The Saint Paul globe., 1904-06-04
SAVE TAXPAYERS
EIGHTY.F|VE CENTS
Joint Court House and City
Hall Commissioners Unearth
a Secret OveFcharge

The meeting of the joint court house
and city hall commission yesterday
afternoon was delaye~ almost an hour,
pending the investigation of a bill that
had been sent TO the commission. "A
local firm had been ordered to furnish
some signs for the county treasurer's
office. and bin for the work amounted
to a trifie more than So. The signs were
charged for by the foot
How do we know that bill is cor
rect?" questioned Commissioners Pott-
geiser
Maybe we had better investigate
it." suggested Assenlblyman Van Siyke,
and Aid. Buschmann Thought the sug-
gestion a good one.
County Commissioner Pottgieser and
Aid. Buschmann were delegated to in
Vestigate the work and ascertain if the
charge was a proper one While these
two members of the commission were
making the investigation the board
could do no business. A half hour
passed and the committee did not re-
turn. When the time heightened into
three-quarters of an hour, the waiting
members became restless, but after a
wait of full hour the committee re-
turned.
Saved Taxpayers Money
We'll, we saved some money by
looKlng the matter up" said Commits
Sloner PottgieSer. "We were being
charged too much"
That's right" said Aid. Buschmann.
We measured the work and found it
more tnan foot short of what we are
charged for
Then the bill was dug up, and after
considerable figuring the sum of So
cents was taken off the bill The clerk
was ordered to note the disallowance
ana the bill was passed, after more
than an hours time had been con-
sumed in making the correction.
- believe in saving the city and
county every cent possible" said Com
missioner Pottgieser, with the air Of
one who had relieved the taxpayers of
great burden.
Next came the question of repairing
the iron gates at the doors of the city
hall They had been found in bad con-
dltlon and would have to undergo con-
siderable repairing. Custodian Cram
sey suggested that he would investigate
the gates and ascertain if they could
not be repaired by the employees of the
building, but this suggestion did not
meet with the approval of the members
of the commission.
Chance for Buschmann
L think it will require a blacksmith
to fix them properly" said Commits
sloner Pottgieser, the opinion being
shared by Aid. Buschmann
We'll, here's Buschmann; he's a
blacksmith" spoke up Assembiyman
Van Slyke. Why not have him fix
them?' aE
Commissioner Pottgieser moved that
Aid Buschmann be given the job, but
Clerk Drummond suggested that it
might be just as well to let the Job
without making the motion a part of
the records so long as the work was to
be given to a member Of the commits
sion.
';;Well, keep it off the minutes. but
give Billy the job" said. one of the
members, and the work win be done at
/ Aid. Buschmann's shop. Some one
started to ask something about the cost
of the work
"Oh, Billy will make the price all
right" winked one of the members.
I'VE will find out what the lob costs
when we get the bill"
The commission then turned down
petition of the employees of the build
ing asking for an increase of salaries
from SIS to $50 per month, on account
of the increased cost Of living, and ad-
iOIIPnad