The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-06
CITYs FINANCES ALL RIGHT.
WILL SHOW 4 BALANCE At CLOSE
OF THE YEAR.

Having begun the Year with the
Prospect of Large Deficit the
Councilman Feel Pleased with the
Present satisfactory Condition oi
Arairs-An Increase in Tax Re
ceipts of About Si5,O0O-The sale
of city Lots and the Tug ThecISIn
Together With the Transfer oi
Quarantine Put the balance on the
Right Side of the sheet.
The members Of Council are congratulate
ing themselves upon the good showing
made by the statement of the city's expzn-
Gitures for the nine months Of the year
ending oct. T. in comparison with the APP
propriauons.
on the face Of the statement the city ha
little less than oue-f1urth Of he years a.
preparation to run It fer the last quarter,
but when il is taken in consideration thar
the expenditures during the first haf Of
the year are always greater taan during
the second half. and THAI number OF APP
proprlations for special purposes, such as
demand loans and house drainage notes.
the showing is more than creditable.
Another cause for congratulation with
the members OF Council Is that while the
city started the year with an apparent de
hcn Of over $4,000 staring them in the face.
estimating the revenue upon the basis Of
previous years, ii is now practically assur-
ed that the year will be closed with bal
ance in the treasury. This happy pros
pect is attributable to several causes.
among them being an increase in the city's
tax receipts The sale of the quarantine
tug and the turning of the quarantine STA
ton over to the national government re
ueved the city of a considerable burden.
and brought about $500 into the treasury
In addition to this the city sold off several
lots OF land which were bringing ii no rev.
enue.
Mai. C. s. Hardee the veteran city
treasurer who furnished the figures upon
which The statement to Council was made,
Is always pleased when the city's Darqne
is saiinsg in smooth financial seas.
'.The present situation is very saisfac-
tory" sad Mai. Hardee, when spoken TO
on the subject yesterday. There was eV-
cry indication at the beginning Of the year
that we might expect a deficit at the close
OF the year. The indications now are just
the reverse. The increase in lax receipts
from real estate and personal property
though there is some increase IN the license
taxes The city relieved Itself Of on eX-
pense of about IS. 900 a year by turning the
duaran milne station over 10 the government,
and received 5000 for the city tug Theck-
la In addition several thousand dollars
were received from the sale OF lots owned
by the city. The trimming down OF sa4arles
at the beginning of the year was not quite
sufficient to meet the prospective deficit,
but the items Of revenue which We're not
taken into. consideration then have more
than overbalanced this difference, and left
something to the good. Notwithstanding
the extra appropriation for land quaran-
tine, l feel confident Of a neat balance in
the treasury at the end Of the year"
Mai Hardee remarked incidentally that
with Mayor Myers at the head of affairs
and Chairman Tiedeman at the head OF
the Finance Committee, there was very
little likelihood of the city's getting into
deep water financially.
Mai Eardee's attention was called 10 the
fact chat the appropriation for street paw
ing was apparently oyerdra wn, while that
for street and lanes was apparently run
ming short. He explained that this was in
appearance only. THE bills for street i'm
provements recently completed by the city
have been made out" he said, exhibiting
a batch of bills. and / am satisfied that
we shall collect practically all of them be
fore the end OF the year. The city always
pays the entire bin for street improve
ment. but the property owners pay back
nearly two-thirds. BY an understanding
with Alderman Dixon, the cost of side
walk improvements has been charged
against the street and lane department.,
but a separate account has been kept Of
these. and as the amounts are collected
they are credited to this department"
This explanation leaves only the health
and street opening departments, which
have overdrawn their appropriations for
the year. ana the reasons in each case
VIII be readily understood
Acting Mayor Tiedeman. when spoken to
about the matter said that the present
condition of the city's finances is very
satisfactory. la view of the fact that in
dieations at the beginning of the year
pointed to a probable deficit of $4,000
This pleasing state Of affairs" he said
lis accounted for in part by our increase
in revenues. due to the taxes from Coz
linsville the sale of city lots and the city
tug Theckla, the transfer of the quaran-
tine station to the national government,
the reduction in salaries az the beginning
of the year and other items Of economy.
I am satisfied that the city's balance sheet
win make a satisfactory showing at the
end of the year"
Alderman Dixon also expressed hiss
pleasure at the condition of the city's
finances and called attention 10 the fact
that his departments are In better condi-
lion than would appear from a casual read
ing OF the statement, as there are good
many thousand dollars to be brought in
from assessments for street improvements
and charges for laying sidewalks.