The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-10-02
EXPENSES OF REMOVING AND RE-
PLACING DESKS IN THE
SCHOOL HOUSES
FOR THE LATE ENcAMPMENT.
COLOSSUS NEARBY sTRADDLEs
THE ABYSS OF TREASURY SAFE
GUARDS WITH DRY FEET.
HE HAS TO PAY 1T ANYWAY,
Than as "a Patriot and Encamp-
ment Promoter.

City Comptroller McCardy discovered
about month ago that neither he nor
the administration nor the Grand Army
committee could bulldoze the school
board. He will have occasion to again
realize this fact, and so will the. G. A.
r. executive committee
1t appears that the laborers employed
by the G. A. r. executive committee to
remove the desks from the school
buildings for the accommodation Of the
G. A. r. veterans and to replace the
desks after the encampment, have not
received one cent for their work thus
far. The laborers, some twenty in
number. undertook the work, relying
implicitly upon the promise of the G.
A. r. executive committee that they
would be only compensated after the
work had been performed. Nearly
three weeks have elapsed and not a
penny have the men received. All of
them are in great need of the money
due them, and one or two who owe
rent, have been threatened with eJec-
ton from their homes.
This condition of affairs was called
to the attention of Gen. E. C. Mason,
the chairman of the committee, yester-
day, and as result Gen. Mason has
called a special meeting of the COM
mittee to be held today.
In the meantime Comptroller Nc
Cardy thoroughly understands the sit
uation. From this city and G. A. X.
official first came the suggestion that
the expense of preparing the school
buildings for occupancy by the G.. A. X.
veterans. might be paid out of the
school rental and repair fund" The
department commander of the Mime
sofa G.. A. r. in his capacity of city
comptroller, had discovered this fund
in the city treasury fund that the
school board had never heard of before.
But the school board did not propose
to expend this fund illegally, in spite
of the fact that the common council,
acting upon Comptroller McCardy's
suggestion, had adopted resolution
appropriating $1,000 of the $5.5O3.S0 then
in the rental and repair fund"
President Abbott, representing the
school board, notified the mayor and
city comptroller that he would not
draw on the fund for money with
which to prepare the school buildings
for the veterans. 1t was enough for
the school board to grant the free use
of the school buildings for such a pur-
pose, without expecting the board to
draw on the school fund for money to
pay the expenses. Furthermore, un-
der the city charter, as DR.. Abbott
pointed out, the school board could not
expend any part of the school funds
for other than school purposes. The
upShot Of 1t all was that the school
board refused to draw the money, and
| the members thereof declare that the
G.. A. r. committee agreed to bear the
| expense.
But Notwithstanding the position
taken by President Abbott, the mayor
and comptroller signed an order on the
city treasurer in favor of e. j. Abbott
as president Of the school board for the
sum Of $1,000, payable out of the
school repair and rental fund" This
has been in the city clerks office
awaiting the signature of DR.. Abbott.
It was noted at the meeting Of the
assembly committee on streets last
| Wednesday afternoon, that Comptroller
McCardy, in answer to DR.. Abbott's
inquiry as to the amount Of money in
the rental and repair fund, replied,
about $780," DR.. Abbott remarked
| that according to the last report the
| fund amounted to over $4,000. To this
Mr.. McCardy made the indefinite re-
| jOinder that the fund had been de-
| creased by the council, which had
made a draft upon it. DR.. Abbott soon
| after left the room, and then, in reply
| to question from Assemblyman
| Craig, Mr.. McCardy said that the de-
crease in the fund from S. 900 to SO, 500
was due to an order for 81, 500, payable
| to President Abbott, which order, how
| ever, SO Mr.. McCardy said, might new
er be signed by DR.. Abbott
| But upon inquiry at the Office of the
| city treasurer yesterday, the accounts
] of that official showed the amount of
money in the school rental and repair
| fund to be $500. &c. less a cash with
drawal of $442.10, leaving a balance on
hand of $5,061.70
The comptroller finally rid himself
of his trouble, however. Last night,
in accordance with his assurance given
to the assembly committee on ways
| and means, he sent the following COM
munication to the assembly:
| Il have the honor to recommend as
| follows: First, that Warrant No. a.
| 814 for 81 500 in favor of the president
| Of the board of school. inspectors same
having been drawn on the school rem
tai and repair fund, be Cancelled.
Second-Including the above 1,500
there is $5,061.70 to the credit of the
school rental and repair fund, and /
/ recommend that this account be closed
and the amount credited to the school
/ fund There is nothing gained by
keeping such an account as the school
rental and repair fund"
Thus the money that the comptroller
| originally suggested might be expend-
| ed in removing the school desks to
make room for the G. A. r. venerans,
| Is gradually finding it's way to the
| bosom of the school fund where it al
ways belonged.