The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-07
FIRE COMMISSIONERS TURN.
COUNCIL HAS A BIG CLUB IN PICKLE
FOR 1T.

propriation on Account of the New
Engine House to Be Charged Back
Against the Fire Department APP
propriation-The Commissioners
Considered to Have Been Extrava-
gant-An Ss7 Carpet For the
Chiefs Office One of the Items TO
which Council Objects.
The harmony which has existed between
the administration and the commissions
since the present city administration en-
tered office appears in fair way to be
broken. Having stood the park and tree
commission up in a corner and given me
water commission rap on the subject OF
meters, the council is now about to give
the fire commission a dig. At the meet
ing of council on May 10 the following
resolution, offered by Alderman Wen, was
adopted:
Resolved, That the twenty-five bills
made out this month for work and mate
rial in connection with the new fire sta
ton, No ., and the question as to the APP
preparations for the fire department and
its property, and the present status OF
these appropriations, be referred to spe-
cial committee, to be composed of the
chairman of the committees Of finance,
accounts. fire and city lots, which special
committee shall report to the committee
of the whole.
TIL. committee, consisting Of Aldermen
Hamilton, We'll, Hull and Smith is now
ready to make its report. 1t will report
that all the bills for work and material
in connection with the new engine house
be charged against the appropriation of
the fire department, and further that all
the expenditures for this building, includ-
ing the bills which have already been
paid and charged against the public prop
erty appropriation, shall also be charged
against the fire department appropria-
tion.
The committee will also very likely have
something to say concerning the extrav-
agance of the fire commission in fitting
up the new building. One of the items
10 which special exception has been taken
by the committee, and which has been
made the subject of adverse comment, is
a bill for $87 for a carpet for the Office
of the chief and commissioners at the
new headquarters. The members of the
committee consider SS7 a very steep fig
ure for carpet for a room about 10 by 20
in fire engine house In fact, some of
them have been so uncharitable as to re-
mark that ordinary mating would have
been good enough. There are other items
among the twenty-five bills which the
committee regards as unnecessary and ex-
travagant, but the bill for the carpet is
considered the most glazing offense against
the economy which should be exercised in
the expenditure of public funds
Under the laws creating the commission
the expenditure of the appropriations
made to the departments controlled by
the commissions is entirely in the hands
of the respective commissions. The COM
missions can spend their appropriations as
they see fit, and the city is required to
pay the bills. The bills contracted by the
commissions take the same course as
other city bills, being first passed upon
by the committee on accounts, ordered
paid by council and endorsed by the
mayor before being presented to the
treasurer for payment This is only a
matter of form, however. Under the COM
mission laws the signature Of the chair
man of a commission, giving his ap-
proval of a bill, is all that is legally nee
esssary to require its payment by the
treasurer. The city attorney has so de-
cided, and his opinion is not disputed
This being the case, the council cannot
decline to pay the bills contracted by the
fire commission in its work in behalf Of
eAaN illc department. no IndUier now mQCn
the aldermen may disapprove OF some of
the items. Should the fire commission
run short of funds, as the park and tree
commission has DONE council would be
IN position to do pretty much as 1t pleas
ed about paying the bills, but there is no
Immediate prospect of this The question
between the council and the fire commits
sion Is not on the payment Of the bills
but upon the appropriation to which they
shall be charged. 1t Will be remembered
that In the budget made up by the last
council for the present year there was an
appropriation of 5000 for public proper
ty.' This seemed to be a rather anoma-
lous appropriation, but Ii was explained
that il was intended TO be applied to i'm
provements upon and additions to the
city's property If some other people did
not understand the purpose Of this appro-
priation, Chairman Grayson of the fire
commission did, or thought he did.
The improvements upon the new fire de-
partment building at West Broad and In
dian streets were then in
progress and have not yet
been entirely completed. Since Jan
uary /, all expenditures for the improve
ment OF the new engine house have been
charged 10 the public property appropria-
ton, with one or two exceptions when by
oversight certain bills were allowed TO be
charged against the fire department
CAeAA man vi dg SUI tNAGIAbHtu some Nlt1
OF having these bills transferred TO the
public property account also There was
some kicking al first from heads Of other
departments which had expected to share
In the public property appropriation ard
some hesitation on the part of the alder
men in passing the bills, but the new en-
CINE house was undoubtedly public prop
erty and so the bills were allowed to go.
This went on until last month when
council discovered that with the twenty
two bills then presented the entire public
property appropriation would have been
wiped out by the fire commission and sew
eTal hundred dollars more. The result was
the adoption OF the resolution quoted ap-
pointing "A committee for the investigation
of this subject. AS already stated the COM
mittee has decided to report that all ex-
penditures which have been made upon
the new engine house shall be charged
against the appropriation TO the fire de-
partment.
This will be a severe setback TO the fire
commission. BY using the public proper
~ appropriation TO improve It's new build
ing, the commission expected 20 get
through the year nicely within tie appro-
priation and to make some additional i'm
provements. Including probably the addi-