committees main re-
port D. 1C
THE WATER WORKS.
. Ownership by the city of system of wa
ter works began in the year 1882, by acquisi-
tion from the st. Paul Water company of its
plant: The price paid was $4,000. The
length of mains acquired was % miles 1862
feet; the source offsuppiy, Lake Phaen, the
force for delivery. graEitation. The date of
taking over the original works was Aug 10
1882. Since that date there have been laid
by the water board 21S miles 553 fee of
mains, of which something over Z miles rep
resent original mains relaid or abandoned
So Sc. that the actual present length of mains is
233 miles and 1914 feet In round numbers,
13 miles of mains are for collection of
supply, and 220 miles for delivery service
The general system is composed of three di-
visional systems-the Lake Phalen and high
service system for the main town and the
West st. Paul system for the district on the
west side of the river There are four pump
ing stations, three for the East side and
one for the West. and a large artificial res
ervolr. located near the northern city bound
ary, at an elevation well above the highest
part of the town. The sizes of the several
portions of the mains, and the lengths of the
i've ci1 Ill