The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-01-23
COMMON COUNCIL.

President Jenks called the Common
Council to order at 8:45 o'clock, the alb
sentees being Messrs. Potter, Smith, Gill
and Cheever.
The following communication from the
Mayor was read: ~ have called you
together at this time at the request OF the
Joint standing Committee on Finance,
who have communication to present and
that you might transact any other business
as may be brought before YOU"
After the records of the last meeting
were read and approved the following
communication vetoing the ordinance es-
tablishing a general construction account
for highways was read, and laid over un-
til the next meeting for action:
Mr.. President and Members of the City
Council
herewith return, without my approval,
an ordinance originally passed by your
body, entitled "An ordinance establishing
general construction accounts for high
ways" My reasons for disapproval are that
the ordinance established "A second highway
account, which may lead to indefinite COM
plications as between the ordinary and the
so-called extraordinary expenditures for
highways. / think that every expenditure
of money ordered by the City Council to be
made for an express purpose should be
chargeable only to the special appropriation
providing for its payment, and that all
surplusagc remaining after completing
special work undertaken should revert to
the treasury instead of being applicable as
by this ordinance provided to other pur
poses, and especially, IL an added appro-
priation should be required to complete a
work in progress.
think the City Council should be first so
advised and an additional appropriation OBJ
tanned before the money Is expended, in
stead OF using the unexpended balance Of
other appropriations. The trarsference of
appropriations of money from one purpose
to another, IL made allowable, as by pro-
posed ordinance provided, would, think,
lead to a confusion Of accounts and leave
the City Council without definite informa-
ton as to the cost of certain improvements
ordered. Again IL is an accepted truism
that we err oftener from overlegislation
than from the want of ii, and We have just
adopted body of city ordinances, (hardly
yet promulgatedD professedly passed for the
orderly conducting of our municipal bust
ness let us first test their practicability be-
fore proceeding to amend or annul them.
All of which is respectfully submitted for
your consideration.
JOHN w. DAVIS, Mayor.
The following joint resolution was
passed:
Resolved, That the City Solicitor be and he
is hereby instructed to apply to the General
Assembly for the passage of an act authoriz-
ing the city of Pawtucket to issue bonds for
the funding of the outstanding Indebtedness
of the city as follows: For Indebtedness in
cured by the extension of water works,
100000; for Indebtedness incurred for the
extension of sewer system, $250000; for in
debtedness incurred by the opening and
widening of Streets land and building school
purposes, land and buildings for fire sta
tions, $l75, 600; total 1926, 900.
Joint resolution authorizing the Joint
Standing Committee on city property to
sell narrow strip of land on the north
side of the City Hall to the Masonic Temple
Company was referred to the Committee
on City Property. Adjourned.