The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-04-15

In seventeen typewriter pages the
grand jury which has done service since
Jan. !. yesterday reported to Judge Lewis
in the criminal division of the district
court, the result of their investigation into
the condition of city and county institu-
tions and offices and into existing evils.
In the course of the report the method OF
conducting business in the office of the
building inspector is severely arraigned.
the committee which conducted the in
veStigation into the affairs of that office
declaring that the system employed is out
of all proportion to the real needs of the
city. Important suggestions relative to
the workhouse are made. Otherwise the
affairs of city and county are found to be
in excellent condition. The police depart
ment is highly praised for excellent work
done and results accomplished and the
conduction of the county Jail is compli
mented
In the summing up of conditions the
grand jury reiterates the prayer of former
grand juries that for economical purposes
the city and county governments be con-
solidated; and take occasion to praise the
work of the police department and of the
county attorney in preparing and bringing
before them the cases which they have in
vestigated during their term of work.
Committee Reports
Attached to this summary are the in
dividual reports of the committees which
conducted the various Investigations. Most
voluminous of these is the report covering
the methods employed in the building in
spector's department. This committee
was composed of Mark ]. Fitzpatrick.
architect; NJ. p. Ryan. president of the
State Bank of st. Paul. and l.. B. New
man, general contractor. In the report
which ii submitted and which was adopt
ed by the jury. the committee says that
it finds the Office of the building inspector
to be i'm a condition far from satisfactory
AS result OF the investigation the con-
clusion is drawn that the office of build
ing inspector should be one separate and
distinct from that of the city engineer
except when matters of mutual impor-
lance come to an issue. The committee
suggests that the office is being run at
the present time with smaller force of
men than has been the case in twenty
two years, while the business which
comes under the supervision of the office
is constantly increasing in volume and
was heavier in 1904 than has been the
case in fourteen years last past The
committee reports that while the condi-
tons are very unsatisfactory the force of
men, small as it is, is doing wonderfully
efficient work.
matter be brought to the immediate at
tention of the city council with a view
of some Legislation affecting the conduct
of the office and for an increase in the
working force of the office.
Praise for Workhouse
The workhouse comes in for consid-
cradle mention. The various committees
which in the course of their individual
investigations had occasion to visit the
workhouse unite in declaring the insti-
tuition to be running most successfully
under the SUPPLEMENTARY of John Fitz-
gerald, but they unanimously express the
opinion that some better Opportunities for
employing prisoners there should be af-
forded. The most prominent suggestion
is that as the building is far advanced
in decay and will have to be rebuilt be-
fore long, it be moved. This suggestion
goes further and advises that when it is
moved it be rebuilt on the grounds of the