The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-04-11
CHARTER VIOLATED IN THE PREP
ARATION OF CITY CERTIFI-
Gates OF INDEBTEDNESS
"WsTCHDOG" M'CARDY ASLEEP
SOME FIGURES FROM THE REC
ORDs THAT THE COMPTROLLER
CANNOT GAINSAY
MISTAKES WERE KEPT QUIET
Official Proceedings of Council Show
Either CareIessDess or Intent
to Ignore It's Pro-
visions.

Comptroller McCardy is to address the
Republican voters of the First ward to-
night. While he will put in a little talk
about the party the greater part of his
speech will be devoted to the wonderful
work he has done in the comptroller's
office, and how he, single-handed and
alone, has reduced the city debt 'steen
thousand dollars 1t is about 100 to l,
however, that the comptroller will not
explain to the voters that by his careless
ness the entire issue of tax levy certih-
Gates of Indebtedness for the year 1899
was made invalid. The certificates is
sued amounted, according to the report of
the comptroller for 1899, to s1,095, ,GOO And
had the holders of any of the certificates
desired to raise the question OF the
validity Of the issue, the city would have
been put to considerable expense. The
certificates were issued as follows:
$4,000, Jan. IA. 1S99 due June A. 1900;
s150,0OO, Feb Is, 1899, due June 15 1900;
1000, June 16, 1899, due June Is, 1900 and
$4,000, Nov. Is, 1899, due June Is, 1900
The charter, which the cor, Jtroller
calls MY Bible" contains the following
provision:
"A ..
"As soon as said tax estimate for any
particular year is transmitted to the
county auditor said common council, by
ordinance, may issue and sell from time
to time as money is needed certificates
of Indebtedness in anticipation of the
collection of taxes for any department
named in said tax estimate but
no certificate shall be issued to become
due and payable later than Nov Is of the
year succeeding the year in which said
tax estimate was made"
The report of the official proceedings Of
the common council for 1888 shows that
4 resolution known as Assembly File No.
1901 was passed by the assembly Dec Is,
1893, and the board of aldermen Dec. 20,
1898, and approved by Mayor Kiefer Dec.
p, 1898. This resolution was the tax esti-
mate for 1899. and provided that the
amount necessary to be raised by taxa
ton for 1899 was 81, ,3S3, ,1S0. The resolution
was prepared by the comptroller and,
like all other papers that come from his
office, the council without even examin-
ing the same, adopted it by q unanimous
vote on the dates mentioned. AS the
estimate was made and approved by the
council in $685. according to the charter
none of the certificates issued in antici-
patton of the collection of the taxes for
1899 could have been issued to become
due later than Nov. Is, 1899, as the char
ter expressly provides that mo certifi-
Gates shall be issued to become due and
payable later than Nov. Is Of the year
succeeding the year in which such tax
estimate was made
NO TEACHERS TO SUFFER.
A little thing like the violation of the
charter, however, does not in the least
bother the watch dog OF the treasury"
except when he can hold up the pay of
the school teachers, policemen, or some
employe Of the city, outside of his own
office. Whether 1t was due to careless
ness, or a short nap taken by the watch
dog" another palpable mistake was by
the official who prides himself on never
making any mistakes. He prepared and
sent to the assembly Jan 8, an ordinance
authorizing the issuance Of $1,106560, in
certificates of Indebtedness, which was so
per cent of the tax estimate for 1899.
The ordinance was adopted by the as
sembly Jan. 5, by the board of aldermen
Jan. 6, and approved by the mayor jan
comptroller but in drafting it he made
the principal clause read as follows: 1.-THE
certificates are authorized to be issued
and sold in anticipation of the collection
of taxes for the year 189S."
HUSHED UP.
These two mistakes on the part of the
watchdog of the treasury" one a vio-
lation of the charter, would, if brought to
the attention of the holders of the GER
tificates, have resulted in deal of trou-
BILE to the city and possibly have affect
ed the sale Of the issue. The violation OF
the charter requirements and the mis-
take were both hushed up, simply be-
cause it was Comptroller McCardy who
was responsible.
1t is perfectly safe to say that neither
of the matters mentioned above will be
alluded to by the comptroller in his talk
made before the voters Of the First ward
tonight