The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-11-29
TO CUT EXPENSES
CITY COUNCIL WILL GO SLOW IN
MAKING UP BUDGET.
NOT MANY INCREASES,
ALTHOUGH MANY DEPARTMENTS
WILL ASK FOR MORE MONEY.

Aldermen VIII Have n Stack of APP
pIicatiOns for Increases in SAL
aries to Consider when the Bud
get Is Made Up-Quite "A Number of
Those Who Want Larger Salaries
Seem Doomed to Disappointment.
Some Members of Council Favor
Making 1904 Hammer street Paving
Year.
Applications by dozens for increases
in salary will confront the members
of Council when they start in to make
up the city budget for 1904, and from
present indications quite number of
those who are figuring on more money
are doomed to disappointment.
Mayor Myers and the aldermen real
ize that an unusually large sum of
money must be spent by the city next
year, and every possible effort will be
made to keep expenses down. 1t is es-
timated that there will be special ex-
penditures to the amount Of $4,000, and
this fact Will be considered when the
budget is made UP.
There is at present a balance of about
900 in the city treasury, and 1t is
thought that there Will be at least
$4,000 on hand on Jan. l. But be-
sides the special expenditures that must
be made next year, the asphalt COM
pany will have to be paid for work
done during the past two years This
money has been held UP by the city
because the company has been slow in
carrying out its contract. The city
has been collecting interest on this
money, and the asphalt company Will
only be paid what is actually due them.
VIII Keep Budget Down.
The city started the year with a bal
ance of $4,000 and the fact that more
than double that sum will be on hand
on Jan. l, 1904 will be encouraging in
formation to the taxpayers In dis
cussing the subject of next years bud
get a member of Council stated that
in his opinion there would be but lit
tie change in the appropriations for
the various departments. He eX-
pressed the opinion that Council will
hold the appropriations down, and
that the extra drain on the treasury
will come from the special appropria-
tions.
Several aldermen have stated that
they favor making next year banner
one in street paving, and that an un-
usually large amount of money should
be spent in this work of Improvement.
One or two members of Council say
that they do not think, under the cir
cumstances, that it would be amiss to
let the new City Hall rock along for
another year and use all the available
cash for street paving. They argue
that the new building could not posi-
BILE be erected during the life of the
present administration, and that for
this reason, as well as for others the
matter should be delayed.
To Hold Special Meetings.
All of these matters will be deter
mined at special meetings to be held
during December. 1t is expected that
the budget will be ready for passage
by Christmas, although there is great
deal of work to be done. The various
department estimates will be in the
hands of the Mayor by Saturday and
Will have TO be gone over carefully.
Mr. Myers will first consider them and
then they will be brought to the at
tention of Council. 1t is hardly likely
that any department will get every
thing that it desires.
1t is planned to make extensive i'm
provements in the City Market next
year, and Council is pretty apt to make
a special appropriation for this work.
For a long while housekeepers, and
those who have business in the Market,
have complained that the building
should he renovated and Council is
almost certain to take some action.
Besides the fight that the firemen
will make for an increase in salary
the Fire Committee will urge the ne
cessity of the erection of a fire station
in Collinsville. The Police Committee
will not only ask for an increase in
the size of the force. which is by no
means adequate, but will show that
new poles for the Gamewell system
will have to be purchased, and that
quite a number of minor improvements
hnr h.. 4 II l1r1n .tcr.