The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-16
Will Pay FOR 1HE BATHS
CONFERENCE COMMITTEE APP
PROVES OF OHAGES PET
SCHEME
LIBRARY BOARD IS DELIGHTED
Added Appropriation of 100000 to
Be Placed in the Estimates for
improvements Made to
Market Building.

At the meeting Of the conference com
mittee yesterday it was decided to ac-
cede to the request Of Health Commits
sioner Ohage for an additional $4,000 to
be included in the tax budget for next
year for the extension and support of the
baths on Harriet island, which proved
such a success last summer. The doctor
in speaking Of the matter said that the
council would very likely appropriate
the money, since 1T had been provided in
the budget, so that he felt no hesitancy
in Immediately employing at his own
risk some deserving widows In making
the 1900 or 5000 new bathing suits that
are needed.
The appropriation for the maintenance
of the health department was increased
to $4,000, the limit set by the charter
for the expenditures of that department.
On motion of Comptroller McCardy,
his estimate for the library board was
increased approximately $4,000 Mr.. Nc
Cardy, in making the motion, said that
he regretted that the city's legal depart
ment had not passed upon the question Of
the legal status of the indebtedness, but,
in view of the fact that the legal de-
partment had authorized the committee
to include the amount In the budget, he
believed that the creditors ought to be
paid, with interest added, the same as
any other honest creditors might de-
mand. However, the face of the fndebt-
edness was included in the estimate, and
the matter of interest will be left to the
discretion of the library board, who may
take the necessary money from their
yearly income if they deem it best
President Wheelock. of the Park board,
declared that the 100000 estimated for
park purposes would be insufficient, as
the courts had recently ordered that
985 be distributed among the owners
of property condemned in connection
with the extension of Como park and the
recently established Phalen park 1t
will be Impossible to raise the amount
by assessment of the benefited property,
as one assessment was made to met the
original appraisement and second one
would be contrary to law. The amount
was included in the estimate for the park
board with the express understanding
that the additional money could be used
for no other purpose than that specified.
City Engineer [Claussen made mention
of the ACCESSIBILITY Of establishing a city
sprinkling plant, but in view of the nu
merous other drains which must be made
on the clty's strong box, he did not lee
ommend that money for that purpose be
included in the budget. Sprfnkling In
this city has formerly been paid by spe-
cia1 assessment, so that the $4,000 set
aside for this use is clear increase over
the estimate for this year.
It was found impossible to dispose of
the stationery and printing fund until an
itemized statement of the departments,
which, under the new charter, may draw
on that fund, is provided by the legal
department.
Attorney Griggs has ruled that every
department of the city government is en-
titled to have the benefit of that fund
unless their stationary and printing
bills, together with other running eX-
penses, would exceed the. amount which
the charter provides shall be the limit
of expenditures for each particular de-
partment. This viii idnclude the police
department, the school board and the fire
department from the use of the fund. as
they have already reached the limit of
expenditure.
Not having taken this view of the char,
ter in making up the estimate, the comp
trolIer placed the stationery and printing
fund at $50, 600, but under the recent rul-
ing he says that s4o,O 600 will be barely suf-
ficient. He was requested to furnish the
committee with an itemized estimate OF
the several departments for stationery
and printing.
The judgment fund which is objected to
by the corporation attorney, as prepared
by the comptroller, was discussed and
laid over.
ClCy treasurer proposes a pan
for disposing of the present trouble in
recommending contractors who must be
paid from assessment funds, which time
and again it is impossible to collect. He
suggests that tax certificates be sold to
cover the cost of the Improvements and
the contractors paid Immediately. In
case there should be no bidders on the
certificates the city Is to purchase the
certificates at face value which would
constitute the city a holder Of lien
against the property which failed to pay
its assessment. At the end Of five years,
when the certificates expire, the same
process could be carried out and so on
making the lien a permanent one until
the property reached such value that
C could afford to buy up the certificates
together with interest, at Il per cent
and thus redeem the property. The
beauty Of the plan les in the fact that
the city would draw interest at II per
cent on the money advanced to the con-
tractors or else would come into possess
sion of the property.
The municipal court fund was left at
$4,000, together with s4125, which will be
due on salaries for this year.
The general fund, estimated at s400, 000
is by far the most difficult problem
which will have to be disposed of. Sew
eral important items have been laid over
awaiting discussion of this item. 1t
will be taken up by the conference COM
mittee this afternoon at 2 o'clock. The
committee will probably be in session
for number of days longer.