The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-21

don called the body to order. The
absentees were Aldermen DonahoWer,
Kenny, Larson and Sanborn, and AS
semblymen Dix and Johnson. The
clerk read the communication from
Mayor Doran, which read as follows:
The estimate for school maintenance
amounts to $42?, 260, while an additional $25, 900
is asked to- be used for sanitary purposes.
They also commend that your honorable body
reconsider your action with reference to the
$4,000 set apart for a building fund, and
have this amount apply to the maintenance
fund. In order that we may arrive at an
understanding of the situation 1 may be par
doned in presenting with some detail a few
figures which have been compiled from the
comptroller's books, which figures are made
to cover the maximum amount obtainable IN
der our charter upon the present basis of
assessment. The entire assessed valuation of
our property, real and personal, is $93, 500, 000.
Upon this amount an arbitrary levy of 1 mill
on the dollar is made by the county for school
purposes. And the city may levy not to
exceed 21a mills upon the dollar. OF this ad-
dltional latter amount the city may antici-
pate so per cent by the sale of tax certificates,
thus realizing in the present year four-ffths
OF the levy to be collected during the ensu-
ing year.
And here it may not be amiss to refer to
the fact that in the year 1896 our assessed val
uation was reduced $50, OCO, 900, or a sum the
poses amount to $105, 600. For a 2a-mills
city levy, augmented by a 1-mill county
levy, in all 3@ mills, will produce this amount
from $50, 600, 900 of assessed valuation. To more
fully understand the problem TO which our
attention must be turned, l present my I'M
derstanding of the financial possibilities for
the calendar year of 1897, as follows:
Jan. 1, 1897, balance in treasury
available for school purposes. $40. 536 II
10 TINS amount we may add the
following items of income for 1897:
State apport!onment 7S OOO On
one mill county tax SO 500 90
so per cent of 2A mills school tax :,
Collection of taxes for 1896 and 81 flS'' 900 90
80 delinquent taxes fol, previous years. 30. 375 90.
Possible collection from all sources. s5S9, AL II
1t will be observed that the. maximum
amounts obtainable under orr charter has
been set down in this estimate, and as will
be seen from the following list of appropria-
tons, we are still liable to a deficit at the
end of the year.
Expenditures for the year 1897:
Redemption of 1896 tax certificates. $12O, 900 90
Expenses for seven months school
m mal 7n'a 1so7 from Dec. l, 1896,
10 July l. lS9l..:""-....:........ 800, 1877 90
amount or council. appropriation for
school buildings ............... 41,OO0 90
Three-tenths of estimate for school
maintenance for year commencing
sept. l, 1897 .."..:... 12S,17S 90
Tor sanitary improvements ....... 5000 90
Total expense account .......... $623, 345 90
of the year. ~
How TO overcome the difficulties of this sit
uatlon Is a matter for your honorable bndv
and the school authorities to determine. It
Will be observed in the above estimates as to
income the full possibilities have been stated
as, for instance, the collection in full of the
one mill county tax is assumed; whereas.
experience has shown that only 80 per cent
can be relied upon. These matters 7 know
you will, give that careful consideration thai
the situation demands. What the future is
10 prlng us we cannot tell, but, judging it
IN the ight OF experience, it is safe to as
sumo that still further economies must pre-
vail or some measure adopted to secure larger
revenues. Strenuous efforts were made in
the latter direction during the last session
of the legislature, but the judiciary commit
tee of that body determined, under our pres
ent charter, no such increase would be con-
stltut1onal. So. while we must regret any in
crease OF taxation, yet our public schools are
paramount to so many other considerations
that all feel that they must be sustained, and
especially must all our young pupils be given
house accommodations, and to secure these
and a proper maintenance l see no other
remedy that offers a solution other than the
adoption of the Daily ordinance calling for
the appointment of a charter commission I'M
der the Sheehan home rule bill.
In no other way does it seem possible for
our city to keep pace with the demands for
our schools, Notwithstanding the fact that
large numbers of our citizens believe that
other proper economics may still be intro
duced in their maintenance to the extent that
all necessary improvements may be made
1lOiA IHS IOOdblO htC VI 'ut Il SANIiI
system. Believing in your wisdom and abil-
ity to meet the present requirements that
are placed upon you, | desire to tender any
aid that may lie in my power to bestow in
a matter in which all are so deeply interested.
The reading was followed by the
Offering of a resolution by Mr.. Kirke
directing the appointment by President
Reardon of a joint committee of four
from the aldermen and three from the
assembly to consider the budget and
submit a report at the earliest Dos
sible date. The resolution was adopt
ed AND the chair announced that the
following gentlemen would act as the
special joint committee: Assembly
men Arosin, Johnson and Thompson,
Aldermen Sanborn, Allard, Bell and
Larson. The committee will meet to-
morrow evening at s o'clock in the
council chamber and, while the resolu-
ton appointing them does not state
whether they shall report to the sepa-
rate bodies or to the common council.
it is understoon the report Will be made
to either of the bodies, which meets
first after the report is ready.
Aid. Shepard handed in a resolution
requesting the secretary Of the treas
ury to have removed the high board
fence now surrounding the new post
office building, and also to have the
other unsiShtly debris removed from
the vicinity of the structure. The
point was raised that the resolution.
was hardly in order under the call
for the meeting and President Reardon
said that the point was we'll taken
and hat the resolution could be passed
at the meetings of the aldermen and
assembly.
nnIv COO