The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-10
FOR PROPER PURPOSES.
Public Reports Are Open to General
Inspection.


The conference committee held a
short session yesterday afternoon. At
the last meeting of the committee,
Comptroller McCardy called attention
to the practice, which allowed repre-
ScntativeS of legal bureaus to examine
books and records in several of the
city Offices The result was that per-
sons who had in past years been allow
ed damages by reason of the opening
and grading of streets and had failed
to collect them, were filing claims
against the city. The comptroller
thought this should be prevented if
possible, and offered a resolution to
the effect that no city officer should
allow the record to be examined for
any such purpose. The resolution was
adopted by the conference committee,
and then the matter was referred to
the corporation attorney for an opinion
as to Whet her it was possible to prevent
any citizen from examining the books
il any Of the offices. Pursuant to the
request, Corporation Attorney Mark
ham, yesterday, returned the following
letter:
1 have before me a copy of your resolution
adopted July u, 1897, calling upon this de-
partment for IAN opinion as to the power
of the city to refuse an examination of the
cityS books in cases where it is intended
to establish claims against the city in mat
tiers of contracts which have already been
completed and paid; -
have the honor to advise you that the
books and records required to be kept in the
various departments of the city government
are public records and the law contemplates
that they shall be open to the public inspec--
ton at all reasonable times for all proper
purposes. 1t does not follow from this that
any particular individual or association of
individuals has the right to establish head
quarters in a public Office for the purpose
of furnishing Information to persons for
compensation. large number of claims,
IS fnr into Ys-,OT old 0nTt nf-
since performed and supposedly closed up,
others for various small sums awarded to
abutting property owners IN condemnation
proceedings, have recently been unearthed by
the enterprise of certain individuals calling
themselves legal bureaus, and these claims,
all of which are stale and many of them
without the slightest foundation, are being
from time to time presented to the common
council for allowance and payment have
advised and shall continue to advise against
the allowance or payment of any of these
claims, except in cases where there is
clear legal liability on the part of the city,
although in some of the cases the city has
no defense except the bar of the statute of
limitations.
If we once open the doors of the treasury for
the payment of claims against which the
statute of limitations has run we will be
deuged by claims extending back perhaps for
a period of twenty years. l think the ques-
ton as to how far each officer of the city
government will allow the representatives of
these legal bureaus to examine his books
must to a considerable extent rest in the
sound discretion of such officer. 1t is large
ly question of tact and the exercise of COM
mon sense. 1t would seem to be a needless
suggestion. and yet I think it proper to add,
that no city officer and no employe in any
city Office should aid or assist these gentry
in obtaining Information from the books for
the purpose of establishing claims against
the city.
After listening to the letter the
committee recommended that it be filed
and adjourned. Comptroller McCardy,
asked as to what would be done in the
future, said, so far as he was concerned
the letter Of the corporation attorney
was sufficient advice for his Office, and
he imagined it would be for the other
officers