The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-29
CONSOLIDATION is IN FAVOR
GRAND JURY RECOMMENDS THAT
CITY AND COUNTY BE JOINED
Sheriff WaGener's Maintenance of
the Jail Is Comm ended-TVvO
More Indictments Returned.

Sheriff WaGener's Maintenance of
the Jail Is Comm nded-TwO
More Indictments Returned.
In the final report of the grand jury
made yesterday afternoon just before
the close of court a specific recon-
mendation was made that the legisla-
tive delegation from Ramsey county
be requested to secure the passage of
q law that will consolidate the city
and county.
The grand jury reported on all Of
the offices and officers and made no
especial mention of any Of the various
departments that was In the nature
of criticism, except as to the previous
administration Of the office Of sheriff ;
but the general conclusion arrived at
was that it would be a very good
thing for the local governments to be
consolidated. The report was largely
routine and included two indictments,
one against Sid Gadbout, a hackdriver,
accused of grand larceny; the other
against Sadie Cook, charged with haV-
ing stolen 500 from David Dupont.
The report says that the general
condition Of the county institutions and
offices is good and particularly COM
mendS the state Of cleanliness at the
jail-in distinction to the report made
by the grand jury which investigated
the conditions Immediately after Sher-
if Chapel went out of office. 1t says
that the management of the city hos
pital is excellent, but goes into the case
of Ryan, said to have been forced to
dress out of doors by an attendant,
and recommends the discharge of the
attendant. 1t comments on the crowd
ed state of the public library and says
that more room should be provided. 1t
goes into the condition of the police
stations and recommends improve
ments at most of the stations, including
a practical reconstruction of the tele-
phone system. The proposal made that
Prior avenue station be consolidated
with some Of the other stations brings
out a protest, and the report says thai
the maintenance of the Prior avenue
branch is very important.
1t goes at some length into the ques-
ton of delinquent taxes and shows that
for several years past there has been
very little revenue from this source
According to the only returns at hand,
it is made apparent that since 1896 the
collections made on this class of taxes
by the sheriff has been less than 6
per cent. Continuing, the report says:
I'VE have been unable to get returns
on the actual amount collected by
the sheriff prior to 1896, as the amount.
of collections was carried away by the
previous incumbent (Sheriff Chapel as
his personal and private property
1t is made to appear that the county
now has coming from these delinquent
taxes for the past six years approx
nlately $320,000, and the report says:
ut is a surprising fact that it has
been a general practice to allow these
collections to go by default for po-
litical or other reasons
The only other material recon-
mendation in the report is that the
county officers be required to give
bends with surety companies as Sc
curities rather than individuals.
=. Judge Brill, in receiving the report,
complimented the jury on the thor
oughness of the work done and dis
charged the Jurors.