The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-11

Comptroller McCardy sprang the
charter on the conference committee
yesterday afternoon and the members
of that body proceeded to upset both
comptroller and charter. The expert
ence was rather new for the comp
trOlleT and he gave evidence that he
did not like 1t.
When the committee met it was clear
to everybody that Capt. McCardy had
something to spring and there was q
rallying of the other members. When
the meeting was called to order
promptly at 4:30, the comptroller had
his watch in his hand and all of the
members were present with the eX
ception of Messrs. Arosin, Kirke and
City Engineer Rundlett, and. they put
In an appearance before anything was
done. Reports were submitted by all
the heads Of departments, and as they
were routine they were accepted with
out remark. Then the comptroller
sprang his little surprise. He moved
that the street force be discharged on
Saturday of this week. He explained
the motion:
1--WE have no money to pay the men
who are working on the streets" said
Capt. McCardy. This condition arises
from the new system of collecting
taxes on the semi plan. There
is now available for the street fund
$500. OF this sum- about $500 will
be payable to the men now working
on Saturday. There is no sense in
keeping the men at work when there
Is no money to pay them, and the
street force will have to go, until we
have collected the money that will be
payable before the first of the coming
month. We have no money for other
funds until we get some collections
from the county treasurer, and an ar
rangement has been made to let the
members of the board Of public works
and the office force of the building in
spectOr's department go without their
salaries for the current month 1 offer
it as motion that the department
controlling the street force be instruct
Inv this fAr'"1 tn Lot all man on next
Saturday"
There was silence for three minutes
after the comptroller had delivered
himself, and then three or four mem
bers of the committee started to pro-
test.
Il don't think we have any power
to take any such action" said Mr.. San
born.
THE power is IN the charter" said
Capt. McCardy. Go and get me a
charter McRae." He found the place
in the charter and read from section %,
page SO, to the effect that if at any
time the fund of a department should
be depleted the conference committee
could direct the curtailment of ex-
penses in that department.
But I don't understand that there
Is anything but a temporary depletion
of this fund.-" said Mr. Sanborn. "You
admit that there will be funds as soon
as we get settlement with the treas
urer. Why not let the men continue
al work and have it understood with
them that there will be no money to
pay for a couple Of weeks?"
City Engineer Rundlett had no doubt
that the street force would be well
enough satisfied to postpone a pay day
IN preference to having no work. In
reply to an Interrogation he added that
he did mot think it would be safe or
desirable to allow the streets to go
without being cleaned for even single
day.
Mr.. Wheelock remarked that his
Ideas Of the prOprieties of language
would force him to eschew the soc.et
Of his fellow men in case the down
town streets were permitted to SO
without cleaning.
Mayor Kiefer protested that aside
from the street cleaning, which was
always essential. 1t would not do to
discharge the street force, as under
such an order the repair men would
have to go too and that might be very
costly to the city.
While the rest Of them were rallying
against him Capt. McCardy kept get
ting red in the face and he would not
even attempt a fight for the passage
of his order when Sanborn deliberate