The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-09
WHERE MONEY WENT
MORE EVIDENCES OF GROSS MIS-
MANAGEMENT IN THE CITY
ENGINEERS OFFICE
COST OF CRUSHED STONE
Year Ago 1t Was $40 Per Yard,
Now 1t Is SO - Stone Dis
appears in Wagon
Load Lots.

Crushed stone for street dressing pur-
posss at So cubic yard, against s1.4O
| paid a year ago, suggests a field for in
Vesigation, yet it is said that the first
named figure Is what the engineering de-
I partment has been paying for the ma
terial 1t has been using for the past
| four months.
Less than year ago, at the request Of
| CITY Engineer Claussen, the council au-
I thorized the purchase of a road roller at
a cost of $1,000, and supplemented it with
| rock crushing machine, which necessi-
| tated an expenditure Of about 81 200. To-
day both are stored in the city yards at
LOrient street, the roller furnishing
| steam and power for the operation OF
the crusher.
Since placed in operation the machines
have turned out several hundred loads Of
| crushed stone, and, according to the
| street commissioner in charge, every load
had represented an expenditure of over So
| A year ago contractors had laid this same
material on the streets for $1.25 and ST. AZ
q yard.
The LOrient street yards Is where the
engineering department stores all It's
tools, and it is said has of late cost the
city a pretty penny. Less than two
months ago the outfit was supplemented
| with the addition Of an assortment of
picks and shovels, which cost over 5000,
while another investment of Several hun
| dred dollars consists of a road scraping
machine designed to do away with hand
sweeping Of the streets, but which, be-
cause of it's size and clumsy character,
can only be used when the streets are de-
serted by teams.
Possibly the retirement Of the present
engineering regime is responsible for the
| many little stories of inadequacy and in
competency that are now coming to the
surface, but one at least is to be made
the subject Of investigation when the
| council again meets.
Where Did This Stone Cor
This is the disappearance of about fifty
| loads of stone which were dumped for
| city use in the vicinity of Capitol hill.
| When first stored there were about 100
| loads in all, but when finally rescued from
those who were hauling it away daily
by the wagon load, only about one-half
| of the original amount remained. The
| claim Is made that Street Commissioner
Steeg was notified that the stone was
| being stolen, but he made no effort to
| stop the thefts.
Another matter which 1t Is said might
bear investigation relates to a lot of
| gravel used on one of the streets in the
| down town district The material was
screened on Commissioner Marquet's
place near Como, and to lay down on the
street practically cost the city SO a
| load. The distance was so great that
only three loads day could be hauled
| According to contractors this material
| could have been laid on the streets for
| rs cents a load.
| Another is the unusual purchase OF
| stone tagging now reposing at the city
| yards, and which, according to an ex-
preston credited to Assistant City Engi-
neer Wilson, is sufficient to last the city
| for several years.
These are only few of the charges of
gross and criminal incompetency now
| being made, and it is said will be supple
| mented shortly with charges of greater
extent and more serious import.
| Closing out high-grade Gopher Wheels