The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-03-23

Chairman G. +. Chittenden. Of the
select council committee on estimates.
has spent the last two days In analyZ-
inC the estimates for the coming year,
and after careful study and consider
alton he has compiled a table show
ing just what cuts will have to be
made to get them down to the esti-
mated revenue.
We've got To go at this thing bold
ly,'said he, "and agree TO wine out
with one fell swoop a whole lot of
items. II the members of the commit
tee get to arguing about little things
here and little things there. they will
find themselves in worse muddle than
when they started. ! have been in
councils for over twelve years. and in
all that time the situation confronting
the estimates committee at the present
time has never been equalled. Items
that are absolutely and essentially
necessary will have to he chopped
right out and when We have finished,
the appropriations for the various de-
partments will be filed down to such a
fine point that the most rigid economy
will have to be practsed to keep
within them"
THE FIRST TO SUFFER.
Under Mr.. Chittendens arrangement
the first big cut which will have to
he made will be the $4,000 asked for
judgments and incidentals." The ex-
cisior OF this entire item, he says, will
be necessary at the very outset. He
then proposes the striking out of the
item of $500 for ten extra patrolmen
and $4,000 for the salary of three extra
detectives, The 81 900 asked for a new
hook and ladder truck will have to
come out, he says, as well as the $4,000
demanded by the board of health for
the purchase of the crematory lot. The
| 81 900 asked for board of health
emergency fund must also come out,
ana even the $500 for the vaccination
of poor children must suffer likewise.
Another big item which he proposes
cutting out is $1,000 wanted by the
| park commissioners for swimming
| pool and baths at Nay Aug park. Lii
! braran Carr wants $1,000 for the con-
struction of asphalt sidewalks around
! the library and for other improvements
on that structure, but according to Mr..
! Chittenden's computation it can't be
| allowed.
He proposes eliminating the $4,000
| asked by the assessors for the en-
! ployment of twenty-one assistants and
also the $l,096 deficiency in ward ap-
| propriations created by number of
! councilmen during the past year. He
| believes that this deficiency should be
| paid out of the ward appropriations
| for the coming fiscal year and will
make a fight to have this item come
out. One of the assistant city engi-
noers with Il salary Of $1,14O must be
dispensed with, Mr.. Chittenden figures.
THE OTHER ITEMS.
| The items mentioned above are only
| the more important ones which, il is
| figured, will have to be cut Mr..
! Chittenden's compilation provides for
| cuts in over fifty other separate and
distinct items ranging from 81 ZOO
down to $50 and with these all made
the total falls only s., ,962 so below the
total estimated revenues. His figures
! show that the total estimates are $780,
| ii.S2 and that the cut necessary ia
| bring them down to the 1923 500 20
estimated revenues, must be $72 SO.
| His computation cuts out $75s37.62
1t must be remembered that the es-
Inmates quoted above contain no
provision for the $4,000 in addi-
tional salaries provided for in the re-
organization ordinance. Asked where
this $4,000 was going to come from
| Mr.. Chittenden said:
ITS not going to come from any
place. 1t can't be met that's all II
will be an absolute impossibility in my
opinion to provide for this amount
| ell have to get officials who will agree
to donate their services to the city
| for a year.
The only way out of this most seri.
Gus situation is to pass a license tax
| ordinance after councils reorganize
Let just and fair tax be put upon the
corporations doing business in this CITY
and the problem will be solved. II
such an ordinance is passed early ir
the fiscal year d tax can be collected
at once which will be sufficient to heir
us out "A great deal"
1t is now definitely known that none
of the new electric lights provided 70,
in the ordinances which are now being
passed can be provided for
MORE MONEY IN SIGHT.
Deputy City Controller c. A. Hartle,
stated yesterday afternoon to a Trib
une man that he would within the mex
few days send in a supplementary es
innate of revenues for the use Of tn,
estimates committee. He has discov
cred he says, that there will be q con
siderable amount of funds received
during the coming year in excess o
the 1928, 900 which he estimated at first
\ source of income which has so ia
been entirely overlooked, he says, is tn
poll tax of 81 on every taxable i'm tn,
city, the power to impose which is con
tanned In the ripper bill There are
according to the triennial assessmen
just completed approximately $26, 90
taXables, or males over twenty on
years of age, in the city. ON this bash
the amount of money which would b.
received from this tax would be $50, 90
year,
The tax which this poll tax supplant
is the tax on occupations. This ha
approHimated during the last two o
three years about $4,000 per annum
The increase, therefore, in this par
ticular item will be just $4,000 tn
deputy controller estimates.
10. al. tIN..V