The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-13


the amount to be raised by taxation $780,
600. 1t was stated that no provision was
made for paying for the lighting OF pub
lie buildings, but the comptroller gave
the assurance that this would be taken
care of by the balance left over from this
year.
WAS 1T MONEY OR FIGURES?
To oblige Health Commissioner Ohage,
who had to visit q patient, the twelfth
item, providing fer the health depart
ment, was taken up. The comptroller re-
ported the estimate for the department
at $4,000, and moved its adoption. DR..
Ohage however objected 1--WE never get
the $10,00o,' he said What 1 want Is
then perhaps we would get the $4,000
necessary"
Cant YOU get along with 600 next
YEAR," inquired the comptroller.
do you mean cash, or figures?" replied
DR.. Ohage. This caused a roar of
daughter from the other members of the
committee. You know" continued the
health commissioner, as soon as the
laughter had subsidized, pointing his index
finger at the comptroller. that this year
we had $4,000 In the budget, and yet you
told me l would only get about S., 600,
and that is all 1 did get"
''But say now" interrupted the comp
troller. that you will get the SIC, 900 this
year if
Yes, will get it it." cut in DR.. ohage,
but the if business does not go with
me. I was about IS, COO short owing to the
ifs this year and it is impossible to run
the department short of $10C00."
The comptroller said he could not guar
antee that the taxes would be paid, but
he was reasonably certain that the de-
partment would get fully $4,000, the
amount in the budget. With this, DR..
Ohage appeared satisfied, and the item
was adopted.
The seventh item, providing for $500
for the water supply fund was briefly
explained by the comptroller. This fund
is something like the insurance fund,
which the comptroller has saved until It
has 100000 in it. For the past two years
$500 has been placed in the estimate
each year for the water supply fund
The expenditures in the two years have
not exceeded 5000, and, according to the
report of the comptroller, there is now
a balance. in the fund of nearly S. 000
City Treasurer Horst inquired if it was
necessary to levy for such large sum
to pay the water bills incurred in the
court house and city hall. Other de-
partments of the city paid water bills
out of the funds allowed them. Pressed
for an explanation, the comptroller said
the $500 in the estimate would be ample
for the purpose for which it was in
tended, as there is nearly $4,000 in the
fund now and the expenditures from it
in 1898 We're but spas.
HAAS WINS ONE BOUT.
When the item for the building in
spector's department was reached there
was another jangle. The comptroller had
estimated that nothing would be needed
for this department, as lie mad suggested
in the budget for 1899 that the WORK oe
done by the city engineers department.
Assemblyman Dix moved that the sum
of $3.50 be allowed for the building de-
partment, the same as last year. The
comptroller said the council had power
to repeal the ordinance under which the
building department was created. By
the addition Of $4,000 to the engineering
department fund the work could be as
we'll done and the balance saved. Mr..
Dix contended that the conference COM
mfttee had no power to abolish the Office
and that it was the duty of the commit
tee to provide for 1t. If the council saw fit
to abolish the Office we'll and good. Build
ing Inspector Haas explained that the
building for 1899 amounted, in round fig
ures, to $2534.000, an increase over 1898
of $7T6, 900. Next year there would be
even more building, and what the de-
partment needed was more help, instead
OF D61nS aDOnSne0
The motion of Mr. Dix was amended
SO as to provide for $500, and the
comptroller insisted on a roll call. Eight
Of the committee voted for the PROPOSE
ton to put $1,000 in the budget for the
building inspectors department. and four
against, those opposing being Mayor
Kiefer, President Clark, of the fire board
Aid. Sanborn and Comptroller McCardy.
A resolution was passed, however, re-
questtng the council to investigate the
feasibility Of the comptroller's suggestion
to merge the department into that of
the city engineer. Aid. Sanborn was the
only one to vote against this.
The fifteenth item, which gave the
city engineer $22,720 for his department,
| was increased by adding 81, 280, making
the total $4,000.
The engineer explained that it was alb
solutely necessary that he should have
two additional men in his office.
President Pottgieser had the estimate
for the board Of public works increased
| from $1S,92O to $14,10O, in order to allow
an additional clerk for six months at
$40 per month to send out postal card
! sidewalk notices of assessments. In or
der to make the blow as light as posi-
bic to the taxpayers the amount of Of
! fee expenses was reduced from $500 to
$500, and this only increased the estimate
$3.50.