Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-07-17
MAY GIVE STREETS
MORE THAN ASKED
C0UNClLMEN AGGRIEVED AT
LOW ESTIMATE
Believe Board of Public Works Should
Have Demanded Greater Allow
ance in Annual Budget for
Big Department

d. X. Edwards of the board of public
works and presiding genius of the
street department may find himself
compelled to accept more money when
the annual budget is made by the coun-
ell than he has asked. This is not the
case with the other city departments,
the estimates of which this year, as
always, contain items that from past
experience the heads of these depart
ments know will be cut out of their
estimates.
Several councilmen feel aggrieved at
Mr. Edwards because he has asked for
less this year than he demanded last
year. Those councilmen most con-
cerned about the matter are those VINO
depend largely on the Jobs furnished
by the street department to keep them
selves solid with their constituents.
They think on account of the growth
of the city Mr.. Edwards should nave
asked more in his estimate TINS year
than he did last.
Mr.. Edwards explanation is that the
previous years estimate had nothing
to do with his estimate of this year.
He bases his estimate on the expend-
lures for the past year. The amount
he asks this year is about $4,000 more
than he received last year in the
budget. The present figures make no
allowance for any trimmings by the
finance committee, and if one dollar is
Topped off Mr. Edwards says his de-
partment will suffer just so much.
He has made allowances for the
growth Of the city in his present esti-
mate. Last year he expended $2S2'-
S37.SS in the street department proper
SIS, 3O2. SO for street sweeping, $5S,539.96
for garbage collection and incarceration;
and $126, 46S19 for street sprfnkllng ana
oiling. OF the amount expended in the
street department proper 5000 lhcIuoe1
a special fund allowed by the couhcll
to provide work for the unemployed
leaving a normal expenditure OF W.T.
Increase in Demand
The estimate asks for $2s1, 800 for the
street department proper, a normal in
crease of $9O93; $S9,S60 for sweeping. an
increase of $156S; $63,0S0 for garbage
an increase of $4541, and $135,OO0 for
street sprinkling, an increase or $5o5z
Figures on the auditors books snow w
Mr.. Edwards has turned back Szz'fo9;oo
from the total amount allowed him the
last fiscal year.
These figures, however, are a little
deceptive as there are outstanding
contracts for oil amounting TO ABOUT
$500. Ten thousand dollars of this
surplus is money Mr. Edwards dld not
know he had. The council gave MN
the cld1n gang LOT SOlllS WI n, NA-
lowed $4,000 to pay for the work.
Through some oversight this amount
was never placed to the credit or the
street department in such a way II
appeared on the departments books
Mr.. Edwards paid the cost of the WORK
by the chain gang out of ms general
appropriation, and not until the nsca
wear ended did he learn he had large
amount of money whereWlth he mlgh'
have employed more labor.
Mr.. Edwards will try to nave the
council adopt plan to cut the wages
of the street employees from $2.20 daily
70 80 fiat He is besieged daily by men
out of employment, anxious to work IN
the street department; ana II Ile
council will reduce the wages, he ue-
cIares he can give employment TO TWEEN
tv or thirty more men. The reductlon
would make no difference in the totai
amount of money he would eXpend'
bu+ he could give some hungry men
work whom he now is compelled to re-
fuse There is a well authenticated
runor that several men now employed
on the streets draw their wages from
the pockets of Mr.. Edwards, ana not
from the city funds, although they are
not aware of that fact.
These are men whose stories OF ols-
tress have especially appealed to Mr.,
Edwards, but they are merely a orop
in very large bucket, and he is con-
-stantly besieged by men who are anx-
ious to earn a little money for theif
starving families.