The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-08
must OBEY HE CHARTER
CITY COUNCIL TO SUGGEST SOME
REFOBMS IN CITY COMP
TROLLER'S OFFICE
BREMERs POINT WELL TAKEN
Assembly Committee on streets Is
So Advised by Corporation At
tOrney and VIII Report
Accordingly.

The committee on streets of the as
sembly, at its meeting yesterday after
noon, heard arguments at length on
communication from City Treasurer
Bremen, referring to Comptroller Nc
Cardy's failure to comply with the new
charter in regard to making daily reports
to the city treasurer of the business done
in his office during the day. The matter
was discussed and both parties given a
hearing.
Mr.. Bremer's letter was accompanied by
an opinion from First Assistant City At
torney Griggs, of which the Following is
an extract:
Il have the honor to advise you that
unless these provisions (meaning the pro.
visions of the charter in regard to daily
reports)~ are complied with, you are with
out authority in law to make any pay
ments from the city's funds on any par
ticular day, until the city comptroller
has handed you the statement required
in section H., and you have examined
signed and certified it is correct.
lit is true that although the new char.
ter took effect on the second day of
June last, the year just beginning is the
first fiscal year to which it's provisions.
strictly speaking, apply. 1t has doubtless
been inconvenient, and perhaps lmposSl-
BILE, for the city comptroller, up TO the
present time, to comply strictly with the
provisions to which have drawn atten-
ton, but I think you will be actlnS
strictly within the line of your duty II
you insist that from now on these pro
visions shall be strictly complied with.
II am sending a copy of this communl-
cation to the city comptroller for the
purpose of calling his attention TO these
provisions. and l have no douot mat ne
will cheerfuliy accede to the recommend
atoms contained therein, and that ne
will unhesitatingly comply with the
same. now that they are brought to his
This opinion is dated Jan. and was
given in answer to a verbal request OF
Mr.. Bremen in regard as to what course
In speaking about the matter, Mr..
Bremen said that he was able to get out
his report every day, and that the Work
was done by two of his clerks incidental
lv during the day, without interfering
with their regular work at all.
Mr. McCardy said that the city treas
urer had S., coo year for clerk hire. while
he only had $1,000. Up to this year he had
only received $4,000 for clerk hire.
In reply Mr.. Bremen said that his Office
had to do twice as much work as the
office Further, he stated
that the city treasurer's Office not only
had to do all the bookkeeping, but col
lected all assessments, sent out all no
tees. took all judgments and made all
the payments for the city. His clerks
often worked overtime to get the work
done.
two extra clerks if he had to get out this
daily report. He had one extra man at
the present time, but could only keep
him six months of the year.
Mr.. Bremen told Mr.. McCardy that if
his books were correct up to date he
would volunteer his services to get out
the required report. To this Mr.. Nc
Cardy replied that they were up to date,
but, as for accepting Mr.. Bremer's offer,
q have RI
Mr.. McCardy seemed to think the char
ter provision unnecessary. and, that the
system he had pursued during the past
years was o. K, and said that the max
ing of these daily reports would not add
to the efficiency of the Office.
Mr.. Bremen challenged this and
claimed that it would add to the eff
iciency of the Office. He said: THE
new charter holds me responsible for all
money paid out and how 1 am to know
how much there is to the credit Of each
fund if 1 don't set these daily reports?'
Mr.. Bremen also stated that he had not
as yet acted as suggested by the city at
torney, as he did not want to incon-
venience the people on account of the
failure of one of the city officials to
comply with the requirements of the
new charter, and that he thought res
olution from the common council in
structing Mr.. McCardy to comply with
the charter would have the desired eff
feet on the city comptroller to furnish
the report.
Aid. DobN2r thought the charter was
mandatory one and that the only thing
they could do was to have the city
comptroller comply with the provision.
Aid. Bantz asked Mr. McCardy if one
Of the city treasurers accountants could
not come into his Office and assist in
getting out the report, to which Mr..
McCardy replied: 1.-The coming in of one
of his clerks would simply be to take
extracts from our books, and my clerks
are all busy as bees from 9 o'clock in
the morning until o'clock in the after
noon.
Finally Aid. Dobner moved that the
committee report, calling the attention
of the comptroller to the provision in the
charter relating to daily reports, and
that if he failed to comply with same,
the city treasurer will be instructed to
stop payment of all orders. The city
attorney was requested to draw a proper
resolution to that effect to be presented
at the meeting of the board of aldermen
this evening.
The matter of granting the Omaha
railroad permission to build spur
track on the West side levee, from the
terminus of the present spur track to
a point near Harriet island; was laid
over on motion of Aid. Murphy until
Jan. 81.
The contract for furnishing lumber for
the city for the year was awarded to
James ForrestaI for $17,630.75. '7.-