The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-08-25
Total. -. -. $3.50, S0l

Those familiar with the city's finances
viii observe several new items that do
not appear in the appropriations of past
years:
special appropriation of $4,000 for the
Health Department. This is to pay
the expenses of the smallpox epidemic
erection of buildings, care and treatment
of patients and suspects, amid the like.
Special appropriation of $4,000 for
legal services. This is to pay for counsel
employed to assist the city attorney II
damage and other suits of Importance
against the city.
An appropriation of $500 for building.
OF this amount $3.50 has already been
spent in repairing and improving the
mayors office. About $3.50 will be eS
pended i'm making changes in the office
of the city clerk and tax collector.
Perhaps the most important innovation
in the budget is the item Interest.
$1,000" This is something never before
provided for. The interest ON the $50
900 floating debt annually amounts =
about 81 go, and for interest On dis
counted warrants about $3.50 is required.
Last year $4,000 was paid i'm interest.
An effort will be made, however, to
save this expenditure to the city this
year As already stated in these columns
the Finance committee contemplate th@
adoption of plan that will make it To
the advantage of the taxpayer to settle
up this month. 1t is, that one Per cent!
be deducted from all taxes paid during
September A half of one per cent. off
on all taxes for 1889 paid during Oeto+
ber Nothing off of the taxes for those
who settle ion November. The penalty
will be enforced against all who fail TO
pay their taxes by December first. II
is thought that the deduction of one per
cent. will cause MANY to settle in Sep
tember. This will enable the city to
meet its obligations promptly and save
to it the amount heretofore paid out III
iinterest.
The legal authority to give this prem
ilvm for prompt payment of taxes is not,
however, clear and should be investi-
gated before it is adopted.
Another change that will be recommend
ed by the committee, and ONE that should
by all means be adopted by the board,
is a material reduction in the cost Of
maintaining and caring for the public
pumps. There are now about 10 pumps
in the city, and their maintenance costs
annually about $1,250. Am absolute
waste of money! TO keep these pumps
ND a man is paid $1.25 to do the repair
ing, while another man is paid $50 Il
month to see that the man does repair
them. This latter expense the commit
tee very properly asks the board 10 cut
off, 1t believes the pumps cam be kept
in good repair at AN expenditure of not
exceeding $50 a month and it will 50
recommend to the board.
Much to the same effect lis the recon-
mendation that the Health, SANITARY.
Street Cleaning and Sewer departments
be combined into one-the Sanitary De
partment. In pursuance of this recon-
qnendatiOn the committee recommends, II
will be noted above, that the appropr,a-
tion given to the Sewer committee lie
cut DOWN to $200-which is for repairs :
and 500 extra be given the Health De
parbment for flushing sewers. The sew
ers have always been flushed by the
Health Department force, but the eN-
pense Of it has regularly been charged mp
to the Sewer Department. So the change
recommended means only a change IN
bookkeeping and the saving Of 500. rs
the Sewer Department heretofore has
been getting $1,000.
The Sanitary Department, it will De
observed is given $500 AS stated
above the $700 is for flushing sewers
md has been heretofore given the Sewer
Department. In addition, however, to
this $500 the Sanitary Inspector is al
lowed to use in his department the re-
ceipts from sanitary licenses, which
amount annually to about $500.
THIS is done as am incentive to the col
lection of these taxes, and will bring
the Sanitary Departments appropriation
up to $500.
In the matter of the Park appropria-
zion. though, a different policy is pur-
sued. All collections must be turned