The daily gazette., 1883-05-12
3niln salass Us Ensettp
WILMINGTON, SATURDAY. MAY 1s.
That Awful Deficiency.

Compelled by the stern logic of the official
figures to admit the existence of a deficiency
in our municipal finances for the current
year. the morning organ tries 70 fix the
blame for this uncomfortable state Of affairs
upon the city tax collectors and the Chief
Engineer Of the Water Department for not
collecting with proper alacrity the accounts
due the city. 1t admits that there
will be deficiency at the end of
the fiscal year of at least $4,000, (the
GAZETTE is positive it viii reach $50 ,000)
and all it can offer in ex enuation of this
lameutabe failure on the part of our
''model" administration is the ridiculously
false statement that the last Democratic
Council lett deficiency Of $50, 900.
Now, as far 4s the present condition OF
affairs is concerned it would make
not the slightest difference If the
" last Democratic Council I" had left
a deficiency OF halt million dol
lars. The present "mOdel" Council started
in to eonduct our municipal affairs upon a
strictly cash uasis, and that they have failed
TO carry out this intention is reluctantly ad-
mitted even by the morning organ, not
withstauding the eager glee with which it
used to boast OF the financial wisdom Of its
Couucllmamic pets When the city's bank
balance was fat aud healthy the
morning organ chuckled with Joy, as
its ignorance Of our municipal affairs pre-
vented it from couceiviug the Legitimate ex-
peuses that would ca ase this balance to
melt and waste lwa, like snow under a
summer sun--hur now that The bank bal
ance is on the other side Of the ledger, and
current EXPENSES Tor six weeks must be met
out Of an already existing deficiency, it
mournfuly confessea to the soft impeach-
ment thar cannot be denied, and puts in the
mi erable plea that "the last Democratic
1" Council" was equally guilty
The morning organs statement that the
last Council lett a deficiency of S5O, 600 is as
absurd as its explanation of the present
Council failure. In support OF it's as
sertion, also, it gives but two items-s20, 600
belonging to the school Board and 81 800
realized from the sale of the city hospital
thus leaving a discrepancy tu its own state
rnent Of 81 ,51u-nearly equal 10 the def
cheney its model Council will have created
at the end OF the hscaI year And
when the statement is further
analyzcd it will be found that
the sun realized from The sale Of the city
hospital building was applied TO the con
structiun oil the fire alarm telegraph, and
was expended during the "short" fiscal
year ending June 30, 1881, and cannot,
therefore be credited to the aIasr nom,
cratic touucil' the morning organ is so
an(jous tocougigr OF having created large
deficiency. We JhAs see that this boasted
deficiency OF S1O,OaJ, is cut down bv the
morning organs own figures to $4,000
which is the exact sum it amounted to and
which the GAzErTE never attempted to
deny
There is no Disgusting the fact that tn,
model Council failed IN its management
OF the financial uflairs OF the city, and ne
amount oi ingenious reasoning viii put tn,
matter ia any other light. 1t PRACTICAL,
funded the deficiency OF 50, ,O00 left by il
predecessor, aud reissuud through the sink
mg fund 4 matured loan OF SIS 0Ot
that should have been redeemed
By these manipuatjpns It started out with
ont any ucamn6suces Whatever, and tn,
existence OF deficiency that will doubtles
reach $4,000 by tHr end of the fiscal year
is proof positive # rs tuefHcieucy and ina
bIity 10 propc ty perform the importan
duties entrusted 20 its care The model
administration ut5 proved failure Wha
are thc peoult going TO DO about