Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1908-02-26
City Council.

the DuSlueB5 pIeoenteu WAS Hauo~OSou
expeditiousl7.
The report Of the committees on
schools and finance recommending sn
appropriation of 81, 500 for public school
purposes, received from the Common
Ojuucil at the last meeting and laid over,
wss adopted.
President Curtin presented a petition
of George r. Smith to make certain In
provements to his house. No. l2l south
Henry street, and the privilege wss
granted provided there is no otj9ction on
the part OF adjoining proper,y-owners.
Mr.. Sweeney, from the finance COM
mi;lee, presented resolution sppro-
prisiing 800 for the use of the Alexsn-
dria kindergarten, which was adopted.
Mr.. Sgeeoy also presented q report OF
the same committee recommending an APP
preparation of 5000 for repairing streets,
$500 for streets and sewers, $3.50 for
chain gang, 81, 200 for fire department,
$3.50 for fire plugs and $3.50 for election
expenses. The report was in response
to a communication from the Auditor
announcing the exhaustion of certain
appropriations.
Mr. Sweeney after presenting the re-
port said:
"The Auditor In his communication
10 Council calling attention to certain
appropriations says, They have practi-
cslly been expended Such is the case
90 an examination of the Auditors
books will show. There was appro-
pria,ed for streets and sewers $26, 200,
and to this we add voluntary assessments
sgsipst sbuting property owners, which
we're rs follows: on Washington street
/ firm Queen to Wythe s., 664 81, King
street IRON Fsyelte to the Corporation
line, $4,265 80, and the assessment
sgsiust the Washington, Alexa ndris
aud Mount Vernon Railway Company
for King street SO, 957. S7-makiug a
total Of 4O,0S8.64, There has been
expended and charged against this OF
$40, 0s8 81 the sum of $40, 065.02,
leaving balance of only $23.62. This
includes any and all kinds and classes Of
expenditures, labor, material, etc. The
City Engineer reports at least So. 900
worth of curbing, bricks, and sewer
pipes on hand. He fully expected to pro-
coed with the paving of Cameron street
from Fairfax to Royal street. The ma
terisl on hand would have been used for
this work. The improved roadway on
Washington street and the King street
paving were completed at cost of be-
tween 81, 100 and 81, 200 LEES than eSti-
mated and appropriated. The former
exceeded the appropriation by small
amount, bat the latter cost much less
than was estimated and appropriated.
Oh the Sc, 500 appropriated for the fire de-
MISUNDERSTANDING the salaries OF
the employees for months to the end Of
the fiscal year--the sum of Sc, 937. GA has
been expended, and as it will require at
least 500 and probably more, will make
necessary an additional appropriation
lof 81, 100; this is in addition to The
Isl, 900 to pay for hose which bill will be
reported by the joint committees OF
public property and finance. Chain
gang appropriation Of 81 900, hes tx-
pended 1922 ~. Election appropriation
of $500, 1928 70 expended. Fire plugs
appropriation of $3.50, expended 1882,
80. The committee on finance 10 making
q recommendation of 5000 for repairing
streets intends that as only for via
must be strictly construed as necessary
repairs. The $500 for streets and sewers
fer what may be urgent, and to meet
some obligations for tools and material.
Council some years ago appropriated
some SO, 900 or "a, 900 for the contiuu-
snce OF what is known as the Royal
street sewer. II the committee on streets
and City Engineer intend building this
sewer it will probably be well for
Council to pass an order authorizing and
directing the Auditor to issue warrants
in payment of same in Gum of -
and payable out of any money in city
treasury snd not otherwise appropriated,
1t is proper charge out OF the receipts
of the present fscal year.
Toe report wss laid over under the
RULES
A report of the joint committees on
public property and finance recommend
ing The payment of 81, 900 for hose pur-
chased by the Board of Fire Wardens
for the Oulumbia and Reliance steam
engines was presented. The report will
be found in full ia the official proceed
ings.
Messrs. Sweeney, Summers and
Malbusy ssd it had besn observed by
some that The hose purchased by the
wsrdens at 81 per foot was Of no better
quality than that heretofore bought at
| 20 cents a foot; besides it was a bad
precedent for the wardens, well.meaning
people as they are, to incur such an ex-
penditure without asking the consent OF
| Council.
President Curtin said it had been
done on other occasions, but that 1t
would have been better to have asked
Council to appropriate the money, as
doubtless would be done In future.
Mr. Summers said when he was a
warden such course was always pur-
sued.
Mr.. Marbury said he would vote for
the appropriation because the committee
had requested it, but in future he would
vote against the payment of bills con-
tracted without the consent of Council.
Mr.. Sweeney said the Laws governing
the sction of the Fire Wardens should
be examined into. The wardens, like
councilmen, performed their services
gratuitously, and he was averse to crit
icizing them, but should Council formu-
late certain rules the wardens and coun-
cilmen would understand each other
better.