The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-09-02
TALKED OF At CITY HALL.
Tbs Increase In the Revenue Of the
Municipality
WILL MEET RUNNING EXPENSES
Unless New Work IL Ordered by tho City
Council Contract for Pumping En-
gine Not Awarded Yet--Terminsi Fa-
cilities COMMITTEES Meets-Notcs.

Inero WAS cO1StueraDio ulscuSstOu AZ
city hall this morning on the new ssess-
n.ent. Some OF the members Of The city
council said they expected much larger
increase ia the CT Us revenu, while others
proiessed to be satisfied.
City Auditor Nisbet was asked whether
the money realizsd from tho new assess
ment would be sufficicnt to meet all the
running expenses for the coming YER.
He answered that ne could not tell un-
ill after the annual appropriation bill
had Leea presented Ii no new work
was o,dered it was possible that the
taxes would meet all the run
ming exp. .nses for the year. Ho sever. he
would not venture definite opinion un-
til he had seen the appropriation bill.
This was now bsing prepared by the CON-
mittee on finaucs and would bs presented
at tie n'xt meeting Of the common
council. ff
A member Of the common council in
discussing the new assessment said
"This increase OF nearly $225. 900 in tue
city's revenue loooks very big but as mat.
ter OF fast IL has already been absorbed
you must remember that the
running expensss Of the city have besn
greatly increasei. Why the additions
to the police force alone involves an in
crease of $4,000 and then We have added
600 or more electric lights which means
another SO. 600 and so on. So say nearly all
of this increass has already been alb
sorbed SO that little IL any OF it will be
available for any purpose outside the
regular running expenses OF the govern
ment
City Finances Discussed.
1T looks to me rs though we may
he forced to a still higher tax rate.
The trouble Is that in years gone by
the city did practically nothing IN tie
way OF public improvements. Why. it IL
only twenty years since We begun our
waierworks, aud since then We have
built our sewers. erected school
houses, laid out aud curbef ne y streets
and paved others with granite blocks.
All this work has been crowded into
comparatively few years so that we feel
the weight OF it more tnan though the
expenditure had been spread over
longer period.
"A ,other thing that has helper to in
crease the burden Is that when pernnis-
sion is obtained from the general
assembly TO borrow larg. sums they are
speut meiiately instead Of being
hu,bauded and drawn upon
..s slowly as ossible. Tnese large bor-
row. iugs increase the amount the city
must pay into IT., sinking funds, besides
the interest that must be paid the
holders OF notes aud bonds. Just look at
what we have TO pay into the sinking
iund every year and ut our large Interest
account aud you will see what "A large
part Of cur income gees in that way"
Not Awarded Yet.
CITY Enciueer Sedd said this morn
ing that the examination OF tue plans
aud specifications for the new pumpi ng
engine at Pettaconsett had not been
completed ms yet nor was it likely to b,
before the early part of the coming week.
Each one of the five bidders have sub
m,tted four different designs and the
amount of work involved in figuring
out the capacity of each was
very great. Mr., Shedd has 20 do
this work himself, and as other matters
in mis- department. squire his attention he
il not aDls To devots nis whole tine c, 1t.
Speaking of the proposals In general, he
said they were all gooi--indeel as good
as he had ever seeE.
Terminal Facilities.
Tie Joint special committee on
termiaal faciliti 5, of which Mr.. William
p. Vaughan is chairman, held ~ meeting
m committee rbom III, at 10 o'cl ck
this morning TIE work inaugurated
by the Consolidated road mt Francis
s rect was discussed Informally, aud than
the committee went up to Charles street
where the owners Of several estates claim
to have been damaged by the change OF
8 rade on account of csrrs wing the street
over the tracks at that point.
After spending some time there the
committee went over on the cove lands
to view the progress Of the work inaugu-
ratel by the Consolidated roal.
The committee seems to he gratificd
that the road has started in to fulfil its
promises aud u hopes to see the work
progr IS with as little delay rs possible
until the new station aud improved
ter annals are accomplished facts.
Notes About the Hall
The free vac nnation began at tho Office
of the superintendent OF health this
afternoon, and thers were more than
hundred lit ones there to have their
arms punctured.
The committee on city property held
meeting In the office OF the public bnild-
inus dspartDent at 2 o'clock this after
noon.
The Offices in the city hall were open
until 'clock this afternoon, the Satur-
day half-holiday having expired with the
end OF Angus.
Ex-Com missioner Of Public Works
Jonn A. leman was a visitor to the
scene OF his former labors this morning.
The board OF aldermen will meet next
" ein.sday evening, and the common
co uncil on Monday, the 1ith inst, wneh
it is expected n report will be made on
Mayor Pottcr's terminal facilities mes
sage.