The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-06
MAYORS NOTES FOR $4,000.
COUNCIL ADOPTS RESOLUTION FOR
CITY TO BORROW $4,000.

A Decrease in Revenue Owing to
various Appropriations Outside of
the budget, Forces City to Borrow.
Believed $4,000 Will Suffice for
Balance of the Year-AbOlitiOn of
All the Commissions Endorsed En-
cept Board, of Tax Assessors and
Receivers, which 1t Is Desired
Shall Go April 4, 1S09-CIaimed 1t
win he TO City's Disadvantage to
Abolish 1t Now.
At special meeting Of the City Council
ar noon yesterday a resolution was pass
ed authorizing the city to borrow $5OOU'
or as much thereof as the Mayor may
find necessary. A note for $4,000 was
drawn in favor of the Chatham Bank, and
will be negotiated at once by City Treas
urer Hardee.
The large number of appropriations the
city has made outside of the budget al
lowance has necessitated its borrowing
money. The appropriation for the Police
Court building, $1,000 extra for the police
department, new fire engine, improvements
in Laurel Grove cemetery, repairs to the
quarantine wharves, and the approprla-
tons the city has made in preparing camp
sites for the army corps, has so decreased
the funds on hand that nothing short of
borrowing could be adopted to meet the
demand. The city's creditors were unwil-
ling to wait until next years revenue is
realized.
Mayor Meldrim thinks $4,000 is ample
to meet the present demands. While the
authority is given in the resolution to boz
row $50. 900, it was more for the purpose
of meeting any contingency that might
arise. The resolution is as follows
Resolved, by the Mayor and aldermen
of the city of Savannah, in Council as
sembled That the Mayor of Savannah
be. and he is hereby authorized to bor-
row for the city of Savannah in order
10 supply casual deficiencies Of municipal
revenue, as much as 1000, to pay there
for interest at the rate of per cent. per
annurn and to cover loan or loans up to
this amount, and the said interest, by
Mayors demand notes, the said demand
notes TO be in such part Of the said amount
as the Mayor may find expedient."
AS it has been understood some time by
members of Council that the climax was
coming, there was not prolonged Discus
sion of the matter In caucus. When Mayor
Meldrim read the resolution, which was Of
fered by Alderman Davis. ii received the
vote Of all present, including Alderman
Charlton, Owens, Held, johnson, Thomas
Krouskcff, Well Smith and Duncan.
Mayor Meldrim has no doubt that the
amout borrowed win meet the city's de-
mands for the balance OF the year. The
present shortage. he said, is due to extra
concentrations, and to demands upon the
city which could not be foreseen, and
which the city could not avoid paying.
The last report from the city treasurer
showed $14 1914, but bills amounting to
$1,000 have been ordered PAID since this
report was made.
Probably the main object of the meet
ing was for the Council to officially assert
itself with reference TO the commission
bills. and particularly the bill to repeal
the act creating the board Of tax assessors
and receivers. The following resolution
on that line was Offered by Alderman We'll:
Resolved, That it is the sense of Coun-
ci} that all the commission laws be repeal
ed with the exception OF the board of tax
assessors and receivers in which it is de-
sired a proviso be inserted chat it's repeal
shall not go into effect until April /. 1899 -
Alderman Krouskoff had something to
say before a vote was called for. He ex-
blamed that he could not conscientiously
vote ON the proposition, for several reasons.
He said his views, which had been pre-
viously expressed, did not warrant him in
voting one way or the other. He insisted
on being excused, and when the vote was
taken. Alderman Davis and Johnson OBJ
jected.
THE reason / do not favor the repeal
of the tax assessors and receivers bill
going into effect at once" said Mayor
Meldrim sis that 1t Is not to the best in
terests of the city. The board now has
work on hand which new board could
not probably successfully perform. A
change at this time would make it very
| inconvenient in fixing next years assess
ments, and while favor the repeal of the
bill, do not think Il should be effective
until the time Council has designated.
| This is about all there Is to it,"