Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-11-06
Excess of appropriations

/ i
/ This statement showed that 'he app'o-
priations for current expenses ioi 80
! wear during the last four years nave
| exceeded the receipts. and that TINS per
| sistent disregard Of business principles
| has resulted in the creation OF IL large
| floating debt. ~, -, ,,,r,
| Nov so long as the practice OF making
| appropriations in excess or receipts coh-
| tinues. there is only one way 10 pay the
| floating debt thus created, and that Is py
| the issue of bonds. This plan has been
adonted bv the city Of Richmond. and by
| This means our bonded Indebtedness has
| been very largely increased for purposes
| for which the issue OF bonds was not
| intended.
| This practice Of living beyond the limits
| of our income ard then issuing bonds I"
make up the deficiency VIII ineVl'apiy
| lead to financial embarrassment or cause
such increased taxation as VIII result Va
| great hardship on our taxpayers ana
cause great depreciation III oui '"N"o'S
| real estate values.
| This being So IL Is the part OF WISDOM
10 make a substantial decrease in your
| expenditures for current expenses ana not
| TO increase your bonded debt except for
purposes which meet with general pubic
approval.
nection, your committee would like 10
consider the question Of the sinking fund,
but as their Information on this subject
| is not complete at this time. 1t VIII be
made the subject Of a future report
REFORM IN MANAGEMENT.
Your committee next considered the sub
ject of salaries and commissions paid by
the city, to the view OF ascertaning III
any proper retrenchment could be made
as to them. A printed statement of said
salaries furnished by the Auditor Is re-
turned herewith. Your committee realized
the difficulties attending any reduction or
salaries. and have tried. whilst having
always in view the interest OF the city,
TO do full justice to the Official
To this subject your committee has de-
voted much time. having summonded
before II all the chiefs of Il partn ents and
examined them as 10 the duties OF their
offices and their compensation. The result
of this examination has satisfied your
committee that whilst there are certain
salaries and commissions. hereinafter men,
toned. which should be reduced, yet the
remedy to be applied to keep the city
within the limits of its income Ties rot
so much in the reduction Of salaries as
in proper reform in the management of
the several departments of the city
This subject of the proper r.inage-
subject of future reports from your COM
mittee.
REDUCTION OF SALARIES.
The salaries. allowances. and commits
sons which your committee a. this time
recommend be reduced are as follows
and are to take effect February !. 1885:
City Engineer. from 5000 TO 5000.
Superintendent Gas-Works, $500 to
$1,000.
Commonwealth's-At from 1900
to $500
Secretary Sinking Fund. $500 to $500.
Sergeant-at-Arms. from $500 to sl,zcO.
Clerk to Committees. from 5000 ito $780,
Second Assistant at Almshouse, from s651
and provisions-SiS0-to $500.
Park-keepers six, from S9l5.50 each to
500 each.
Physicians at Almshouse. from 81 $50 to
$500
Commissioner of Revenue. from SIS to
As commissions.
Collector of City Taxes, from rs to
40 commissions.
If these reductions are adopted the saw
ing of the city will be about 5000 per
year.
The duties of the officials whose salaries
We recommend are so we'll known to
most Of you that we deem 1t unneces-
sary in this report to say anything in
opinion the reduced salaries are sufficient
compensation for the services rendered.
COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY.
The allowance of $1,000 a year to the
Commemorative Attorney and the COM
missions paid to the Commissioner of
Revenue and the Collector of City Taxes
II is thought should be more fully treated
in this report.
So far as your committee is informed.
the allowance of 1000 per annum to the
Commemorative Attorney was first made
In 1879, and this large amount was named
because the enactment of the law COM
monty known as the "Whipping
law" had so reduced the fees o: the Of
flee that proper compensation vas not re-
ceived by its incumbent. This whip
ping-post law" has long since been
abolished. and for years the fees of the
commemorative Attorney have increased
TO such an extent that at this time the
fees and salaries received by him, in
Guiding the $1,000 allowance. amount to
about $500 per annum. The necessity
therefore for so large an allowance no
| longer exists. The Commemorative At
| torney does, though perform some ser
vices for the benefit of the city, which
| occupy q very small part of his time,
and for these services think 500 per
annum liberal allowance.
COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE.
The Commissioner of Revenue is both
a State and city official. The bulk of
| his work is in connection with the as
sessment of real and personal property
and licenses for both State and city.
and his compensation is altogether in
| fees and commissions. His deputies
| (some seven in numbeD are paid by him
| out Of his fees and commissions. The
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