Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-06-21
BILL FOR POLICE CLOTHING HELD UP

ries REMAIN Unpaid in Order to Avoid
Drain on the City Treasury.
municipality that is perfectly solvent
and that did not owe one cent Of debt
could be made TO appear a defauter
under such gross financial misnanage-
mont as that of the present Republican
City Council
The present policy of not paying their
Just debts and thereby keeping up a
fictitious appearance Of a balance in
bank is done for the purpose of hiding
large deficiency which probably
equals at least the sum OF $4,000 lille
gally taken from the treasury Of the
Street and Sewer Department.
By covering up this deficiency the
Republican committee on finance Of
City Council hope TO tide over the fiscal
year of 1894 with the appearance of a
straight balance and Of having paid all
the current bills and Of not having
overstcpped the estimate Of expenIi-
lures for this year.
But what are the facts? Numbers of
accounts are outstanding against the
city totaling thousands of dollars in un.
paid bills that have been sent in and
passed two or three months aro. In some
and signed by the president of City
Council and at the present moment are
being held up, Illegally by some one
connected with City Council finance
matters, and the citizens, business men
aud storekeepers, who have been de.
pending on the sums to run their bust
ness are kept from obtaining their
money for goods already rendered the
city.
One illustration in this direction will
he enough to describe the strange
methods in vogue just now.
Last April /. H. Pennock, the clothier
Of Fifth and Market streets, sent in his
bill, amounting to $780,, for the sum
mer uniforms now being worn by the
city police, The bill was passed BY the
Police Commissioners. 1t took its regu.
lar course 70 the finance committee of
City Council, was passed, and sent on 10
Council. On May nth the batch OF
current bills, including the one referred
70, was ordered paid by City Council at
its regular raeeting. The clerk Of City
| Council made out the check with the
others, and then il went out of bis hands
to the official who has charge OF dis
tributing the checks or else to the official
who has charge Of the official who dis
tributes the checks. Whatever may be
the course of action or the wheels
within wheels interfering with the store.
keepers obtaining their checks, the fact
is that numbers Of them are kept wait
ing although City Council has ordered
them paid a month ago.
For some strange reason also the pay
Of several of the more prominent city
officials has been put of for the month
OF May and their salaries amounting to
between $500 and $500 for that month
| do not appear in the customary miscel-
laneous payroll. The CITY officials who
DO not receive pay for May include the
Mayor, the City Solicitor, the CITY
Auditor, the Registrar of Births and
Deaths, who is also Secretary of the
Board of Health. The point Of course
is that to that amount there is so much
less of draft on City Councils bank
balance, and these officials salaries will
be paid out Of the appropriation for the
coming fiscal year. In other words the
disorderlv financial management will
show that these prominent city officials
will receive two months pay in one
month, and that the accounts belonging
TO the fiscal year ending June, 1894, will
be paid in the fiscal year ending June,
1898, and from that appropriation.
Ihis Republican city administration
commenced its peculiar financial tactics
by attempting TO raise the valuations Of
city properties all around. The Repuh-
llcan board OF assessors attempted this
over the heads of the assessment re-
turned by the city assessors. There was
such vigorous kick, however, by num-
erous citizens at the April sitting OF the
Board OF Revision and Appeal that the
board had Immediately to retrace its
steps, and this at doublc-Iuick step.
In one instance the board increased a
certain property to the amount of $7o,-
600 over the city assessors figures. The
remonstrance in this instance was 50
strong and also so just that the board
pulled in its horns to the extent of S67,.
900 exactly. Other cases occurred and
the result was that the total assessment
will not snow as large basis OF taxa,
ton as the Republican administrators
expected to have in their hands fol
various purposes during the approach
ing fiscal year.
There is no way of ascertaining the
exact amount Of deficiency existing JUS
now,as the money taken from the Stree
and Sewer Department, to a certain ex
tent, hides the figures.
The deficiency cannot be less than thu
$4,000 at least. The coming year il
looks rs if, basing tile estimate on thu
experience Of the current year, tina
there will be deficiency Of $4,000, in
dicating when in June, 1895, that thu
existing admirable Republican Council
makes Its exit, it will do so with
, probable actual deficiency of $i00,O0C
, for its successors to make up.
/ The trouble, however is that at thi
. date next year there will be no stree
: and sewer fund to abstract money from
! 1t has been stated that letters of in
! quiry have been received from New
York brokers and investors anxiousl,
{ inquiring what is the matter with III,
. city's finances, and whether the bond
. of the city of Wilmington are perfect,
J good. The reply, of course, is that vii
i mington is good for 100 cents for ever,
r dollar she owes. But that the best anc
e most solvent city, community, firm. o
corporation, may be made to appear in
solvent through reckless and mischiey
Gus tlnanciering. And this is the cas-
/ with the city just now. These inquirie
{ cannot fail to come when business me,
L Of the city demand their checks 70
$ money due them and are refused sucl
checks having been ordered paid then
: by Council, but are being held up b,
3 some party or other
e These inquiries cannot fail to com
0 when with the most reckless mismanaCe
II lnent the funds of one department
o sacredly belonging to it alone are use
promiscuously for other department.