Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-28
FOR A GENERAL CUT.
MIR. ALLEN WILL PRESENT A MI
NoRrTY REPORT TO COUNCIL.
CAUSE OF THE FLOATING DEBT
special Accountant Attributes II 10
Unauthorized Practices-Retrcnch
mcnt and Reform Has Another In
tcrestinG Session.

tcrcsting Session.
The Council Committee on Retrench-
mont and Reform met again last night
and talked over what 1t had done. and
did a little more. Some surprising state
ments were made by the Special Ac-
| countant and on the part OF some OF the
members it was the opinion that by the
adoption of the committees recommends
lions and the influences of Its work and
discussion the city would be saved about
100000 per annum.
The committee convened at o'clock,
Messrs. Allen chairman. Ebel, Jones,
HARRISON. Noble Rountree, and thinner
mann being present. The minutes Of the
previous meeting were read and approved,
and Mr.. Jones moved to amend the ordi-
nance regarding the City-Hall employees
so as TO insert the words mot more
than" before the designation of the num-
Der Of employees In each case. thereby
limiting the number TO be employed. This
was adopted.
The first regular business taken up was
the report of the Special Accountant,
giving q brief outline Of the ordinances
and resolutions already agreed upon by
the Committee on Retrenchment and Re-
form. Captain McCarthy's report sum-
med up briefly the work done by this
body. and showed that the actual amount
saved by the committees recommends
tons as TO reductions in salaries and adj
iustment OF positions would be S21. 426.
The Accountant then gave the measures
urged by the committee which had no
figures attached thereto, but which he
believed would mean the saving Of a far
larger amount than that above given.
Under this head the Special Accountant
had the following items:
Saving by the committees recommen-
dalton prohibiting the waste of gas.
Resolution substituting electric light for
gas at the Armory of the First Virginia
Regiment.
Resolution requiring the city depart
ments TO pay for gas consumed by them.
Ordinance concerning the government
Of the City Gas-Works.
Investigation OF the Broad-street mat
ter and its attendant benefits to the city
in the granting Of future franchises.
Influence upon the formation Of the
budget for 1897.
Resolution restraining additional appro-
priations.
Suggestions as to the future conduct
and guidance of the sinking fund.
Ordinance creating a new department
for the cleaning of the streets Of the city.
SAVING IN MANY DIRECTIONS.
AS soon as Captain Mccarthy finished
reading his report. Mr.. Jones took the
floor. and moved that the paper be re-
ceived and made a part Of the commit
tees report 10 the City Council. This
was agreed upon and Mr.. Jones then
stated what he believed would be the
saving to the city by the passage of the
various measures recommended i'm which
no amounts were stated. He said he
thought there would be n saving Of
s2.00) in the item of waste Of gas; 500 in
the substitution of electricity for gas at
the Armory; 81. 900 i'm requiring depart
ments TO pay for gas; at least $500 by
the ordinance concerning control Of gas
works. though superintendent Knowles
claimed this sum would reach $4,000:
S2,o0O by the effects of the Broad-street
investigation; an incalculable sum by the
influence upon the formation OF the bud
get: fully $4,000. he believed $1,000. by
restraining additional appropriations; an
incalculable sum by the arousing OF the
Sinking Fund Commissioners; about
5000 by the formation OF the proposed
Stieet-cleaulng department.
Mr.. Rountree said that by Mr.. Jones's
estimates. the city would by the adop-
ton of the report, save about 10000
and he agreed with what the Monroe
Ward member had said as to the bene-
fits to be derived from these various
measures. Mr.. Rountree moved that the
report OF the Accountant should accom-
pany the resolutions and ordinances re-
commended by the committee TO the
Council.
Mr.. Jones suggested that estimated
figures should be put i'm the report. and
Mr.. Rountree moved that it be the sense
of the committee that the saving would
be about 100000 per annum.
Chairman Allen did not think this
would be a proper thing to do. The
figures would be only guesses and theo-
retical.
THEIR ESTIMATES TOO HIGH.
Mr.. Noble said he was sorry he could
not agree with Messrs. Jones and Roun-
tree. He did not believe the report, II
adopted, would mean anything like such
a saving as had been spoken Of. The
Marshall Ward member remarked that
there would be no such saving at the gas
works as had been referred 10 by Mr..
Jones. why" said Mr.. Noble. you
can look at these figures of the savings
by reductions in salaries and adjust
ment of positions. and it IS only the sum
Of 81 264. 1t was talked around town
that this committee would recommend
savings of $4,000 to $4,000" He added
that he would have to vote against Mr..
Rountree's motion.
Chairman Allen took the floor CMr
Rountree presiding), and argued vigorous
" against the placing Of any estimate Of
savings to the measures recommended by
the committee. He thought IL would only
be speculative and theoretical, and that
before this could be done the committee
should have from the Special Accountant
the figures as to the estimated receipts
and expenses for the year 1897 the amount
the measures recommended by the COM
mittee would save to the city, and the
real amount still necessary to retrench
in order for the city to Give within its
income.