St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-15
MORE AT THE JOINT COMMIT
TEE MEETING.
COMPROMISE is AGREED ON.
PARTMENT REDUCTION TO
SAVE THE CLERKS.
THE ASSEMBLY Is AGREEABLE.
City Ohicers' Salaries Are Cut Willy
Nfily, and Other Funds Changed
Materially.

AT ldSt the TAX estimate Tor the year
1896 has been practically fixed, as the
joint committee of conference appoint
ed by the council came to an agree
ment yesterday afternoon. That the
decision of this committee will be in
dorsed by both bodies of the council
is generally conceded as the COM
mittee was organized for the very pur-
pose of harmoniZing all differences be-
tween the assembly and the board of
aldermen.
AS a result of the labors of the COM
mittee, a net reduction amounting to
S1S,916 was effected over the saving
recommended by the conference COM
mittee. This surprising result was
brought about through the concessions
of the half of the committee represent
ing the board of aldermen. The net
reduction recommended by the con-
ference committee amounted in all to
Sl62,544. Adding to this the further
reduction of SIS, ,916 accomplished by the
committee yesterday, gives a total re-
duction of the original estimate as
submitted by the controller of $1S1, ,46O
The reductions of the estimate as rec
| om1nended by the conference commit
tee were effected in the following de-
partments: I4igting fund.- reduced from
$4,000 to 100000; city engineers de-
| partment fund, reduced from $S4 600 to
| S5z,OOO; board of public works fund, re-
| duced $500; bridge repair fund, from
$4,000 to $4,000; and the item for print
| ing, advertising, ETC., was reduced from
| S2o,OOO to $4,000; making gross reduc-
| ton of S32 $50; as against this the item
| street
nance fund was increased from $4,000
! to $140, 600; the building inspectors fund
was raised from $4,000 to $500; and the
city officers salary fund increased by
81 ,444, making a total addition of $13,344,
| the difference leaving a net decrease
over the conference committees recon-
mendations of S1S,916, as already stated.
| When the committee assembled, Aid.
| Brady announced that the officials had
all been seen since the meeting of the
day before and asked what reductions
/ in their salaries they would accept. The
mayor, the city treasurer and the MEM
bers OF the board of public works agreed
to accept a cut of 10 per cent, while City
| Engineer Rundlett said he would stand
| a cut of 20 per cent. The city attorney,
city comptroller, health commissioners,
city clerk and other officials, whose sal
aries are fixed by law, refused positively
! to stand any cut. In view of this con-
dition of affairs Aid. Brady agreed to
lay aside his motion of the previous day
providing for a cut in salaries on the
basis of 20 per cent 10 per cent, 10 per
cent and per cent according to the
rate of compensation received.
The committee then took up the
budget and proceeded with the items
seriatim The first second and third
items were adopted as a matter Of
course, while the fire department was
laid over for a while The fifth item
providing $1S5,000 for the police depart
nlent fund, was adopted. The sixth
item, street lighting, which the confer
ence committee had already reduced
from S165,000 to $140,000, was scaled down
to $120,000. The seventh and eighth
items were approved as reported by the
conference committee. There was some
| discussion over the school fund esti-
mate, which had been fixed by the con-
| ference committee at S150,000. Aid.
Wolf moved that the $150000 for support
/ of the public schools be reduced to $780,
600, and that the sum of $4,000 be in
serted to make provision for an addi-
| tion to the Gorman school building.
| Mr.. Lewis said, in this connection, that
| he thought the schools could be run for
! $4,000 less than they were, although he
/ was aware that anybody who advocat-
! ed such retrenchment was subject to
have the finger Of scorn pointed at him
! by the newspapers, who seemed to be
controlled by certain powers favorable
| to the schools. Mr.. Lewis then second
ed Aid. VOLTS motion, which prevailed
! The committee then passed to the con-
sideration of the building inspectors
| department fund. Building Inspector
Kingsley was called in to explain the
needs of the department. There was a
| great deal of discussion over this, and
! the matter for the time was being laid
| aside, but later on it was taken up, and
Oh motion of Mr.. Strouse the 81 600
| recommended by the conference COM
mittee was raised to So 800 This allows
the inspector a salary of 81 800 a year.
as fixed by law, and the sum of $4,000
for clerk hire, and 800 for office ex-
penses. Under this arrangement the
Office can be conducted with one man
less than has heretofore been employed.
The health department fund, for which
SlO,iOo was estimated, remained intact.
Inc court house and city hall main
change
So was the estimate for the workhouse
fund.
1t took considerable time to dispose
or the estimate for the engineering
department fund. The conference COM
mlttee had already reduced il from
SS6,5OO to $4,000. On motion of Mr.
Strouse the committee cut it to $32,-
| 600.
The allowance for the board OF pub
| lie works Of S16,134 was reduced to
S15,S74, the sum of $3.50 being deducted
from the s460 originally allowed for
office expenses.
There was no end of talk over the
estimate for the street, sewer and
bridge maintenance fund. The confer
ence committee had placed it at $780,
600. The board of aldermen had re-
stored it to S150,000. AS a measure Of
compromise Mr.. Strouse moved that
the sum of $4,000 be allowed, which
was lost on the first vote, but the fig
ure was ultimately placed at that
amount. This was Offset by reducing
the bridge repair fund $4,000 and also
deducting $4,000 from the printing fund.
The appropriation Of $4,000 for the
Raymond avenue bridge was allowed
to stand
The judgment, library and municipal
court funds, with the reductions rec
commended by the conference commit
tee, were adopted.
| The twenty-fourth item for the gen.
| eral fund passed with but one alter
| alton. the $4,000 originally estimated
| for the garbage fund being reduced 10
| $4,000. and the 5000 thus taken out