The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-10-08
HOW TO MAKE THE LEVY AL
LOWED FOR POLICE DE-
PARTMENT Do.
HE REGISTERS A PROTEST
THINKS THE PRUNING COMMITTEE
COULD HAVE CUT MORE
EVENLY.
WORK ON NEW DAM DELAYED
Will Not Be in Use Before Jan. l.
News of the Mill
City.

Mayor Pratt is not at all pleased
with the work of the pruning COM
mittee. It is of the reduction of the
police appropriation that he complains.
He intimates that the police depart
ment always gets little the worst of
it and cannot account for it unless 1t
is that the mayor is at the head of that
department. 1.-The board of tax levy"
says Mayor Pratt, did it's best to keep
the tax levy down to the lowest point
compatible with the interests of the
county and of the different depart
ments of the city. The state tax was
raised from 395 to 4.3 mills, over which,
of course, we had no control. The
county tax was raised from 2.8 to
a.67 mills, because that figure was
thought to be the lowest the county
could possibly get along with and pay
their fixed charges and about one-third
of the deficit which has accumulated
The schools were raised 2-10 of a mill,
and I believe all those who are con-
verSant with our educational matters
will sanction that action. The board
! of charities and corrections was raised
25-100ths, which increased levy will give
them $4,000 or $4,000 with which to
build a contagious ward, which is very
much needed at the present time, as
the present provisions for contagious
cases are a disgrace to the city. 1
think it was the opinion and judgment
of the board of tax levy that with
these necessary increases the levy
should be kept as low as that fixed, 212
mills.
about the action of the council COM
mittee. It would seem to me much
more equitable to the different depart
nentS of the city, that the pruning
should have been more equally divided.
The police department is now cut about
$1,000 below the salaries of the present
police force, and we have for some time
been gradually reducing the number of
patrolmen until it is below the point of
best efficiency. In most cities the eX-
penses of the police and fire depart
ments run about equal. Here the funds
of the police department have been cut
! until there is now $125.000 difference
between these two departments. When
there is any pruning to be done the
police department seems to suffer more
than any other department. That may,
or may not be because it is the only
department which is controlled by the
mayor.
"There have been some added ex-
penses to the police depaI tment, slch as
the collecting of the dog license tax at
an expense Of about 81, 500, which brings
into the general fund from $4,000 to 49,
000 The removal of the municipal
court from its old location to the pres
ent requires an extra officer and $500
year to carry the prisoners from the
lookup to the court house. While it
should not be the first consideration, the
detection of blind pfggers and other
law breakers, and their conviction in
court increases the revenues of the city
lby many thousand dollars SO that the
Gripping of the police force of the city
below an efficient standard is not econ
ony, without taking into consideration
the good law and order of the city.
I'VE now have fewer policemen
than at any time for a good many
years, the reduction during the last few
years being thirty men, but we will do
the best we can with the present ap-
preparation. Just how to come within
the requirements l have not as yet fig
ured out"