The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-09-21
CITY'S NEEDS GREAT
COMMISSIONER L. w. RUNDLETT
POINTS OUT INADEQUAcIES
OF PRESENT CHARTER
LACK OF FUNDS BADLY
cRIPPLEs PUBLIC WORKS
Extensive Report Will Be Considered
by Revision Commission Tomorrow
With Increased Necessities Various
Departments Are Compelled to OPP
crate on curtailed Appropriations.

Sstkht tfS SdSSA
Departments Are Compelled to OPP
crate on Curtailed Appropriations.
The charter commission will tomor-
row evening consider the suggestions
for amendments made by L. W. Rund-
lett, commissioner Of public works. At
the last meeting of the commission
Mr.. Rundlett called the attention of the
members to the condition of h pub
lie utilities under his direction n
pointed out the need of larger appro-
priations for their proper administra-
ton. The growth of the city, requir-
ing the addition of many improvements
and the increased cost of materials and
labor, he sets forth, have contributed
to increase the expenses Of the civil
department of the municipality; the
funds allowed for the purpose of the
department have been found made
quate for undertakings that require
attention; the Importance of furnish
ing a yearly allowance large enough to
meet the pressing demands of this de-
partment is generally felt. The main
tenance Of the streets, sewers n 9TH
er public necessities is of great inter-
est to every member of the communi-
ty, Mr.. Rundlett points out.
Run on Short Allowance.
The engineering department is seri-
ously handicapped for the lack Of
funds. Thirty thousand dollars is now
devoted to the use of the engineers
Office and the building inspectors Of
flee. In 1891 the amount allowed the
engineers Office was $4,000; a number
Of years of hard times followed, and
under the pressure to cut down the
city's expenses $25, 900 was the mini
mum amount allowed in any n year
for his department. In the years from
1890 to 1898 the cost of the building.
inspectors Office averaged over s11, 900,
and during the years 1899 and 1900
over $4,000.
Both these offices are now obliged to
be conducted with only $4,000 annual
ly. The effect of this shortage is to
render it practically impossible to dis
charge the duties required. 1t has been
found hard to retain a competent force
of civil engineers at the compensation
paid.
"The railroads." Mr.. Rundlett says,
"are taking all the best men, who must
be allowed to GO because of the inabil-
ity to meet the salaries offered by the
roads. The work of the Office has been
crippled by the lack of sufficient help.
Records Are Neglected.
Tor the last few years the records of
the Office have been neglected as a
consequence of not having means to re-
place them, so that now they are in
a very bad condition. No new surveys
have been made, and in some instances
1t has been impossible to attend to
the work Of the park board and the
water board"
To have sufficient funds for the
proper administration of the engineer
ing and building department, $4,000
should be appropriated, according TO
Mr.. Rundlett.
The street, sewer and garbage fund
is now altogether Inadequate" says Mr..
Rundlett. "One hundred and fifty
thousand dollars is now the amount al
lowed for the maintenance and care
of streets. Twenty-Five thousand dol
lars is the amount allowed for the
garbage fund. These two funds are
consolidated. making $4,000 avail
able for the many expenses that a
to be met.
"This amount is $4,000 less than the
amount that is actually needed. The
appropriation should be increased to
$250,000. The appropriation of $4,000
for the street and sewer fund was
made in 1891, and e. during the hard
times that followed that amount has
always been recognized as the mini
mum amount that could be appropriate
ed for that purpose. Since that time
the expenses of the department with
the growth Of the city have been con-
stantly increasing, and at the present
time with this appropriation it Is i'm
possible to keep up the prestige which
st. Paul has always sustained as a
clean and well kept city.
1.-THE cost Of sweeping the paved
streets by hand has gone up from So
800 in 1896 to $24,078 in 1901. The de-
partment must take care of about 375
miles of dirt streets and about seventy
miles of paved streets, and maintain
416 miles of sidewalks, in addition to
many crosswalks. The bills alone for
materials used in the maintenance and
repair Of streets increased from $751;
GIG in 1896 to $24,980 in 1901.
Sewers Are Neglected.
There are also at the present time
about ITS miles of sewers, including
3,480 catchbasins and 3,430 manholes,
and with the increased mileage the cost
of maintenance has also increased. AS
a consequence Of the crippled condition
of the forces for the last few years it
has been impossible to give proper at
tention to the cleaning Of catchbasins
and flushing of sewers, and as q con-
sequence lawsuits and damages have
resulted in times of unusual storms.
"The prices of labor and material
have also increased materially. The
result Of these increasing demands
--~- Y:-S415 a,~I l0- haoo 10
cause it to be constantly running be-
hind. There was some $12, 700 worth Of
bills from last year carried over and
paid from this years appropriation.
The consequence Of the shortage in
funds is that the department has been
obliged to neglect everything except
what is absolutely necessary to make
travel on streets and sidewalks safe.
Inadequate SprinkIins Fund.
"The amount now allowed for
sprinkling is $40, 900, which to be large
enough for the services required
should be increased to $4,000
"The amount now available has been
found entirely inadequate. The city,
during the past season, has S%prinkled
142 miles of streets under orders of the
common council. There are orders for
fifty miles additional, but owing to the
lack of money no attention could be
given to them. Last year the sprink-
ling fund was allowed to overrun some
$1,000, which was paid out of this
years appropriation.
"The cost of s%prinkling has material
ly Increased during the past two years
on account Of the largely increased
cost of labor, men and teams. 1t would
require eighty teams to sprinkle the
district now ordered, and at a cost of
$50 per month, the price demanded by