The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-12-15
CHANGED BY THE ALDERMEN
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 The item of $46029.09 for the reduc- tion of outstanding debt should remain in the appropriations for the following reasons: The present debt of the city Is $3,250000. During the coming year this amount will probably be increased by the issue of bridge bonds and pave- ment bonds to the extent of $5500OO, making a total debt of $3.SOo,0OO As suming the reassessnent of city prop erty to show a grand list of $50, 1000, the debt of $3,800,000 closely approaches the accepted limit of 5 per cent, which many states have by law prescribed. and which prudence and reason would dictate. Also, it should be noted that in the year 1900 there is but $26,200 of city indebtedness maturing; while in 1901 and 1902 there natures $77,50o and $72000 respectively of uncovered debt. Since the debt maturing in 1900 is small, the floating indebtedness can more easily be reduced then than in 1901 or 1902.
 As to the income from licenses: The l estimated income from the county com missioners for licenses in 1899 was $170 | GOO; the actual amount received for the twelve months was $150963.35, showing that the estimate was too large by over $19OOO. a'.
 In preparing the estimates for 1900, the board of finance placed the income from this source at $165,000, which is $14,000 more than was received last l year.
 This sum includes all that can be reasonably expected to come to the city under the operation of Section 66 of the , charter relative to firennen's and police mems relief funds, even though the fire l mems fund has reached it's limit of $50,O00, and the 5 per cent. of the license money which it would otherwise receive is turned into the city treasury.
 Such income should not be treated as an income received from the fire de- partment, but is distinctly an income. from the county commissioners, and as such is fully included in the estimate of $165, ,O0O to be received from them. To insert as an estimated income any additional amount from this source is in reality counting one item of income twice. As to the proposed additional appro- priation of $10,000 to the fire department ($7,0O0 of which Is for payrolD. it should be borne in mind that the total amount for 1900 as recommended by the board of finance is s149,750, an increase of $19,600 over the present year. $1l5,- 900 is enough for the pay roll. To jump from pay roll of $105, ,O00 in 1899 to one of $122 ,0OO in 1900 is unnecessary and extravagant.
 As to the proposed additional appro- priation of $5,o0O for pay roll of the police department 1t should be noted that the board of finance has allowed S1S1 ,30455, which is an increase of $4 500 over 1899 and represents about the same ratio of increase as has prevailed for several years past.
 To still further increase this by $5,00l is unnecessary, although the actual amount of the increase is not so lalse as in the case of the fire department
 In the department of public works, it is proposed to appropriate $25,000 for Edgewood avenue pavement and $15,0OO for Shelton avenue pavement thus spe- officially providing for streets lying largely in the outskirts of the city, and making no definite provision for the much more travelled thoroughfares in the center of the city. This pavement fund which is raised by general taxa- tion, should be expended upon the streets bearing the largest amount of traffic, and not upon streets whose busi- ness and property is yet to be devel- oped. Four new officials In this depart ment are also suggested. whose services the city does not need and several sal ary increases in other departments are planned for which should not be al- lowed.
 In view of the facts mentioned it Is a short-sighted and dangerous policy to distribute $4s,0o0 among the different departments, when it involves like amount of floating debt remaining un- paid fx .s l