The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-12-10
City Expenditures.

With nearly three months of the munich
pal year remaining, the city government
finds several of its appropriations already ex-
pended and the city council has passed par
tial deficiency bill to enable it to meet cur
rent expenses. Already we see disposition
to hold the Street Commissioner responsible
for the $4,000 called for and the $4,000
voted to supplement the regular appropria-
tion Of that department.. How is this? Has
the present Street Committee authorized
Commissioner Cousens to 60 on and make
such expenditures as he desires? If it has,
the Street Committee of which His Honor
the Mayor is Chairman is chargeable with a
plain neglect of duty. If the Committee has
not left Mr.. Cousens TO follow the dictates Of
his own judgement about expenditures then
that gentleman cannot be made scape-goat
for an expenditure of which he is in no way
responsible. The Commissioner is empow-
cred by the city ordinances to ''make all con-
tracts for the supply of labor and materials
for the same (the labor), take general care ol
the carts and teams owned by the city and
make all necessary arrangements for. clean
ing the Streets" Beyond this he has no al.
thority Or responsibility. He cannot pur.
chase cart-load Of cobble stones for street
building without the authority of the Street
Committee. Further than this, all the bills
of the Street Commissioner are submitted to
the Street Committee for examination and
cannot be paid unless sanctioned by a MAORI.
ty thereof We cannot believe that Mayor
Richardson as Chairman of that Committee
has been careless about the Commissioner
bills and as we cannot learn that he and hi:
Democratic associates, Littlefeld and Cum
ningham, have refused to approve any of them
we have right to presume that the attempt
of Democratic claquers to make Commission
er Cousens responsible for the large expendi'
lures is ridiculous and puerile.
Last March, Mayor Richardson expressed
the opinion that the expenditures for streets
especially for wooden pavements, were exor
bitant and should be cut down. Imagine the
surprise of the average citizen when he saw
order after order for wooden pavement pass
the city council without the feeblest objec
tion on the part of His Honor. Indeed
Mayor Richardson as Chairman of the Street
Committee reported such orders to the city
council. If he did this as the mouth-piece
of the committee when opposed to them, he
is "a very obliging gentleman. Nor can his
supporters who are now so eager to charge
the expenditures to the Republicans free him
from responsibility. True, the Republicans
have majority in both branches of the
council, and if united can pass any order
not requiring two-thirds vote. But have the
Mayor and his friends forgotten that be ha,
the veto power, and with more than thirt
of one branch composed of his own party
can defeat any order for wooden pavement
new streets or tor any other expenditure
Has Gen. Richardson so little of the Gen
Jackson in his Democracy that he is diffiden
about using the most effective weapon placed
in his hands?
And in respect to such jobs and repairs o.
the streets as do not require vote of the
council to authorize, we doubt if any thing
has been done against the protest OF Mayor
Richardson, the Chairman of the Committee
In view OF these facts, fair minded men can bu
arrive at one OF the following conclusions
First, that the expenditures for streets, how
ever large, have been necessary and conse
quently need no defence; second, if the ex
pendltures have been extravagant and uncallet
for, Mayor Richardson, as Chairman of tht
Street Committee, with the power to preven
the paying of any bill and the power to veto
any order providing for any work, is mainly
responsible and has failed to carry out the
policy shadowed forth in this inaugural.
Another of the committees that has ex
pended its appropriation and calls for more
money, is that on Public Buildings. Of thiI
committee His Honor is also Chairman and
if we are correctly informed, relieves his as
sociates of the greater part of the labors de
volving upon them. The first appropriation
made for public buildings was $4,000 and now
the committee have been granted further
sum of $500. making $500. Last year tht
Committee on Public Buildings expended
$3214.05. There has been good deal O
work done, but we have not noticed that the
jobs have been put upon the market for the
lowest responsible bidder. On the othel
hand, there appears 10 have been city paint
er. and city joiner, or perhaps two or three
city joiners, one of whom is member of the
committee.
We make no charge against Mayor Rich.
ardson, and we should not have called atten
tion 10 these matters were not some of Hi
Honor's political associates denouncing ths
expenditures as excessive and attempting to
shift the responsibility therefor upon others
than the Mayor, who, as the officer having
the veto power and holding the position o.
chairman of the two committees asking fol
additional appropriations, is chiefly response
BILE, whether right or wrong.