The Portland daily press., 1883-08-08
An Unnecessary Veto.

On Monday evening both branches of the
City Council passed an order appropriating
$500 from the contingent fund to be expend-
ed in freeing the trees in the public streets
and grounds from the caterpiliars which are
destroying them. As originally drafted,
the appropriation was made from tie appro-
priation for cemeteries and public grounds;
but 1t was amended so as to have the money
taken from the contingent fund. When
the order came before the Mayor for APPROX
al, instead of approving it he vetoed it for
the reason that the contingent fund ought
not to be drawn upon until the appropria-
ton for cemeteries and public grounds is ex-
hausted. This veto was accomplished in
such manner that the reporters and some
OF the members of the board of Aldermen.
did not know he had killed the order by
his peremptory act.
The Mayors views of the purposes and
uses of a contingent fund are peculiar. This
appropriation is not simply an extra appro
priation TO be drawn upon when other APP
propriations are exhausted, but it is made
and inserded to cover just such cases as
this where an unforeseen exigency calls for
an expenditure not contemplated when the
annual estimates were made. To take the
sum requisite for protection from the sud-
denly developed pest of this season from the
contingent fund is entirely proper. 1t is
well enough to be careful about wasting this
fund, but every taxpayer who takes pride in
the leafy beauty of Portland would sanction
The action proposed The Mayors scruples
are technical, rather than substantial If the
money had been taken from the appropria
ton for cemeteries and public grounds, it is
probable that appropriation would prove de-
ficient before the end Of the year. No mon
ey would be saved by taking the three hun
dred dollars from one appropriation rather
than from another
The next meeting of the City Council does
not occur until September, when it will be
too late. The eateGpillars must be DESTROYED
before that date or it will be impracticable
TO successful lily wage war upon them. The
Mayors action has, so far as he is con
cerned, devoted the beautiful trees which
are the glory of our city to destructi on. He
will be fortunate man if during his term of
office, or during his life, he is able to accom-
plish any good thing for the city which will
compensate for the ruin he has invited
The merit of the proposed appropriation
was not that it was large enough to pay for
all the work necessary, but that it was suf-
ficient to stimulate public interest and en-
courage all public-s pirited citizens to help
the work along. There is no encouragement
TO the owners of private grounds to rid their
own trees of the pest if all the avenues of
which the city has charge are permitted to
be nurseries of caterpillars which will
swarm in fresh and increasing broods over
the adjacent gardens. In the weeks to come
let every man and woman upon whom one
OF the disgusting worms drops from the trees
overhanging our sidewalks remember the
Mayors veto, and consider whether 1t is
worth while to make an appropriation from
the contingent fund of gratitude in recogni-
ton of this particular public service