The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-10-01
NEARBY PLAYS THE SPHINX,
AND REFUSES TO ANSWER QUE
RTEs MADE by THE SCHOOL
BOARD.
TIM REARDoN AS THE WATCHDOG
Insists the Expense of City Depart-
ments Be Cat Down Even by
Heroic Measures.

Ing the CITY engineer to so rearrange
MS Office force as to reduce the ex-
penses thereof to $1,000 month. was
considered by the assembly commit
tee on ways and means yesterday
afternoon. The pay roll for the month
OF september just past amounted to
@I'sfooo. The committee went over the
list OF employees briefly. Mr. Reardon.
VINO was present, Informed the com
mlttee that in his opinion there was no
necessity for bridge engineer, nor for
TOUR assistant engineers. CITY En-
glneer Rund1ett 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
Assembfyman Mabon, to recommend
the adoption of a resolution restricting
the monthly expenses of the city en-
gineers office to 81 200, the resolution to
take effect Nov. l, 1896. The intention
is to have the matter discussed before
! the entire assembly. as S.
should the resolution as amended
ever become effective, it would necessi-
tate the removal OF several Of the pres
,ent members of the engineers office
force. $50
President Abbott Of the school hoard
/ appeared before the COMMITTEES and
submitted for its approval a contract
/ with george lsMcGeary for equipping
the Van Buren, school In the Second
ward with new heating and ventilat-
! ing apparatus. The contract price
stated was $4,991. DR.. Abbott informed
the committee that the present furnace
pant IN the Van Buren, school was
! practically worn out and inadeouate
to properly heat the school. The aues-
ton was, outeof what fund could the
work be paid for DIR. 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 answer to DR.. Abbott's ques-
! ton. Comptroller 'McCardy 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-About $500.
| DR.. Abbott-It was 5000 according
| to the last report I saw.
! Comptroller McCardy-Alright, call 1t
what you like.
DR.. Abbott-Can't the, council by or
dinance divert that fund as the council
originally created 1t?
Comptroller McCardy-That is a
question of law The council has
already passed an ordinance pursuant
! to the charter providing a certain sum
of money for the maintenance of the
schools. and all expenses must be paid
/ OUT Of that appropria ton.
DR. Abbott-But why don't the colln-
Gil divert this specific fund to the pur-
| pose in question?
4 McCardy-You must answer those
| questions. I am not on the witness
stand. 81
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 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 closed into
| the school fund would not constitute
an additional fund, but become only
an additional source Of income to the
4 school fund. 80
but" repeated Dr. Abbott, ''if the
| council has al right to make such a
| disposition Off this rental and repair
| fund as you suggest, why can't the
council use it Tor this specific purpose
proposed?' n
! Comptroller McCardy remained silent.
| Dr. Abbott thereupon departed unable
| to gain the information he desired.
The comptroller Ioosened up little
I after the departure Of Dr. Abbott, and
informed the committee 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 fit, 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
rernedied by inserting after the figures
/ 1891 the words payable out Of the
fund for the maintenance ana support
! Of the public schools" The clause re-
| curing the heating plant to be com
| pleted on or before Nov. 10, 1898, was
/ amended by extending the time to Jan.
8, 1887. and in this form. the committee
1 voted TO recommend the approval of
the contract. 800
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 10
the estimate of the fire board. will be
$2O6 sos o. The matter was laid over,
as 1t comes properly before the con-
ference committee next December.
VAN vORHEs-BRADEN.
l