The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-11-11
SPENT IN ADVANCE
ANTICIPATED $4,000 FOR GOOD
ROADS HAS SHRUNK
TO $4,000
DELAY OF A YEAR Is LIKELY
Heavy Deficits in County Revenue
and Road and Bridge Funds
Responsible for the
Shrinkage.

Commercial organizations and advo-
Gates of good roads generally, who have
been banking much on $4,000 placed by
the county board Ill the budget for the
repair and Improvement of roads
throughout the country are in a fair way
to see their hopes shattered.
In the ordinary course of events, this
much advertised $4,000 which has fgur-
ed like the scintillating star in the discus
sions attendant upon the good roads
| meetings held of late, should become
available next May, but it won't Be
tween heavy deficit and considerable
anticipation, good roads advocates can
| consider themselves lucky if they find
$1,000 when the taxes are collected.
UnWittingly, the cat was let out of the
| bag at the last meeting of the board Of
county commissioners, when the county
auditor reported there was a deficit of
| $17,G0e in the road and bridge fund and
| a heavier amount lacking in the county
| revenue fund.
While admitting this, however, the
members failed to make public the fact
| that there reposed in the vaults of the
| county auditor bills for work done that
| would make further inroads into this
| much advertised $4,000. These bills
| County Treasurer Metzdorf roughly esti-
| mates will figure up about $4,000. Here
| is $4,000 expended, of money that the
! county has not yet collected and the time
| of reirDburSing the treasury by no means
| near.
This ancunt deducted from the prom
| ised $4,000, leaves $4,000, but even this
| will be reduced when it is known that
| only so per cent of the entire amount
will be available.
Ramsey county, says County Treasurer
Metzdorf, has been carrying this deficit
for years and she will be lucky this time
if even enough for the ordinary repair
and Improvement of roads and bridges
| is found. If any one, he says, is con-
graduating himself on seeing $50, 0OO
dumped into the roads of Ramsey county
| this coming year, he is fostt ring false
| hope.
| One of the principal hopes of those who
| had Interested themselves in securing
| for Ramsey county the best roads in
| the state, was the complete resurfacing
| Of several of the highways and the build
| ing Of others that would tap territory
now pouring it's trade into Minneapolis.
/ This would have made heavy inroads
! into the promised $4,000, but it cannot be
/ done now. BY the most careful figuring
| and the greatest of economy, not over
S15,Oe0, it is thought, will be found when
| all past obligations are cleaned up.
To Improve Intersections.
] The city is now trying to aid in the
| enterprise to the-extent of securing the
| Improvement of number of streets
| where they interSect the county roads
| and will in all probability succeed. Fur
| Their aid is to be given IN the shape of
! amendments to the charter permitting
| an increase in the street Improvement
| fund.
Tie cover up the unusual deficit that ex-
| lists in the county revenue fund, alleged
| extravaganza on the part of the city hall
| and court house commission, which, by
the way, has Democratic majority, is
! being circulated by some of the Republic
| an members of the county board. Ex-
| Custodian Battley is being made the
| scapegoat in the hope of diverting at
tention.
| According to the books in Custodian
/ Cramsie's office, the running expense OF
| the big building are lower now than they
have been for years. When Mr. Cramsie
| took control, the monthly expenditure
amounted to s1,975, but by judicious
! pruning this has been reduced to about
| S,7O0 and that, in the ia D. of the fact
| that the installation of a new elevator
| necessitated the employment of two ad-
| ditional operators.
Mr. Cransie says it is wrong to COM
pare the city hall and court house with
the average office building. as the amount
of work is greater and much more exact
ing. Meetings are held nightly, requiring
the attendance CT janitors, while the
work is greatly increased by big lawn
and sidewalk area that other buildings
do not have.
In the removal of the county jail and
! the building of the new, hoodoo that
! threatens to send more than one Repub-
lican war horse to the political bone
yard, the commission had thrown on its
shoulders heavy expense in the filling
and resurfacing Of the west grounds and
the installation of a plant for the fur
nishing the energy for three sets of
elevators. These two alone represented
an expenditure of nearly $1,000, one-half
/ of which had to come out of the county
revenue fund.