Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-06-23
CITY COUNCIL.

of the Commissioners of the Sinking
Fund and the report of the committee
on light for the past year were present
ed and approved.
BOARD OF ALDERMEN.
Seven Aldermen were present, and
after the Board had been called to or
der and the minutes of the last meeting
read and approved, about half an hour
was spent in reading the reports refer
red to above.
a petition of II. B. Davis for re-
duction of assessment on his house lad
versely reported on by the france COM
mittee for the reason that tie time al.
lowed for such appeals had expired)
was received from the Common Coun.
Gil.
Mr.. Marbury did not think the city
should take advantage in Limitation in
such cases.
Mr.. Burke said it would be impos
sible to make estimates for rlnning the
city if this thing be allowed. If it were
allowed in this case it would have to be
allowed in others. The finance COM
mittee based their estimates on the as
sessments made by the Commissioners.
The whole matter would be deranged
if alterations~were allowed sfter appro.
priations had been made on such basis.
The action of the lower board was
concurred In.
A resolution came in from the Com
mon Council appropriating $3.50 for q
contingent fund for the Board OF Police
Commissioners.
Mr.. Hinken moved that the Alder
men concur.
Mr.. Ballenger desired to know the
purpose of the contingent fund. If it
was for the purpose of paying the two
lawyers who went to Richmond to ar
que the case bstween the Mayor and
the board, he vas opposed to paying
the bill. The commissioners should
have come to Council for sdvice. mas
much as they lad acted without con-
sulting with Council they should pay
the bill themselves. He saw no neces-
sity for contingent fund.
Mr.. Burke favored concurrence. The
members of tire board had acted in good
faith. They we're ss much officials as
any other.
MIR. Ballenser insisted that the COM
missioners had no right to act as they
did, and should pay tho expenses they
incurred.
A vote was finally reached and the
action of thelower boa:d was concurred
in, Mr.. Ballenger voting in the mega
tive and tie other Aldermen in the
affirmative.
Several papers which caused no de-
bate subsequently cane in from the
Common Council and their action was
concurred in.
The board at 9:45 adjourned.
COMMON COUNCIL.
The Common Counil was late as.
sembling, but thirteen members were
present.
The finance committee made reports
on several cases with had been re-
ferred, and action vii be found in the
official proceedings.
Mr.. Uhler, from th' finance commit.
tee, submitted the auditors annual
report with the appi,val of the COM
mittee. In doing so ha said:
In presenting the appropriation bill last
year. May, 1896, l statedthat the estimates
of receipts from various sources, and from
the balance to the credit c the general fund,
would be $4,000. TIE Auditors state
ment, which is presented p-night, shows total
receipts of S119, S03.93. Deduct from this
proceeds Of temporary loan, 1924 so, and
the amount is Sill, 839I3, just about what
was calculated. AnotheIclose estimate was
the collection of taxes les 10 per cent, when
$4,000 was figured on and S77, 800 COL
'ected. The expenditures stimated, OF course,
are liable to be more OF less, except fixed
charges such as salaries,police fund, public
schools, Alexandria Inirmary, etc The
amount appropriated for streets and sewers
in the regular appropriation bill, amounted
to $4,000, and the expenditures under this
head amounted to $23,6'9, extra appropria-
tions being made, and hee is where the tenn
porary loan WAS made Necessary. In some
cases the amounts specifically appropriated
were not used, and feY hundred dollars on
some made up for the eCess upon others, the
fire department being ne case WHARF, $7OO
less was expended thanappropriated. l have,
upon one or two OCCASIONS, not for the pur
pose of criticising the york of those having
in charge the light de,artment of the city,
called public attention to charge which
has been made, that isthe electric light. l
have from memory mde statements which
some have attempted T. refute. l now give
the figures taken from the official record for
tie seven years ending May 81. 1897. There
was charged to this account S57 go, An av-
erage of $S,210 Gao: year. Deduct from
this amount $14, 81 aid for notes and in.
terest, and $43,3 04 ,emains. Now, what
does this show? Why his. Had the Schuyler
Company made the cit a present of the plant,
it has cost an averaged S6.1S6 for eleven
months in each year ft. 90 lamps or less, and
il we credit the amont received for rent,
| Sd, 500, it has then est the city 20 ,oOO Tor
eleven months. But the plain English is,
that the city having Iaid out of its treasury
for the electric light il seven years So! go.
and received back mo its treasury sd So,
the light has cost $500 for each eleven
months. An examination of the receipts as
given in the Auditor statement. shows that
of the $4,000 borrowed, the second note for
| $4,000 was not discounted until May 81,
1897, the last day OF the fiscal year, and was
for 80 days only. We carry over balance
of 81, 200, which WIS moro hoped for than
expected, and considering the general condl.
ton of business this is most gratifying. OF
course expect temporary loan next year,
but the street work ordered means the distri.
button of $4,000 OF $4,000 among those
who are much in need of employment.
Mr.. Uhler in concluding said he ex-
pected in the future as in the past to
transact public business with the same
caution and care as he did his private
business.
Mr.. Snowdon-I think that the only