The Saint Paul globe., 1899-04-29
WATCHING THE BILLS |
FIRE COMMISSIONER SHAROOD
SUGGESTS ECONOMY IN LUM-
BIER AND NAILS
TAKE CONSIDERABLE MONEY
He Also Thinks the Horse Commit
tee Ought to Have Something to
Say About the Purchase and Sale
of HOrses-First Ward Man Rath-
er Surprises Some of tho Older
Members of the Board.

Fire Commissioner Sharood, recently
appointed to the board by Mayor Kiefer.
quite shocked the feelings of the other
members at meeting of the fire board
yesterday afternoon. Mr.. Sharood la a
member Of the claims committee and one
OF his duties Is to affix his signature to
all the bills which are paid. He stated
That he had noticed that there was con-
siderable money spent for lumber and
nails. and while not finding fault or even
making any objection he was of the opin-
Ion that such expenditures should be
carefully watched
Inere were leakages In all large de-
partments, and If there was such in the
lire department it would probably be in
such Items as these. A friend of his en-
gagged In the railroad business had told
MIN about case where one Of the rail-
road companies In this city had by check
Ing In and out the lumber supply has
been able to save about half the sum
which was spent before the system was
inaugurated.
Chlef Cook informed the commissioner
from the First ward that there was con-
choOiooiC ldiupST IeQulTeu, as the stalls
In the several engine houses have to be
refoored frequently. Owing to new floors
having TO be laid it was necessary to
purchase nails. All the purchases, how
ever, were made on requisitions and the
supplies were checked in at the store
room and out again on orders.
This seemingly appeared to satisfy Mr.
Sharood. but few moments later he
again opened up q new line of thought
OF any account, why the members Of thu
committee should not be advised as to
when new SteedS were purchased or old
ones condemned. His idea was that the
committee should either nave something
to say in the matter or the COMMITTEES
should be abolished. So strong was the
talk made by Mr.. Sharood that the other
members were forced to admit the point
was we'll made. in the future whenever
new horses are to be purchased or old
ones condemned the members of the horse
committee, Of which Mr.. Sherood is one,
will be notified by telephone, so as to oe
on hand and take part In thu purchase or
sale.
John Douglass, Of the United States
Savings and Loan company, requested the
board to require Nelson Blair. an en-
ploye of the department, to settle
claim for $15S. Blair some years ago
placed a mortgage on lots owned by him
for 800. and as the mortgage was no.
paid when due. the company foreclosed.
MIR. Douglass Informed the board that he
had offered to deed back the property to
Blair for s100, but this offer had been re-
fused.
saying the board was not collecting
agency for this class of debts, and the
secretary was directed to notify Mr..
douglass to this effect.
A resolution passed by the w. c. T. u,
asking that the bell on the engine house
on the West Side be tolled every night at
9 o'clock to help enforce the curfcw ordi-
nance was laid over until the next meet
ing.
The report of Chief Cook fer March
gave the following fgures:, Number of
alarms, 4S. Insurance on buildings. SILL
366; insurance on contents, s27, 500; total
insurance involved, $238, 1866; loss on build
ings, S., ,55257; loss on tents, $7,951 so;
total loss, s13,515.17; insurance over loss,
$225, $50.
AS compared with the first three months
for last year the losses are s16,274.07 less,
the figures for 1898 being 131 alarms and
loss $64, 1881, while the record this year
Is 156 alarms and a total loss Of s4S, ,565.S4.
The employees Of the department will
each be given vaca ton of ten days this
year, three days more than has been the
custom. This increase was recommended
by Chief Cook.
8. F.~Lindstrom, a member Of the Min
neapolis fire department and the owner
and patentee of a sanitary stall device,
appeared before the board and explained
the points of his invention. Il letter from
company offered to place the new sys-
lem in No. engine house for s2.183 and
In No. 4 engine house for 1896 The matter
was referred to the committee on build
ings.
The secretary reported a balance of
S114, ,3S6.17 after the pay-rool for April,
amounting to S13,t91, and bills aggregating