Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-04-04
THE WATER DEPARTMENT SURPLUS.


why it was PAID to City Council at This
Time, Instead Of Waiting, aa Usual,
Until the End of the Fiscal Year.
There has been considerable speculation
over the action of the Republican men,
bers of the Board of Water Commissioners
i'll turning over to City Council surplus
of $780, U0 at the last regular meeting OF
the board, and while many admit that the
money was transferred to City Council for
no other purpose than to prevent the
threatened deficit in the city treasury,
others are inclined to believe that the sur
plus should not have been transferred at
this time. During the history of the Water
Department, which covers q period of IL
years, no single instance has been found
where the surplus was handed over to the
city at any time other than the ending of
the fiscal year
II happens this year that owing to the
general dulness prevailing everywhere
there is noticeable falling off i'll the eX-
tension of water mains in Wilmington,
and there are not nearly so many inn
provements to be made tins year as form
erly, which. to q certain extent, accounts
for the large surplus the Board of Water
Commissioners had in hand SO early in the
year. The law governing the Board of
Water Commissioners expressly says that
the surplus. If any. shall be turned over at
the end of the year to City Council. 1t
does not say that it shall be turned over
whenever the commissioners take it
into their heads to help bridge over
the financial chasm which City Council
has left in the city treasury, nor does the
law provide that the commissioners shall
rally to the assistance of Council when
ever the latter body gets into financial
difficulty. Indeed, 1t is very doubtful if
the Board Of Water Commissioners, ma
jority of whom are Republicans would
have thought of making such transfer
of surplus ut this time ii City Council and
the city treasury had been under Demo-
cratic management. But as both of these
departments are in the hands of Republic
cans. the public can readily see just why
the surplus was turned over 1T this time.
Yet there are a few who arc rash enough
10 believe that the Water Department is
not getting into politics.
During the II years of Water Depart
ments history, the surplus turned over to
| Council has reached Il total of S265, 900.
and the largest sum turned over at any
| one time previous to the transfer last
Tuesday night was $4,000, and this sum
was handed over at the end of the year,
and not at any time during the year, no
matter what straits City Council found
itself.
When the law under which the Water
Department Is managed was enacted, il
was u matter OF conjecture whether or not
the department would be self sustaining
and provisions were made whereby the
surplus, after being paid to Council, should
| draw interest to the credit of the Water
| Department. The law further require,
the department to raise enough revenue
by water rents to pay for ali the expense,
OF the department and meet the Interest
on the water bonds, which interest viii
amount to sci $40 this year. Then, in cast
OF an emergency, such rs the breaking Of
n pump Or the bursting of the reservoir
the rule has always been that the de
partment should not be hampered in thu
matter of finances. an to obvIate diff
Guilty OF this character, the commissioner
have never before dGviated from the ruiz
OF not transferring the surplus to Council
until the end of the year.
President William Z. Porter, of tn
Board of Water Commissioners, was seel
by representative OF The GAZETTE las
Thursday afternoon, and interrogated a
to the passage of the resolution maxim,
the transfer Of the $50, 600 surplus to Git,
Council at Tuesdays meeting Presden
Porter said he did not vote for the resolu
ton, and expressed his disappruyal of tn
matter, at the same time saying that b
was only one out Of three members of tn
Board and as Two beat one" it is appai
ent he was not in position to prevent til
transfer of the surplus, no matter no,
much he objected to its being turned owe
to Council at this time. The resolutio
authorizing the transfer was introduce
by Commissioner Pickles and seconded b
Commissioner Hastings, passed withor
any difficulty and the surplus rushed Owe
to the city treasurer S office. who reporte
the receipt of the same to City Council 9
its meeting Thursday, The surplus WI
very acceptable to City Council and will
more than ANYTHING else TO fill up tt
vacuum in the city treasury.