Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-30
DISCUSS THE BUDGET.
CONFERENCE COMMITTEE ALTERS
SOME OF THE APPROPRIATIONS.
CHARITIES REPLACED ON The LIST.
Efforts 10 Reduce Allowance for
Water-Metcrs Faii-Strccts Gene
rally Get $40. 900 Instead of s3O, 900.
The schools VIII Get Along.

| interesting session in Room No. Of the
! city Hall last night. Chairman thinner
mann called the body TO order promptly
at $50 o'clock. and there were present
| Messrs. Bahen. Bioomberg. Brock. Cas-
! kie. Jones. King. Briggs. and Wellerstein.
| of the committee and Messrs William
/ NJ. Turpin, President OF the Board of AL
/ dermen Otway 5. Allen. chairman Of
| the Committee on Streets. and James /.
Smith. of the Board of Aldermen, were
on hand as interested persons who had
opposed the budget when it was passed
upon by the Board.
After the roll-call Chairman thinner
mann invited President Turpn to give
the committee his views upon the bud
get which that gentleman proceeded to
do. Mr. Turpin said he wanted 10 see
| the appropriations restored to those
worthy charities which had been cut off.
| He spoke of the great good the st.
| Joseph's Orphan Asylum and the Little
! Sisters Of the Poor were doing. ana said
| the money that these institutions had
| received from the city was due 10 them,
| and the arguments between them and the
city were i'm writing. The city really
/ owed the Little Sisters of the Poor a
| debt. as that home had cared for seven
! instead OF five inmates for the city the
! latter being the number required under
| the agreement. President Turpin thought
! the budget was not what the citizens
| had "a right TO expect The city had
no right 10 say 10 these charities. I'VE
know you will care for these people
! anyway: so we will cut them off with
nothing" Mr.. Turpin was not in favor
Of cutting down these appropriations 81 i;
| he thought it parsimOniOus for the city
| to think about dividing up a little drib
of money 10 these Institutions He was
| of the opinion that the Council should
at least restore the former appropria-
tions.
MR.. TURPIN on THE SCHOOLS.
Mr.. Turpin added that he was also
| opposed 20 cutting down the allowance
to the city schools $1,000. This would.
| Of necessity mean either reduction OF
| the salaries Of teachers and principals
! or the shortening of the school year.
| Mr. Turpin said there were in the city
| schools to-day twenty teachers train
| ing the minds Of the youth Of this city
who were paid less in salary than the
janitors who cleaned the floors of the
school-building. This was not a state
Of affairs which the President Of the
| Board appreciated
Mr. Jones: Two members Of the SchOo
| Board have told me that the schools could
be conducted this year within the apprO-
priations as provided by this budget with
/ out reducing the salary OF any principal
or teacher 81 a month or shortening the
/ session.
"WeH. If they can do that they are
such fnanciers that they should be gotter
| TO fix up the tariff for the United states.
replied Mr. Turpin, as he concluded his
/ statement.
MIR. ALLEN on THE STREETS.
Mr.. Otway :. Allen was the next speak
| er and he took a different view of the
charities from that held by Mr. Turpn
/ lie was I'm favor Of cutting on all ap
and governed by the city, including the
college hospitals. &c Mr.. Allen spoke al
some length regarding the allowance tC
streets generally. which was only 5000
for this year lie said it would be bettel
to discharge all the engineers and hands
and have such repairs as were absolutely
| necessary done by contract this year thar
to attempt to run the department witt
these small appropriations for they
would not enable the committee TO MAKE
any street improvements, which were ne
| cessary to enhance the value OF property
Mr. Allen said the budget as IL STOOD
would cripple the Street Department. Ii'
was opposed 10 the breaking up of oni
department and the leaving Of others un
touched. If it was necessary to MAKE
such cuts it should be done by reduc
tion I'm all Of the departments.
Il should like to ask Mr. Allen" saiC
Mr. Caske IF he would. in order e
raise the appropriation to streets. be Will
ing to take the $1,000 allowed for me
ters?'
NO. sir" replied the Madison-War'
Alderman: II regard the appropriation 70
meters as one Of the most important pro
visions OF that budget. IL Is next Z
streets. II is a health measure, ant
should be favorably considered"
Mr. Jones asked Mr.. Allen 10 state nov
the other departments could be reduced
taking. for example, the Light Depart
ment Mr. Allen stated that he had II
his possession a letter from n well-knowl
engineer guaranteeing. If employed %.
the city. TO reduce the cost Of manufac
turing gas here Messrs Wallerstein ant
Jones explained that tests I'm this direc
tion were being made. the result Of whic
would be submitted 10 the Committee ol
Light al its next meeting.
MIR. SMITHS OBJECTIONS.
Mr.. James I. Smith. of the Board OF Al
dermen from Jackson ward stated his
opposition to the budget. He thought al
the charities should be treated alike. and
the Little Sisters OF the Poor, &c, should
be placed back on the budget. He wai
| oDDOsed TO so reducing the allowance tC
schools as 10 make it necessary to re
duce the salaries of the teachers anc
nrincipaIs of the schools. or the shorten
inc of the session. thereby OBTAINING chill
dren IN the schools when others were
pushine to get into them. Mr. Smith saiC
he also regarded the $1,000 appropriation
for meters as one TO be expended in a
sort of experiment, and therefore opposed
IT, MIR. BOILING ON METERS.
rho committee then decided TO hea1
frorn Superintendent G. L Boiling. of the
| civ Water Works. and that gentleman
wont carefully over the meter question
referring 10 the report or the Water Com
Mission which in 1895 made such a tho
to,,eb Investigation of this subject. anC
ainost unanimously recommended the
adontion OF meters. He said il was the
/ exnedient thing for Richmond to do. Al
/ tbe laet meeting OF the Association OF
American Water Engineers a vote was
taken moon the water-meter question
and the result was that l4S were In favor
! of il lO opposed To IT, and fOrty-odd mem
himself as being I'm favor OF a minimum
wafer rate. which would be somewhat an
{ eaualizatiOn Of the cost OF water. and re-
oiIire the close-hsted people TO use a re
manv questions as TO the faultiness OF
The meters and admitted that they were
not always correct. but said they con-
stituted what those who had studied this
matter most caretuliy eohsdered the bes
thing for cities situated as Richmond is
No EXECUTIVE SESSIONS.
A. this uncture the committee decided
n take M the budget Mr.. Hardwick,
moved that the body so into executiv,
session but this proposition was vigorously
opposed by Messrs nc BSiioomoerg and Jones
be frllv advised as 10 the city's affair
Mr. Jones remarked that 10 some exten
the condition in which the city's finance
now We're was due to the holding of Sc
from the people which. II given TO them
would cause action on their part tina
would produce different state OF thing