The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-16
HELD UP THEIR SALARIES
BUILDING INSPECTION DE-
PARTMENT
Comptroller McCardy Refused ro
Sign the Warrants Because of the
Depleted Condition of Funds of
the Department.

There was weeping and wailing f1gura-
lively speaking around the Office OF the
building inspector yesterday. When the
inspector and his assistants waltzed into
the office Of the city clerk yesterday
morning and asked for the warrants for
their August pay 1t was discovered that
each of the warrants was lacking the
signature of Comptroller McCardy. which
under the law makes them negotiable
with the city treasurer for the money. ,
Across the face of each Of the six war
rants for the inspector and his five as
sistants was written in red ink, Not
sufficient money In the fund" The
total amount Of the warrants is $5S6.66
and Inquiry at the office Of the comps
troller brought out the fact that only a
little over $500 was in the fund to meet
the warrants. Hence they would not be-
issued. Comptroller McCardy said there
was nothing much to say about the mat
ter. The tax estimate for this year al
lowed the building inspectors department.
$3.50, Of which $500 was for the salary
Of the inspector, 5000 for clerk hire,
$3.50 for back salary due the inspector
for 1893 and $1G0 for incidental expenses.
Under the charter but 60 per cent Of
this amount was certain, this being raised
by the sale of tax levy certificates of
Indebtedness, the balance of the total
amount designated for the department
having to come in from tax collections.
The amount realized from the certificates
Of Indebtedness was $500 and from tax
receipts to date $214.50. All Of the money
in the fund with the exception of about
5000. had been paid out7@on account of
salaries during the past seven months
and there would be nothing more credited
to the fund until there were additional
tax receipts.
The comptroller. said Building Inspector
Haas, through the council, had the tax
budget changed after it came from, the
conference committee SO that the amount
for clerk hire was Jumped at $1,000 in
stead Of being itemized for each clerk
and assistant: The inspector at the be-;
ginning Of the year had increased the
salaries Of his assistants in the office so
that the amount Of the monthly pay roll
was about $100 more than during the year
1898. This, together with the payment Of
$500 to Leslie Parlin for services rendered
during 1898 as an inspector and the short
age on tax collections, accounted for
there being no money in the fund to pay
the August pay. roll. It was possible, the
comptroller said, that along about Dec. 1
sufficient taxes would be paid in to allow
the payment of the August and Septem-
Der and probably enough for the October
pay rolls. This possibility, however, was
based on an estimate of the taxes paid
Nov. !. 1898.
Building Inspector Haas said he could.
not understand how it was that his de-
partment was the only one which could
not pay salaries. The council had al
lowed him 5000 to run the department
and his pay rolls were based on receiving
that he
matter up, but was of the opinion that
if there was not sufficient money in the
department fund the amount should be
taken from the general fund