Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-02-04

poiho Peoplc laVOr inc commission ana
others are opposed to it. 1t is not for
US TO say what bills the commission
shall or shall not contract; it is man
datory on us to pay its bills"
Mr.. Murray-"Council is encouraging
its extravaganza by passing such an
ordinance. 1t is extravagant to employ
two men at Eighth street park"
Mr.. Colton-"rhe $6,5O0 appropria-
ton to the police department was made
when the department was under the
mayor and Council The next appro-
priation will have to be made to the
Police Commission, like appropriations
are made TO the Water Commission and
the Street and Sewer Commission.
Mr.. Ratledge declared something
should be done.
Mr.. McKelvey, fguratively speaking,
slapped Mr.. Murray, referred to the
Police Commissions extravaganza and
said the bills must be paid and the ordi-
nance should be passed.
Mr.. Perkins elf we don't make an
extraordinary appropriation what are
we to draw from? The appropriations
are down to the lowest figure"
| Asking Mr.. Cotton to preside Presi-
dent Benson descended to the floor and
said; There seems TO be misunder-
standing in reference to the ordinance.
II provides for an extra appropriation.
In the sense of section ~ of the city
charter 1t IS not an extraordinary appro-
| priation. IL is an extra appropriation
and can be passed by u two-thirds vote.
When the Legislature passed the Police
Commission act that act took the place
of everything in the city charter refer
ing to the mayor. The last clause of the
act makes it mandatory on Council to
pay the commissions bills. II the mem
Der from the Tenth ward can suggest
any means by which the commission
can be kept in bounds we would gladly
adopt them"
Mr.. Murray-"I would willingly rem
edy matters II could"
President Benson read section 65 Of
| the city charter. at is" he asserted,
an extraordinary occasion and an extra
| appropriation. No member of the last
Council could tell an estimate of the
expenses of the commission. An appro-
| priation of $4,000 is not sufficient; more
is needed. In one sense the proposed
appropriation is an extraordinary ap-
propriation--in that the Legislature Gre
ated the commission and made it man
datory on Council to pay the bills. l
hold, according to the charter, we are
not doing a criminal act and are not
liable for passing the ordinance"
Mr.. Dannenberg-"Th last Council
left the present police committee TO
settle unpaid bills amounting to $500.
What was the Appropriation last year z"
Mr.. White-"It was $11,500, but it
cost us $4,000 to put in the Gaynor
system"
Mr.. Dannenberg-"Oh, thought that
was the year before. On four occasions
| have gone to the commission with an
appropriation card and shown it how its
| finances Stood"
Mr.. Cotton called for the question on
| the motion for the first reading of the
| ordinance, and it was adopted, four
members, supposed to be Messrs Pagan,
Griffin, Murray and White, voting no.
On the motion for the second reading
Mr.. Murray alone voted in the negative.
Next the ordnance was referred to the
law committee and the city solicitor.
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
In the annual report of the Board of
Health President Wales says:
The report of our secretary shows that
our city has maintained its usual compare
tive good health during the past year and
that ont of q population estimated at
G5,3sl (that being our ratio of increase) the
death rate has been 1891 per thousand, a
decrease from the previous year.
lhe collection OF garbage, which has
been the cause Of much discussion, was
better attended to during the year than
during previous years though by no means
perfectly done
In this connection the board would
recommend the advisability of increasing
the number of executive officers to three,
for the purpose Of supervising the collec-
| ton of garbage as well as for the inspec-
| tion and suppression of nusances detri-
mental to health. Our city has nearly
doubled i'll population since the establish
ment of our present system and the dis
tricis are now very unequally divided
owing to the growth of the western por-
ton.
Secretary Colquhoun gives numerous
vital statistics. The total amount ex-
pended during the year for the collection
Of garbage was S9,7S6.25. Thrty-eight
deaths resulted from accident, 2S from
apoplexy, II from bronchitis, % from
Bright's disease, IL from cancer, 63 from
cholera infantum, lis from consumption,
40 from convulsions, 90 from mem
braneous Group, II from diphtheria, "a
from enteritis, 30 from general debility,
81 from heart disease, 5S from inantion,
45 from marasmus, 81 from paralysis,
50 from pneumonia and 30 from typhoid
fever The month in which the most
deaths occurred was December, when
there were 150, and the ward in which
most occurred was the Eighth, in which
there were 1865. The percentage of
deaths from zymotic disease was 2l. .66
to the whole number Of deaths.