Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-04-03

Every member of City Council voted
in the affirmative, at Thursdays meet
ing, on the following resolution, which
was offered by Chairman Kane Of the
finance committee:
Whereas, Owing TO the impending deficit
in the revenues of the city for the current
fiscal year ending June S0th, 1902, due to
various causes not foreseen at the beginning
of the fiscal year when the sources of revenue
We're considered and fixed such as the water
department surplus, the Adams tax assess
ment, the railroad beds assessment and the
great expense incurred in suppressing the
threatened smallpox epidemic, &c. there.
fore, be it
Resolved, That, pursuant to an ordinance
passed by the Council Thursday evening,
February 18th, 1902, that the finance com,
mittee is hereby directed and authorized to
negotiate a temporary loan of 100000 to
meet the hereinbefore mentioned deficit fol
the present fiscal year.
After the resolution had been unani.
mously adopted Mr.. Kane arose to a
question of privilege and said he would
like to make an explanation relative to
the deficit He pointed out that Coun.
Gil was disappointed in not receiving
as much surplus by $50, 600 as it ex-
pected from the Water Department and
said, although Council has to pay
Si1, 600 worth of water bonds this veal
it received only $4,000 from the de.
partment.
During the meeting motions were
passed, without apparent objection,
authorizing the payment of bills rem
dered by the City Department Of
Elections, sl66.6S, representing two
months salary for the clerk, Frank A.
McCloskey, and $50. 81, rent of the
building at Seventh and Shipley
streets, where it has its headquarters
also, the bill of Harry p. ,Ioslyn, clerk
of the Municipal Court under former
Judge Philip @. Churchman, amount
ing to SSH 0S; but no action was taken
in the matter of salaries of county
assessors for making the Adams Tax
assessment, City Solicitor Reinhardt
having rendered an adverse opinion in
that matter. The bills of the Depart
ment of Elections and Mr.. Joslyn were
passed after opinion of the city solicit
tor had been read.
Tho opinion of the city solicitor
with respect to the salaries of the
county assessors was as follows:
Wilmington, DEL, March - 1902. City
Council of Wilmington-Ci Gentlemen Yours
of February 18th has been received. In il
You ask for my opinion as TO whether the
five county assessors should be paid SON
each by the city of Wilmington as theiI
salaries for the year 1902, under chapter ~,
section g, Vol. MI, Laws of Delaware.
In reply beg to submit the following Sec.
ton 8, of said act containing the following
language: ayearly salary of 5000 Ia
be paid by the City Council of the City ol
Wilmington for services in making the as.
sessnent under An Act to Equalize Taxa.
tion for City and County Purposes, . passed
at Dover, May 10th, 1897. By recent de.
| cision Of our court the act of May Goth
1877 referred TO above, was declared uncon.
stitutiuna and therefore null and void
Under this decision of the court, there are
no services for which these assessors car
claim this salary. | am therefore of the
opinion that there is no liability on the
part of the, city of Wilmington for the pay.
| inent OF these assessors, as provided for in
ehGpter q, section G, Vol. XXI, Laws OF
Delaware. Yours very truly,
David d. Reinhardt, City Solicitor.
In view of the opinion given by the
city solicitor relative to the county,
assessors it is hardly likely that
Council will pay them anything unless
| compelled to by the court.
A communication was received from
the Directors Of the Street and Sewer
Department requesting Council tc
arrange for loan of $:25, 600, authorized
by the Legislature, for the improve
ment of streets and sewers. The matter
was referred to the finance committee,
| The sum of S37, S40.62 was drawn tc
pay the interest due April LIST on cit,
bonds: also, SIG, 0S4, the amount Of
bonds due and payable at that time.
The following payrolls for the month
OF March we're approved and ordered
paid; President and members of Git,
Council, S275. 20; Police Department,
80, 6l5.09; other city officials and EN-.
| ployes, -, $40. 60.
Two orders were drawn in favor OF
the Board of Health, one, amounting
to S26S, to compensate the special off.
GERS for the past week, and the other,
1895, to meet incidental expenses in,
Cured in the efforts of the board tc
stamp out smallpox.
City Treasurer Feaster reported 3
ban balance of s37, 800; also, that hi.
receipts during the week were a,
follows; From Tax Collector Savers,
$500 for 1887; 81, 600 for 1899: 1925 fol
1890; 81, 800 for 1901; Collector Lewis
| 81, PAP, horse tax for the years 1895
1899, 1900 and 1901 81, S3s. 81, city ant
school tax for 1898; City Auditor
Boughman, SS1, %, from the Philadel
phia 4 Reading Railway Co, for rem,
OF King and French street wharves
y i