The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-09
NOW READY FOR
WORK ON BUDGET
Has Heard Demands for
$l.500.0 900 MoreThan
the Revenue.
HIGH PRAISE FOR
TWO DEPARTMENTS
Mayor Declares Present Chief Of
Police Is Most Efficient He
Has Ever Known Here.
Notable Work of
the Fire
Fighters.

/ d u : Z
The Finance Committee OF the Council
,s now nearly ready. to make up the
annual budget for the year and to ap-
portion the revenues Of the city among
the various departments and sub
divisions of the municipal government
In brief, 1t may be stated that the esti-
mated revenues available will be a bout
s2,300.00O. and the drafts of the various
departments and branches uponsthe funds
for the year 1907 aggregate appro ximately
$''e5I,oO0. or an excess of appropriations
over revenues Of about 81 ,5O0, GEO.
Manifestly ii Will be impossible for the
city to supply all it's estimated needs. and
It always is Many Of the departments
have included recommendations OF expen-
dttures; which they have small expectn-
tion will be realized this year. and
necessarily some scaling down is always
done. In some Of the estimates the needs
OF the annexed territory are embraced, +
and In others appropriations are asked
which have been sought for several years
IN vain. In solno cases, as in the mat
ter OF the Health Department, stress has
been laid upon the fact that the estt-s
mate is not intended to be scaled. but
is q bona hde close approximation Of
actual requirements. \. #
The Fire Departments draft en-
braces several large demands for ap-F
para tus and men for the annexed ter
ritory. and the educational demands
also embrace provisions for the.
schools brought into the city. a large
fproportion8of the street cleaning de-
fpartnent'a estimate is to provide fa-s
Icilitles for the new territory equal to-
that or the old The figures for chari-4
ties and almshouse are.last years re-
-
negro almshouse deducted. This years
figures viii probably exceed this es-
L Session Last Night.
The Finance Committee he1d a meet
ing last night to hear Representatives.
of the Fire Department, Police De-
partment, Street Cleaning Department
and various other branches of the city
government in advocacy OF their de-
mands upon the budget. Nearly nll
the more important departments had
already made their demands.
The Street Cleaning Department was;
represented by 1or. Z. G.. Williams, a
member Of the Council, and by Super
tntendent Henry ]. Cohn; Fire Com
missioners Levy, Frischkorn and Lecky
spoke In behalf Of the Fire Depart
ment. and spoke effectively.
ea
Duke, Clerk George Pollock. Mayor Me-
Carthy and Chief OF Police Werner ap-
reared for the 2olice Department These
gentlemen explained the needs OF their
departments clearly and strikingly, and
made earnest pleas for the appropria-
tions asked Tho Fire Commissioners
had estimated for 10 per cent. increase
Z in salaries OF the men in their draft on
the budget, but the point was made
that .1'>s would have to be provided for
Z by ordinance before the Finance Com
mittee could take the matter up.
The hearing before the committee was
marked by two very striking statements
made by men whose deliberate utter
ances carry weight and influence. and
both the statements were highly COM
plimentnry to the city government and
to the departments effected
In, explaining the necessity of the s1O,-
900 appropriation asked for placing fire
alarm wires underground Mr.. Robert
Lecky, Jr., an authority on Insurance and
fire commissioner who makes close
study Of conditions and needs. stated
that If the fire alarm wires had not
been underground In the vicinity of Ninth
and Cary Streets, 1t would have BEEN i'm
possible to turn In nm alarm, either for
the fire at the Whitehurst umber-yard
or for the more serious and dangerous
one ut Tenth and Cary. He Impressed
the Importance OF extending this precar-
ton to other sections OF the city. In
concluding his very interesting statement
Mr.. Leclsy declared, In testimony OF the
efficiency of the Richmond department
under adverse conditions that In forty
years only one fro had destroyed any
other building than that In whichit orig
mated.
Tho statement impressively and do
4 hat, 20 ta11 ,,uT Ia op !, nraI
study of the departments history, made
a profound impression upon the COM
mittee.
A little later Mayor Mccarthy pre-
sented the Importance of having the
twelve mounted men asked for III the
annexed territory and OF tho value or
tho patrol-box system. Incidentally he
showed tho great area which patrols
man in any portion of the city Is re-
quired to cover, and pointed out that
the boxes unerringly testified that the
officers did cover these beats as best
they could.
The Mayor attributed tho excellent
order In this city and the absence of
startling crimes to tho efficiency or
the police to a great extent. and es-
pecially commended the personnel OF
| the force as now constituted The
climax OF his statement was tho
voluntary testimony that In his juds-
ment Major Louis Werner. the
present chief of police, Is the most
chicient head Of the department the
city has had In the life-time of the
speaker. The statement aroused a
ripple of applause from the Finance
Cqmmittee, and was acknowledged by
Major Werner with a profound bound.
| The statement WAS unexpected "a to
Everybody, hut deliberate
| Fire Department..
Tho demands Of the Fire Department
| tion house to quarter an engine, hook
and ladder truck and necessary hose in
northeast portion of city;a tent men for
1 engine company and Six for truck. III
Ilngine-house, engine and chemical en-
tcontinucd en- Seventh Page,