The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-04
Discrepancy IS LARGE
Both in the City Finances and the
Views Of City Officials.
TASK TO MAKE ENDS MEET
Estimates Committee Begins Its LabOrs
and After Going Over the Whole
Ordinance Points Ont Where
the AK Is Likely to Fall.

shS HA - s.ihctN W fuu.
When the estimates committee last
night began the task of framing the an
nual appropriation ordinance problem
something like this confronted 1t:
Estimates of department eX-
penses ........ s405sls 5;
improvements provided for by
special legislation (estimated). 100000 Ot
Total demand. ................... $5O5 9l2 ).
Estimated revenues from all
sources '.''...................... $2I23l3 u
AS 1t Is not a question of meeting the
demand by increasing the supply, but
or accommodating the demand to the
supply. the committees only duty was
to cut: and cut they did. After careful
~ going over the ordinance and roofing
out every luxury and every item they
thought was not absolutely necessary
and striking off every requested in
crease and standing aside every item
about the necessity of which there was
any question they We're ready to collapse
when 1t was seen that only $S5. 600 of the
discrepancy of $233.59 9.55 had been
Topped off, and that there still remained
$l4S So bug IA boo to be slain with
their double-ed"ed axe.
That the committee started out to cut
from .he start w;s evidenced by the
fact that the second item only was
reached before Mr.. Chlttenden called
a matt. 1t was the salary of the mayors
clerk, $1,000 per annum. and was stood
aside as one Of the things that might
stand slashing if II was found ohso.
lutely necessary.
The city treasurer asked for 5000 nd :
ditional 70. clerk hire $3.50 extra for
incidentals and $50 extra for nrintipe
stationery and new books, but the com
mittee didn't see its way clear IN no.
Guiesce to these demands and decided
to cut them out until such time ar
least as the city treasurer shall come
before the committee and convince IL
that he cant get along without them
Two Re,n.s,, yo, ou.s,;n,oa
r,
me utinanos OF I departments or
NY NY eon.'o'Iei ana clty solicl.or We're
the same as last year ana were not
questioned. The city clerk asked $500
more lor cierk nire' Dut he mas to prove
,,a' wa nu Hreus IL pHiore ne VIII get II.
NJ M.il'anls suggested pan whereby
.ne rl.y engineers department could
oe 'heai'eNeu' me ieVeimah. rodmen
anu chalnmeh. seven men in all. are
palu oy the year. although Mr.. Will
lu,hs c'i'I,s tneN 40 not work the year
arounu' ana ne taVors therefore that
'ney pe paiu ny the day Tor the time in
Which they are actually employed. The
sutSes,io, met WIN fayor. ana VIII
p,opaply pe considered. The scheme or
emahslhs s.a the once OF draughtsman at
so4o per year 10 that or second assist
ant city engineer AT Sl.oO per arnum.
was opnosed by Mr.. Williams and will
possibly meet with hard fate.
ONCE clerk Sl.oOO. was the next
item read by Assistant city, Clerk Nor
ris' VINO was reading the various items
10 tne committee.
nat sl'ooO Tor an once clerky''
uSNr. ..,ru one VI M comni,'tee, :,
committee '''' "''''''e' Vi '"''
"Oh, We'll that's d;frerept Has
worth every cent of n Tbera ,vos NO
cut in the salary of the nonu,sr and
efficient clerk of tho enoinaer,s Ienort-
ment
when Street Commissioned Iy;rsloy,s
mild reouest for s97 500 came mn for
consideration. the committeemen drew.
long breatbs' braced Themselves and
started in Eour min,tes j,ter hy ro'
ferrInp To tba ordinance tho straet com
missioner wouJd fImd that be and the
committee differed about the needs of
that denartment IN the eytent of sI7 OO0
pr go Ry ciIffipp aff cor hare aud COZ =
O0O there the committee succeedaI Il,
nar,nr down tho COZ 500 to stO 90, hut
II was penerallv admitted that obomt
sIa OOO ~ tbis a anount viii have 10 he
renlaced 4 40 OOO cut m tho cleanino-
NJ asnbaI, navemants was moda ond
the fig,,re was mada s,I 00O the save
as ,.ct vaor Another xt mn ,v.o c,,t or
Tho xe ooo och ad for renoirs to ,snhoit
navemept. FOR wb;ch contr.cts have
awniraa Tha itan, ~ Soo 9T0 for MO
oodan,iy,ry Wet Mo vi, st .trae, diad Tho
daath and ,hara rara NO f,,naroI ora
,ions
Assesso's 'a'"'ies "'' ''""o'
Some OF the committee wanted to cut
down the salary of the city assessors
from $1,000 "a year to 81 day for each
day actually employed and the time not
to exceed 40 days as Is being consid-
cred in common council, but in view of
the fact that the law prohibits the
lowering or raising of an officials salary
after his election and that an ordin-
ance for this purpose could not be
passed before election, the committee
decided to let the $1,000 stand. The
item or $3,2Oo for assistant city asses
sors was quest,oneu an" s.ooo ,i,, asiut ior
iu',nei .pn.i"., a''o' W., ,,s,
claliheu Una. 'he ,,, ~, ~. .'
WIZ neos me-, ~ ",'noSn ~. ,,,, ~ IS ti, ,