Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-04-05

Chairman James Kane of the finance
committee of City Council is not sur
prised to find it necessary to appeal to
the Board of Water Commissioners for
money with which to meet Councils
obligations for the current fiscal year,
which will not end until June Both,
1900 In conversation with reporter
Of the Gazette, he said the con-
ditions were just what he expected
there were no extraordinary appro
priations and no demands of any con-
sequence upon the city treasury which
were not anticipated at the beginning
Of the year. The trouble was due chiefly,
he said, to unfortunate circumstances
for which Council is not responsible.
He assigned the following causes for
the deficit which seems altogether
probable before the end of the fiscal
year:
A deficit approximating $1,000 at the
beginning of The fiscal year 1899 1900.
The Withholding by the county tax
collectors of about s12, 900, Adams tax
money.
The receipt of about s26, 600 less than
expected from the Water Department
for the year 1899.
Tho payment by Council OF 1874, 200
worth of bonds which fell due in Sep
tember, instead of issuing new bonds.
At the beginning of the fiscal year,
he explained, Council set about over
coming the deficit which it found, and
had this item of Sc, 900 been the only
burden it could have been taken care
of very readily, and, as matter of
fact, was provided for long ago When
the estimates were made last year,
however, there was no thought of pay
ing off the S24,0 worth of bonds
falling due in September, and IL was
not decided to pay them off until @. ii.
White & Go. of New York City, who
had bid for the reissue, positively re-
fused to take the bonds. Then, after
several weeks had elapsed, the finance
committee of Council surprised some
of the other members of the body by
recommending that the bonds be- paid
off instead of being refunded. Chair
man Kane explained. at tho time, that
it was deemed advisable, after careful
consideration of the matter, to pay off
the bonds and get them out of the way,
expressing the belief that the funds
with which to overcome this extra
ordinary draft on the treasury would
be forthcoming when the money would
be needed.
1t was learned at that time that the
finance committee had conferred with
members Of the Board of Water Com
missioners and it was limited that the
money to take care of this extra.
ordinary item of paying off the loan
referred to above was expected to come
from the Water Department; that the
department would probably advance
the money Immediately after it had
made its January rent collections. Nc
Of fNn,,naf ,,,a,,tl n1t l.,
time that such was the case, but sub
sequeut developments have proved tina
the suspicious which pointed to such ;
programme were correct, SO far as som,
of tho councilmen having that impress
sion was concerned.
1t has been the custom of the Waite
DepaI tment to retain the money unit
the end of each year and pay the sur
plus to Council in either Decembe
or january Immediately after tn
business of the year is closed up, aut
the law appears to indicate that such
course is what is intended. 1t j
claimed by City Solicitor Conrad
however, that the department., if j
sees fit, can advance money at an
time during the year, provided it OK
poets to have a surplus.
AS matter of fact, there is neve
Guy tClbaihby hbOub lHb dtphE bIlltub
having surplus at the end of th
year, and Council cannot, with an
degree of accuracy, count upon an
stipulated sum. At the close Of tn
year 1893 the department turned owe
to Council S59, 234. 81, which, Mr.. Kan
explains, was about S26, 600 less tina
was expected. The estimate was base
on what had been turned over th
previous year when the amount wa
$50, $685. 60, being S26, 599. II more tina
last year. There was no partieuls
reason for expecting that the surplr
for 1899 would equal or exceed that ,
1893, but as 1898 showed very m;
terial advance over 1897, some of II
Councilman thought they could safe
calculate. on receiving as much,
least, last year as for the year befor
but the estimate went wide of Il
mark. There is absolutely nothir
upon which calculations can be mac
as to the surplus of the Water Depar
ment. The amounts turned over
City Council from year to year ha
varied considerably, as will be SCI
by the following statement: f.
1886, $40, S9l. So; 1887, s17, 6s5. "a; 1888
s23, 461. 02; 1889, 81, 644.4 AZ; 1879
s44, 408.07; 1891, S34, 142. IA; 1888
SAL, 1902. 25; 1893. $40, 91s. 80; 1894, Sal
700. 81 -; 1895, $76, 407. 30; 1896, S4S. 363 8
1897, 500. 100. IA; 1898, Ss6, $685. 62; lS9
s59, 234 total of S59S. 295. 81.
The Water Department has be-
singularly fortunate, and, as a resr
OF the good fortune and good manag
ment, there have been very few hea
extraordinary expenditures, such as a
likely to be incurred in repair
damage to the water plant. An d
cident is likely to happen at any tin
however, and it is necessary that t
department should have the money
its command with which to make /
mediate repairs. In turning the mon
over to Council in December or Jen
airy the depar tment runs no risk, as
collections for the year are heaviest d
ing January and in that month ba
account accumulates very rapidly.
In the present case Councils finar
committee wanted an advance
$50, 600, counting upon surplus mu
greater than that amount at the end
the current year, tut the commission
are not willing to part with SO mu
money at this time. They have he
ever, expressed willingness to tt
over $4,000, upon the receipt Of
written opinion from City Solici
Conrad to the same effect as his YER
opinion given at the conference
Tuesday. 1t is expected that
money will be turned oter today.
This loan only partially overcor
the difficulty, and, II additional full
are not forthcoming in the meantir
there will be defioit of ahnut ak