The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-04-18

Which ward shall receive the benefit Of
the $4,000 which the school board finds is
all that remains Of the $125, COO originally
set aside for new buildings promise to be
troublesome problem.
Inc struggle is now between the Fifth
and First wards, and the contest over
the building which this $4,000 will bring
threatens to ind its way into the coun-
Gil In order to spend the amount the
legal department holds that the authority
Of the council will have to be secured.
To this body the eontesting wards will
appeal and here the battle will be waged
The question of disbursing this money
either for new building or additions to
those already constructed is a ticklish
one Asked as to what section of the
city an addition or a new building is the
most necessary Supt. Lewiston refuses to
commit himself, except to say that nearly
every school building in the city could
stand expansion.
The First ward which is the most clam
orOuS and the demands of which are rec
ognized by the board as just has held
several meetings and appointed a COM
mittee to look after its interests. The
Fifth ward is also preparing to get in
line; also the Second.
w. Il. johnson Replies.
County Attorney Johnson does not take
kindly to the intimatiOn in the opinion
handed down by the legal department.
lack Of money to erect new buildings this
year
Il think an injustice has been done me
IN this matter. said Mr.. Johnson yester-
day, especially when [ am held up as
the principal one on whom the blame
should be laid
The city council" continued Mr.. John
son; levied for. school purposes $343, 200,
and it was my duty to figure a sufficient
per centum on the taxable property of
the city to produce this amount. After
the. state board of equalization had fin
'lShed its readjCstment of Ramsey county
valuations it was turned over TO Frank
Oliver, one of the best clerical men have
in my office, a Democrat who is retained
for his recognized ability, to furnish me
an abstract of the total corrected valua-
ton. Mr.. Oliver returned me a state
ment showing the valuation to be $8S. 249, =
913, and on this valuation L extended a
tax of 3.S9 mills, Which would produce
S343,292 But it must be remembered that
the return from the state board does not
reach this office until nearly time to
spread the tax. and in the hurry OF the
moment Mr.. Oliver had neglected to de-
quot from the valuation the S1G0 exemp-
the valuation to $86 $50 eco in round fig
uTes, and my levy. based on the higher
valuation, produced 1898 274, which is lust
1925 short of the amount asked for
1.-The statement that the total shortage
is somewhere in the neighborhood Of
S125,0G0 is not quite correct [ understands
1t is some over $4,000. How on earth it
can be figured out that shortage of less
shortage Of SIPS, 000 or even $50. On2 is
more than [ can possibly comprehend
and leads me to think T h G. o b has
done me an unintentional injustice I am
willing to stand for the error committed
by my clerk, and no one regrets it more
than myself, but | should not be charged
with the principal part of this shortag
in the building fund of the schools when
the total shortage to all of the different
school funds caused by my error is less
than $1,000"