The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-24

! rather peculiar state of affairs is
brought to light in connection with the
$4,000 which Comptroller McCardy now
reports on hand in the insurance fund
AS has been suggested when other ac-
tons Of the comptroller in transferring
money from one fund to another have
been brought to tight, If it is Simply a
matter Of bookkeeping" it is q peculiar
method Of bookkeeping, to say the least.
The insurance fund was authorized by
resolution Of the council passed in De-
cember, 1891, and one Of the provisions
Of the resolution reads as follows:
Resolved, further, that the city comp
troller be and is hereby authorized and
instructed to include in his tax estimate
for each and every year the sum of s., O0O
said sum to be set aside as an insurance
fund, to be used exclusively for the pur-
pose of reconstructfng or repairing all
public buildings owned by the city Of
St Paul, destroyed or damaged by fire.
The fund was started by the comptroller
In January, 1892, and If the resolution of
the council had been,obeyed, there should
have been to the credit of the insurance
| fund, JAM, 1885, $4,000. Instead Of the
$4,000 being to the credit of the fund
! Jan. 1; 1899. the reports Of the comptroI-
Ter show that there was but $25, 00e In the
and II the terms of the resolution Of
| fund on that date.
The following extracts taken from the
printed reports of the comptroller show
how he has obeyed the orders Of the
council:
THE triaf balance Of Comptroller Nc
Cardy, as published in his report for
1892, does not show any appropriation to
the insurance fund, although the tax est
mate for that year shows that provision
was made for the $1,000, as required by
the resolution of the council, to be paid
from the general fund
In the trial balance sheet Of ComptroI-
| Ter McCardy in his printed report for 1885,
| on page 20, there appears this item among
the balances on hand in the several funds
| Dec. 30. 1855;
Insurance fund, $4,000,
This would imply that the 5000 for
1852, as well as a. like amount for 1899,
had been set apart in the insurance fund.
On page q Of the printed report of
Comptroller McCardy for the year 1894
sthe following item under the head Of
| fund balances, Dec. 81, 1894:
Insurance fund. $15,O00'
This would indicate that the coIK9troller
had placed In the fund $1,000 for that
year.
On page 30 of Comptroller McCardy's
report for 1895, under the head of trial
balance. Is found the following item:
Insurance fund, $1S,O00."
This would indicate that the comptroller
had failed to follow the order Of the
council and had placed but s., 600 in the
fund for 1895, instead Of the 5000 which
was provided for in the tax estimate.
On page rs of the printed report Of
Comptroller McCardy for 1885, under the
head Of trial balances, is found the fol-
lowing item:
Insurance fund, s21, 0O0''
This would indicate that but So, 900 was
placed to the credit of the insurance fund
In the year 1896, instead of the S., 900 which
was placed In the estimate for the fund.
and which was also ordered by the reso-
luton of 1891.
On page 80 of the printed report of
| Comptroller McCardy, under the head
Of fund balances on hand Dec. 81, 1897,
is the following item:
Insurance fund, $685.
This would indicate that but $1,000 was
| placed in the fund for the year, 1897, and
| that by reason of the failure to properly
| place the amount instructed in the fund
each year for these three years, there
was a shortage of $1,000.
On page IS of the printed report Of
| Comptroller McCardy for 1898, under the
head of fund balances, Dec. 81, 1898, there
| is the following item:
Insurance fund, So, 000.''
| From this it would appear that although
! the insurance fund had been in existence
| for seven years, and the council had au-
| thorfZed the placing of 81, 900 in It each
| year, there was a shortage of $4,000 In
| the fund. and that neither the shortage of
| 1896. 1896 or 1897 had been made up, nor
| had g. single dollar been placed in the
| fund for 1898.
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