St. Paul daily globe., 1896-04-19
SHIFTY rs A WIND
TRUTHFUL STATEMENT OF M,CAR-
DY,S ATTITUDE TO THE Po-
LICE DEPARTMENT.
MADE VICTIMS OF HIS WHIMs.
HE HAS BEEN TECHNICAL WHERE
1T HAS SUITED HIS PLEAS
URE.
CALLED DOWN BY THE COURTS.
But Knowing He Had No Right to
Do So He Held Up Their
Pay.

Comptroller McCardy, in carefully worded
and edited statement in he Pioneer Press of
yesterday, attempts to explain that he was in
no way to blame for the holding back of the
salaries of the members q. the police depart
ment during the past three months. The
Pioneer Press, in the usual one-sided view
taken of any action OF position assumed by
the city bookkeeper blaAles the policemen
for daring to secure their salaries.
The members of the police department have
had to deal with McCardvl for The PAST three
years and have learned to their sorrow from
a financial standpoint just the kind of an .nd-
vidUal he is. Since his elevation to the of
fee of comptroller, McCardy has beel labor
Ing under the impression that he is the execu-
tive, legislative and judicial officer of the city
and should exercise all these duties in con-
nection with his bookkeeping.
The pay roll Of the police department. for
the month of January, 1896, was sent to the
comptroller ON Feb. 1. The same date the
comptroller sent the pay roll back, with let
ter stating that the pay roll was returned
for correction, according to a schedule adopt
ed by the conference committee, and as soon
as corrected to return"
He was informed by the chief of police in
a letter that the charter provides (as also
does Judge Kelly's decision) that the COM
mon council and, not the conference commit
tee nor the comptroller, had the authority to
fix the salaries Of the police department.
McCardy was ready and willing to pass the
pay roll of the police department for both
January and February providing the salaries
were fixed to suit his decision. This is just
the point where McCardy made his mistake,
which he and his advisers are endeavoring to
throw off to the council Had McCardy sent
the pay rolls to the council and allowed the
bodies to pass on what amount the policemne
should receive per month, he could then have
washed his hands of the matter. But he did
not do this. The fact is he would not and
did not take any action until matters were
arranged to suit HIS royal pleasure.
McCardy had kept the members of the po-
lice department out of their salaries for No
vember, 1893, and November, 1884, giving
numerous reasons for. not paying them. In
| December, 1893, he informed the common
council at the time he seEt to that body the
pay roll for November. that only part of
each policemans salary FOR the month could
be paid, owing to the delinquent taxes not
being paid in.
In March, 1894, he personally informed a
number of the members of the police depart
ment Che at that time being a candidate for
denomination and re-election), that he al
ready had on hand an amount from the deln-
quent taxes sufficient to pay each member
$13, of the $22.50 due them for November, 1893.
He thought. it better, at least he said so, to
wait until the entire amount was in and
then pay it all at once Two months later
having been reelected, he shifted his po-
siticn again and said it was hard to tell
when he would be able to pay the back SAL
aries for November, 1893 The members of
the department. were short all Of their sal
aries for November, 1894. although the police
department expended $1,000 less than their
charter allowance that year.
Again McCardy, when asked about the
probable time the November, 1893. and 1894
salaries would be paid, explained that he
hardly knew when, and laid the blame to the
failure to collect delinquent taxes.
In March, 1895, there being no election that
year, he wrote Aid. Timer as follows:
tThe theory of our charter is that each
years expenses OF a department shall be
paid out of the moneys raised or collected,
according to law, for that department for
said year. This being the case, the police
fund of the year 1895, is not applicable to the
payment of debts created in the years 1898
or 1894, and l have respectfully to suggest
that the matter be referred to the honorable
the district court
This shift of the comptroller from the po-
sAeioH ioiiiefiy TAKEN py MIN that when
the delinquent taxes came in he would pay
the back salaries.,s left no other course open
to the policemen but to take the matter into
the courts.
They did so and Judge Kerr's decision was
a sad blow to the Official. VINO since his cleo
tor to the Office of city sbookkeeper. has
attempted to act as the judicial, executive
and legislative offlcer of the city combined.
In the decision giving the policemen iudg-
ment for the amount sued for. with interest
and costs, Judge Kerr said: '@The police Of