The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-11-23
HOW CITY DEFICIT HAS BEEN CAUSED Disbursements $21,l22 Ahead
 of Last Year RECEIPTS $247,OO6,64 LESS
 Z City Auditor Says Two-thirds of the Decrease Is Caused By the Defer ment of city's Tax Col
 lections.

The receipts of the city of Birmingham for 1he first 10 months of 1908 show de- crease from the 1908 receipts of $247. .006. .64.
 Two-third5 of the decrease, the city aud flor leelares, is due to the deferment of tax collect ons. In other words, when the city taxes are collected the net decrease will be only sS2,sS5.5l
 During the first 10 months of 1907 the city as return from whisky licenses is- sued received SIP. DO or all amount top- ping the net financial decrease by $s0,00O.
 From the figures of the city auditor, therefore, it is gathered that had Bir- mingham received the whisky licenses this year as last, instead of the eity's receipts being $S2, 5.54 less than last year they would show an increase of more than $300OO
 The receipts of this year, in the follow ing departments, show a decrease equaling in round numbers, the amount set opro- site each Real and personal taxes. s120, 900; merchants tax, s29,OOO; licenses, $7O,-
  loans, S74OOO; franchise privileges, $2200; mayors office, S25,OOo; office change re- turned by treasurer, $1OOO; fees from li- cense inspectors office 5000; city en- gineers office, s429; police department, $43,000; Board of Education reimburse ments, s1oOO, and several others of minor amounts.
 A great majority of the items show in- creases, but the decreases in one or more instances are large enough to greatly overbalance.
 The disbursements for the first 10 months of 1908 show an increase over the disbursements of 1907 of s21,122.
 This is true in spite of the fact that last year the city in the way of bills pay able for temporary loans disbursed $107,- 51625, an item not felt this year.
 The items, the expenses connected with which show an increase this year over last with the amount of increase in round numbers, follow: Avondale expenses prior to annexation, s2S6O 72; police court fine re- fund, $600; interest on bonds, 5000; inter- est on temporary loans, $500; expenses of the mayors office, $500; city auditors of fee $500, maintenance of the fire de- partment, s550o; fire department outlay and indebtedness. S2OOO; inspector of gas meters, $569 health officer, $1000; meat and milk inspector. $500; stables. black smith and repair shop, s5OO0; repairs on unpaved streets, s9O00; miscellaneous ex- penses on streets, s5OOO; investment in tax able titles, $2000; elections, $500; city hall, 5000; street lighting, s6OOO
 During the 10 months of this year the city has cut down the expenses of last year in the following items, the amount of decrease in round numbers being placed opposite each name: Real and personal tax refund, s1SO0; license refunud S7O0; bills payable on temporary loans, $l07- 516.25 expert accountants, s55O0; assess ment taxes, s7O0; city treasurer and tax collectors office, 5000; Humane society, $10O street sweeping and sprinlsling, $5OO0; sewers, cleansing and maintenance, $5O00; sidewalk repairs, s1000; charity, 5000; ap- propriations for the Board of Education, $sOO0; payment of purchase notes for Idle wild park S10.0o0; damages cases, $500; advance on public improvement ordt- nances, 5000.