The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-07-07
BOARD OF CONTROL
is REPRINANDED
County soIons Censure Body
for Not Requiring Bonds
of Contractors.

The surveyors of St. Paul are kick
ing against County Surveyor Irvine en-
gaging in private work while he is en-
ployed as county surveyor.
A protest of this nature was MED
with the board of county commission
ers yesterday, the DIRECTORS being
members of the Surveyors Society of
ST Paul They contend that the coun-
ty surveyor has no right to do work
for private parties and charge for 1t
while he is being paid a salary by the
county. The charge is that he uses the
county maps and the office furnished
him by the county and that the prac-
tce works hardship upon other sur
veyors.
The suggestion is made to the board
that the county has enough work to be
done to keep the surveyor busy at all
times, and it is intimated that he be
permitted to earn the salary paid him
by the county The complaint was
signed by j. H Armstrong, Fowbie &
Fitz Gates A. Johnson, F. j. O'Hara
and Ed Hoenck Their cause was
championed by Commissioner Nash,
who, when the communication was
read, jumped to his feet and declared
that he had seen the county surveyor
take money for work for which he had
already received pay from the county.
Mr.. Irvine denounced the statement
as false, and said he was willing to
face any charges preferred against him,
when the charges were accompanied
by evidence.
Defends County Surveyor.
Assistant County Attorney O'Neill
put a quietus on the whole affair by
giving the opinion that the county sur
Veyor had a perfect right to do out
side work and charge for the same so
long as it did not interfere with his Of
fetal duties.
Another matter which caused con-
siderable of a row at the meeting of the
county commissioners was the allow
ance of the board of control bills.
Bills had been submitted for approval
by the board of control, among them
one for an electric elevator, strip of
sidewalk and a piece of fence. The
commissioners at first refused to APP
prove the bills, and this somewhat
angered N. P. Langford, of the county
board of control. 1t appeared that the
contracts had been let without the con-
tractors being required to give bond,
Which was necessary according to the
opinion of the county attorney in cases
where the contracts amounted to more
than $500, something which apparently
surprised Mr. Langford very much.
Mr.. Langford became angry and told
the commissioners that if these bills
were diSallowed he would never order
another load of wood or any provisions
for people. This statement called forth
a sarcastic remark from Commissioner
Pottgieser, who has always objected to
signing the board of control bills on
the ground that the commissioners
knew nothing whatever of what they
We're signing.
Pottgieser Grows Sarcastic.
"Oh, suppose the board of control is
Immaculate" said Mr.. Pottgieser. "All
we have to do is to sign the bills with
out ever looking inside of them, much
less to inquire what the money has
been spent for"
The bills were finally allowed
The White Bear lake enthusiasts
also came in for their share of trouble
at the hands of the county commits
sioners yesterday. 1t was proposed to
levy $4,000 tax, in accordance with
the new law, for the improvement of
this lake. This report and recommen-
dation had been submitted by Com
missioners Wright, Seng and Gray, but
the proposition of expanding all of the
appropriation upon one lake was vigor-
ously opposed by Commissioners Nash
Powers and Pottgieser, who thought
some of the other lakes should be look
ed after. AS compromise it was
agreed to include $4,000 in the 1904
tax levy for the improvement of lakes
within the county, and wait until next
year to appropriate the money.
W. D. Richardson was named as
morgue keeper for another year, and
his annual report for the year closed
June 80 was placed on file The report
shows that n subjects had been re-
ceiyed during the past year, of which
II We're males and females. Nation
alities were represented as follows:
American, %; German, II; Scandina-
Wan, IA; Irish, g.; Scotch, 1 French, 2;
English, 2; colored, 2; unknown, IL.
The bodies were handled by eleven diff
fefent undertakers
The annual meeting of the board will
take place next Monday.