Evening journal., 1895-06-06
WHY THIS DEFICIENCY?
The Question Which Taxpay-
ers Are Asking the Auditor.
THE PoLIoE FUND REPORTED SHORT

hthr IN brder TO MAKO Favorable
Impression There should Bs nal
auoo But There Isn't
The members Of the police force do not
get their pay this month for their services
during tho month of May, but will have
to wait until July for their money, aud
as a consequence they are put to consid
erable Inconvenience and are justly ia.
dignant thereat.
at FIRST they supposed that the delay
would not be more than eleven days. but
this hope was dispellsd by the statement
made through the morning paper, and
emanating from the city auditor, that be
has nothing to do with the delay, but
that the appropriation IL short that
while there is only about SO 900 in the
fund, the pay roll and bills amount TO
about S6 600, and that there is no appro
priation from which City Council can
transfer the amount needed
The organ OF the auditors office adds
that the fOlty Council is not TO blame
for the matter, as it had no control over
the spending OF the Police Commissions
appropriation. II there is any blame It
must rest upon the Police Commission
for not keeping its expenditures within
bounds
That this Ia unjust to the Police
Commission, and ls a bold mlarepresenta.
tion Of facts was demonstrated by an ia
vestigation made by anEvENING JOURNAL,
reporter this morning.
When the annual appropriation was
asked for at the beginning OF the last
fiscal year, very careful table OF
estimates was made. The amount asked
for WAS S75 $50 65 and covered items
which are fixed by law such as salaries,
rent OF patrol station and other places
required by the department, support Of
fire and police alarm telegraph and
telephones and telegraph Also clothing,
general supplies, repairs and stationery,
heat aud light, and contingent expenses.
The Clty Council saw fit 20 cut the
| appropriation TO $72 Goo, a reduction OF
| SO, 269 Co. for which act they never even
/ deigned TO make an explanation. There
were bills audited by the Police Com
mission and passed by the City Council
prior to the end OF the last year. amount
ing to So 771 81, which were held over
| BY the city auditor until this year, In
order to make a better showing, and
then paid out Of the reduced appropriR
tons making ihe reduction actually
$6 066 7S
In consequences Of the shaving SO deer
into the amount appropriated foi
It's maintenance the commission had tC
and did exercise the closest economy
consistent with public safety. That Il
did SO Is shown by the figures.
The amount for salaries was not esti-
mated, but fixed BY law On the FIRST da,
Of May there WAS balance IN thai
estimate or S. 1856 40 The pay
roll amounted to .$4 9l9 10, which
should leave balance OF 1857 81.
Ia the estimate for clothing as made
there Is a balance OF $489 10; In the othel
estimates there are; Fire and police
alarm telegraph. balance, $50 as &patro
balance, 1852 54 general supplies
balance Of 5000 rents, no balance; re
pahs balance, 87S6; stationery
small deficit owing to taking
OF census; rogues' gallery, balance
$3.50; telegraph and telephones
no balance; heat and light, balance
$28 27 contingent expenses balance
$500 These balances are according Il
the estimates made when the table wal
drawn up, and which the Council Gu
and the auditor drew from to pay OLD
bills.
Last November when the ninety spec
ial police we're appointed to act at th'
election. Chairman Dannenberg Of thI
City Council Committee on Finance
directed the Police Com mission TO pa
the bills, which amounted TO $500 stat
ing that the amount would be refunded
the commission The bills were pait
but no money was refunded and tn
contingent fund is that much short
In general supplies the amoun
! expended is $3.50 less thar
] any previous year Another item whic
D the commission was called on 70 pay wa
} S6i0 for the bell in The Water Witc
engine house, which the Dsnocrati
members did not think was needed, bu
which Councilman Tyre and his Republl
1 can associates voted TO pay for.
The balance which would have re
s mained in this fund had the sppropris
] tlon been granted as asked for woul
q have been 1927 49, The defcienc
( under the appropriation granted, count
ing the $500 expended for special polio
D and not returned as promised and th
) $40 for the Water Witch bell
r 81, 062.52 Without those expenditure
D there would be a small balance
{ The deficit which is claimed by th
{ auditor is due simply and solely 70 th
bills held up by him from last year an
/ for which no provision was made by Cit
Council In his efforts to make a goo
! showing for himself and his party th
: auditor has created a def faency which
, now causing him trouble and the polio
annoyance. Had City Council appro
& priated the sum asked for, there woul'
7 now be q surplus. Had the audito
!, managed his Office outside OF party llnl
, there would noe now be deficiency