The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-13
ESTIMATES FOR TIE YEAR
CITY COMPTROLLER PRESENTS
CIVIC BUDGET FOR
1901
LIBRARY BOARDS STRONG PLEA
City Is Asked to Pay the $4,000
Expended in Refitting Market
Building for Library
PurpOses.

The estimate of the probable expenses
of the city government during the year
1901 was presented yesterday afternoon
to the conference committee by the city
comptroller, pursuant to the provisions
of the new charter.
The estimate which is given in full
below, will be revised if expedient by the
committee, which is composed of the
heads of the different departments of the
city government, and in turn presented
to the council for final action. In order
to give the committee sufficient time to
inspect the document before the discussion
is taken up in detail, an adjournment was
taken until today at 2 o'clock.
Before the session dispersed, Messrs.
E. A. Young and NJ. n. Seymour, of the
library board, which, through some in
congruity, has no representation in the
committee, made an earnest appeal to the
body to carefully consider the appropria-
ton allowed in the comptroller's estimate
for library maintenance purposes. The
library board petition that the allowance
be increased from $21S77 to $685. SO
that the board will be IN position to pay
oft Indebtedness Of $61,34 incurred by
the preceding library board in remodeling
and putting the old market building in
shape to be used for a library.
Upon a motion offered by Kenneth
Clark, president of the fire board, and
park board, it was decided after consid-
cradle discussion to ask the corporation
attorney ii it lay within the power Of
the conference committee to include the
desired amount in the tax budget. The
question involved is the legality Of the
Indebtedness and the power Of the con-
ference committee to include the amount
in the tax budget in the event it is de-
Clared that the debt was incurred with
out due regard to law. Not one Of the
committee doubts that the city is under
moral obligation to pay the contractors
who did he remodeling in good faith
In 1889, by ordinance, the old market
building was turned over to the library
board for library purposes, and they i'm
mediateIy commenced the repair of the
building, and when the present hoard of
library directors took charge of affairs
sn July, 1900 there was an Indebtedness
of SCI, 347 hanging over the building.
The net revenue from the rent of the
building and other sources of income
latter all running expenses nave been
provided for, is Sc, 900 per year. This rev.
Snue is liable to decrease rather than to
increase, and the task Of taking up the
Indebtedness Of SCI, 900 Is hopeless. The
FORMER library board had no way OF
having the remodeling done, other than
1.-THE one they took, under an act OF the
legislature.
Mr.. McCardy objected to the suggestion
mat he had excluded the extra SCI, 900 from
bis estimate, and called on Mr.. Seymour
in proof Of his statement that he had
Eeffered to include the amount in the IL
Ebrary estimate If they would secure ar
Ecpinion from the corporation attorney
4hat the city was liable for the debt
HE further stated that 1t was his duty tc
Submit only an estimate Of the mainte'
nanoe expenses for the coming year and
That the matter Of old debts and lega
Euestions of their validity did not come
9inder his department He declared tina