Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-09
CITY AUDITOR
MAKES REPORT
SHOWS CITY HAS DEFICIT OF
$4,000
Many Departments Are overdrawn,
Though Finance Committee Does
Much to Keep Expenses
Down

In the report of City Auditor
Schwaebe 1t Is shown that the income
of the city for the present fiscal year
up to and including May s. 1906, is
$780, .4S4.18, the expenses during the
same period of time amount to $685.
1928 leaving n balance of $685., ,3S2
which has accumulated since last July
1. The latter amount is increased by
bond money, which brings the actual
balance to S2,45S, ,594.65.
While the city seems at first glance
to be in decidedly prosperous con-
dition, many Of the departments have
overdrawn their respective amount linn
its in the appropriation fund, accord
ing to the report. The overdraft of a
number of tax fund departments
amounts to $242,775. In this is included
the departments in debt more than
100000.
In no instance has any one Of the
departments a surplus so great that
it will finish the year with cash on
hand. Each department is fully pre-
pared to spend the balance of It's funds
and those In arrears will have no way
in which to get ahead.
In the past it has been the custom to
loot the bond fund. The latter has az
present a surplus of 100000, of which
$4,000 must be paid to outstanding
debts in the near future.
Deficit OF $4,000
License collections up to the present
time have amounted to $194. .422.75 more
than the expenditures of the license
fund departments. Against this must
| be placed $685. 500 in overdrafts, which
makes the seeming surplus actually a
| deficit of $4,000.
The members Of the finance commit
tee have expressed themselves as de-
termined to wipe out the debts before
the year has ended. So well has the
finance committee proceeded in its work
that during the last five months of the
year the expenses have been lowered
| 100000.
Cutting down the number of employees
| has been going on for some time. This
has proved of the greatest benefit to
the city's finances. The police and fire
departments have suffered most
through the finance committees ma
nipulation of the city's funds, but the
condition of these two bodies is better
than it was year ago. This can be
accounted for through the fact that
six months ago when the legislature
and department heads were unanimous
| in the statement that there was no
chance for retrenchment the finance
committee made UP it's mind that in
the future 81 should be made to do
the work Of 81.
SO successful were the efforts of the
finance committee that it is more than
probable that the methods adopted will
be given a second trial next year.
Departments Overdrawn
Following is a list of departments
failing to keep within the limits OF
their appropriations and their respec-
tive deficits
Attorney, s145o.s9; boiler Inspector
$2397; building superintendent, $47S1. SO
custodian, $128.9S; clerk, $414.95; coun-
Gil, S906.29 election, $S261.99; engineer
$10605.46; fire department, $34516.64
free labor bureau, $34.15; garbage
$21 665.3O; general expense $7S769.09
health department, $1O24136; justice
courts, $2O43.60; mayor, s5.95; municipa
water works, $32 2,265.61; property ac.
counts, S3O50; police department, $31,.
86124; receiving hospital, S155O.14
street department, exclusive of gar,
bage. $15,956.71; personal property ta>
rebate, $1967S.36; license collector
$452.33. The total deficit of these de.
partments is $27s, ,664.6O.