Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-01-14

All the Appropriations Short and the
Police Approximation Nearly Exhausted


end of this fiscal year. Many of the
appropriations are short and the police |
appropriation is nearly exhausted. For
the police department, it is said, an ex-
traordinary appropriation will have to |
be created. This condition of affairs is |
attributed by the Republican members
ciering on the part of the last Council,
which had Democratic majority.
Democrats assert that the making of a
metropolitan police force is the cause of
the trouble. The following is Repub-
lican statement:
When the Democratic Council turned
the burden of city affairs over TO the
Republicans it was announced with
considerable ceremony and rejoicing
that they also turned a surplus of about
$4,000 to their successors. This sur
plus was the most peculiar surplus that
could have been designed. 1t consisted
of balance in bank of about the sum
named and unpaid bills aggregating sew
eral thousand dollars more, so that the
$4,000 surplus had its existence only
on paper.
When the Republican Council came
into office it found large number OF
unpaid bills, some of them several
months old. Among these rbills were
bills for several months rent of the
patrol stable; bills of the Southern Elec-
tic Company OF Baltimore for supplies,
and various others. Among the largest
OF these bills We're those of the Delaware
and Atlantic Telegraph and Telephone
Company. These bills had all been
audited and ordered paid, but for some
reason, never yet explained, they had
been sailed away and never paid. The
bills of the Southern Electric Company
were of such proportion and of such
date that man was sent to Baltimore to
investigate them. 1t was found that
they had not been paid and so orders
were drawn for the amounts. All the
other bills were also paid.
10 make matters worse il was not
long before it was found that there were
judgments outstanding against the city
aggregating perhaps $1,000 which must
be paid, but for which no provision had
been made in the appropriations of the
Former Council. Orders for these iudg-
ments We're drawn and they were paid.
The creation of the Police Commits
sion did, OF course, put some additional
expense on the Council. The salaries
Of the two detectives, the two police
commissioners, the court officer and the
| additional officers added TO the police
force by the commission had to be pro-
| yided for. But even with this additional
expense the appropriation for police
would not have needed much aid had it
not been that there We're so many bills
left over by the former police committee
The amount of these bills left over can
not at present be ascertained, but the
average citizen will be surprised when
tho list can be made out. II will show
conclusively that the present Council
has been hampered in every manner
possible by the actions of the preceding
Council.
When the Democratic Council was
making out the appropriations for the
present fiscal year the chief object was
to keep down the appropriations SO that
the tax rate would not have to be
raised. 1t was foregone conclusion
that the next Council would be Republi-
can, and it is believed by many that it
was the deliberate intention to make the
next Council have bad financial show
ing. the appropriations were kept down
as long as possible; the unpaid bills and
the outstanding judgments against the
city We're not provided for.
Even the Street and Sewer Depart
ment agreed, in order to keep the tax
rate down, to waive its right to the five
per cent increase allowed ii by law and
received the same appropriation that ii
did the year before. The same depart
ment also agreed to pay the interest on
the loan made for improving streets in.
stead of compelling City Council to pay
the interest, as il could have done under
the law authorizing the loan. Having
secured these concessions from the de.
partment named, and having failed tc
provide for the unpaid bills and iudg
, ments which should have been provided
for, the old Democratic Council had nc
, trouble in fixing the tax rate at the same
figures as it was during the preceding
fiscal year. The appropriations moi
being sufficient to meet the expenses 81
the coming fiscal year, the Republican
Council would exhaust them before the
year was out, would be compelled tl
,, borrow money and the next fiscal yea
TO raise the tax rate, in order to pay of
the money borrowed. 1t was held By
many familiar with public affairs at tn,
time that the Democrats had tied tn,
/, hands of their successors and that tn,
appropriations made would fall short.
Franklin b, Cotton, the present chair
man Of the finance committee, was thu
! minority member of the same commit
tee when the appropriations were made
J Mr.. Cotton being in the minority, .iai
no opportunity ofascertaining that Their
were numbers Of unpaid bills and som
unpaid judgments on hand at the tim
or he would have objected to the ap
preparations at the time, and insiste
4 upon the tax rate being raised in orde
: to meet the increased expenses of tn
5 next year. Being ignorant OF the trti
= state Of affairs he offered no objection
= 1t was not until much later that he dis
covered the unpaid bills.
While all the appropriations are nor
j or less affected by the surplus left b
G the former Council, some are of cours
S affected more than others. As befoi
x stated the police appropriation is prof.
a ably the lowest. Ii can be samewh;
II helped by the passage Of an ordinanC
transferring money to it from SON
g other appropriation, or it may be helpe
d by an extraordinary appropriation
/ Which plan will be adopted remains /
% be decided
: i was stated in paper yesterda,
g that il would probably be necessary
9 borrow money to run the financi
I affairs of the city until the next year
n appropriations are available but it is nj
Is generally thought by members Of Goul
ie Gil that this will be necessary. 1t
I thought that by judicial managemei
the difficulty can be tided over withol
at outside help. 1t not believed, eithe
N that next years tax rate will be high
4 than the present rate, despite the diff
Y enlties thrown in the path OF the X
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