The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-28

Corporation Attorney Markham sub
m1tted an ordinance providing that the
$50, 900 now in the insurance fund be cred
tied to the school fund for the mainte-
nance of the school system, and directing
the city treasurer and comptroller to
close the insurance fund account. The
aldermen passed the ordinance by a vote
Of to 2, Aid. Sanborn and President
Donahower voting against it. Aid. San
porn held that as the comptroller had in
formed the council the insurance fund
had all been taken from the general fund.
it would be impossible, under the opinion
OF the corporation attorney, to divert the
money to the school fund.
When the ordinance came up for pas
sage in the assembly, Messrs. AIbrecht,
Benson, Craig and Thompson voted
against 1t, and Messrs. Denny, Dix.
Kirke, Nelson and Warner for 1t. PresI-
dent Dix declared the ordinance lost, but
the corporation attorney said the ordi-
nance required only a majority vote, and
after this opinion the president ereconsid-
cred his decision and declared the ordi-
nance adopted. The passage Of the or
dinance will put the matter up to the
comptroller.
Comptroller McCardy, when questioned
as to why there was not $4O, 900 in the in
surance fund, admitted that some years
the city was pretty hard up, and he did
not think it necessary to place the sum
Of $1,000 in the fund, and for this reason
there was q shortage. Mr.. McCardy de-
clared that If it was legal to take the
$4,000 from the insurance fund for the
maintenance of the schools after the
money had been accumulated from the
general fund, 1t would be right and
proper to take another $4,000 from the
general fund for the same purpose. The
councilmen, however, did not see the mat
ter in this light.
The report of the special committee
from the board of aldermen recommend
ed the awarding of the garbage contracts
in the first nine districts to the st. Paul
Carriage company; in the Tenth district
to George Brookins and in the Eleventh
to A. England, in each case the award Of
the contract being to the lowest bidder
Health Commissioner Ohage objected to
the contract system being continued and
favored his scheme OF allowing the
health department to do the work, under
an appropriation of $25 600. In support of
his position he called attention to the
fact that the st. Paul Carriage company
the lowest bidders for the work in nine
wards next year, had 1876 complaints
against it in 1897, when it had the con-
tract for the entire city In $685. when
the company had but four wards, there
were 704 complaints, and this year in the
contracts there had been 529 justifiable
complaints The motion to award the
contracts as recommended by the COM
mittee was lost on tie vote, Messrs
Allard, Bantz, Knauft Kenny and San
born voting against the award. The mo-
ton to reject all bids was also lost on a
tie vote, those voting against the award
Of the contracts voting this time for the
rejection The bids were re-referred back
to the committee on streets. The resolu-
ton giving the health department SOS. 900
with which to care for the garbage was
then brought up and defeated by a vote
Of to 4, those voting for the resolution
being Aid. Kenny, Knauft, Bantz and
Sanborn. A motion to reconsider was
defeated by a tie vote.
COUNCIL CAUCUS.
Nineteen of the twenty members Of the
council held caucus last evening. The
absentee was Aid. Blomquist Samuel H.
Haas, the present building inspector, was
chosen to succeed himself for another
term of two years. He will be elected at
the first meeting Of the council in jan
uary. The Pioneer Press was named as
the official paper for next year. Aid.
Reeves explained to the caucus that. ac-
ordtng to the understanding last year,
the Dispatch should be named the official
paper for 1900. He had, however been In
structed to say by Mr.. George THOMPSON
that the business of the paper was in
such condition that it would be fmpos-
slble TO handle the official proceedings of
the various boards, and for this reason