The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-03

Total -. =. 81, 500 1900 50 s1O,1ss. Is
From this you will see that for the past
water. Deducting $7S0O.S2, the amount actual
ly expended during this period, leaves bal
ance, if the entire amount Of the tax levy
had been paid of SIC, Is to the credit of the
water fund.- and as we interpret it, available
to pay the bills for water actually consumed
by the various departments Now for the half
of the city year of 1894, the entire year 1895,
and the entire year of 1896, there is due
this department $20S7.50 for water used by
the park department. The bills have been
approved by the park department and by the
proper committee n the common council ana
the city comptroller will not pay over the
sum- but advised our secretary yesterday
that he could not pay unless there was a
special tax levy made for this purpose, ana
that 1t should come out of the general fund
AS we undel stand the provisions of the
Bel charter, ii is against the law for the
city comptroller or any other oficer OF the
city to borrow from one fund to pay the
debts of another. The city comptroller claims
that the general fund is exhausted, and con-
se2uently he has fund to pay this bill,
while his books show there is balance
more than sufficient in the water fund to
pay these bills.
We also call your attention to the fact that
the water department is very short of money.
We have certain work that has to be done
this season. AS you know, the Minnesota
season for doing work is very short, and un-
less we get at our work early in the season
1t runs into frost and is unsatisfactory in
many ways We can not tell what our in
come may be to do work necessary, with these
new matters hung up in the city comptroller S
office. l will say that Mr.. McCardy, the
present city comptroller, personally told me
in October last that he would get around and
pay these bills very Soon and so the matter
was left over. He has since then changed
MS mind, and now advises us that he has no
funds. 1t seems to me that this matter should
be settled at once, way the other so
that the department can know what it has
available and can lay out its work accord
ingly.
kindly give this matter your immediate at
tention, as the board will meet on Thursday
and we would like TO have the matter in
shape to present it at that meeting. Also the
park board is anxious to have it's water turned
on. As you know, we have reduced our water
rates, leaving very narrow margin over
maintaining the plant, and if income is
to be hung up in this way for indefinite
periods, we will have to meet the matter and,
II forced, increase rates.
Yesterday the board received a COM
munication from Assistant Corporation
Attorney Phillips which sustained the
position taken by President Bement
that the bills should be paid from the
fund levied by the city for water sup
ply. The communication read as fol-
lows:
Relative to bills due the board of water
commissioners for water furnished to the
park board, l have to advise you that after
having fully examined the provisions Of the
petent for the common council to order the
bills for water furnished to the park board
to be paid out of the funds raised by taxa
ton to provide for the payment by said city
OF its bills and expenditures for wafer
After the opinion had been mad it
was announced that the comptroller
had finally decided that he had suffi-
cient funds on hand with which the
bills could be paid and that the
amount would be turned over to the
nr6
With this understanding no further ac-
ton was taken.
The board ordered water mains laid
on Juno street from Seventh to Web
ster streets and on Greenbrier aveune
from Sims to Case streets.
There were seven bids received in
answer to advertisements for furnish
ing the department with 200 tons Of
cast iron pipe. The specifications call
for all kinds of pipe, from to 36-inch
Last year the board paid S21. so per
ton, but this year owing to some cause
the bids were all lower. The contract
was awarded to the South Pittsburg
Foundry company, Of South Pittsburg,
Tenn. at $1685 per ton.
James Shelly was awarded the con-
tract for drayage for the department,
his bid being 48 cents per ton and $3.50
per day for team work.
The Northwestern Shot and Lead
company was the only bidder for fur
nishing eight tons of pig lead. AS the
contract last year was let for $3.50 per
ton and the bid of the company men,
toned this year was $66 per ton, no
award was made.
j The South Park Foundry company
was awarded the contract for building
a sluice gate for the new gate house
at Pleasant lake at $175. Bills to the
amount of $4,000 were approved and
the secretary directed to advertise for
bids for 1900 tons of soft coal.