The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-07-24
TOO MUCH MONEY
VOTED FOR JUNKEI
ANTHONY PRATT.
municipal League Secretary Asks
Council To Cut Expense Allowance
OF Delegates to Montreal

Aldermanic junkets are now a mat.
Ter VI investigation by the Detroit
municipal league. OF which j. l.. Hud.
son Ia president anu Anthony Pratt
IS secretary. Pratt spent Friday
morning In The controllers Office look
ing up the financial history OF the
1uhkets for the past few years. He
discovered few instances where mon.
ey SCI aside for such trip expenses
mad been returned
a communication from the Munich.
pal league will go TO the council next
iuesday night, requesting that body
10 reScind Its action In authorizing
the expenditure OF sl.100 for the ex.
pehses or III delegates TO the convel.
'ioh OF the League OF American Mum.
fclpalities In Montreal. So far, no
aiderman has been found willing To
hie notice OF reconsideration In re.
gard To this appropriation.
In TIE commune alton 10 the coun.
|cli. Secretary Pratt will inform the
aldermen that the allowance OF 800
per man Is excessive. The following
.ngures are put I'm TO demonstrate this (:
kound trip fare To Montreal. $50;
sleeper berths, 81, hotel bill for three
days, at So per day, SIS: meals en-
Poute. S.: total. $50 The league,
therefore. wants the allowance cut in
half. II cost the city $3.50 last yenr
70 send a delegation to the Omaha
convention Of the same league.
Their. is a possibility OF court &C.
tion In case the council does not re.
MArinn ifs M hat, hnt
The council has no right TO set aside
lnoney from the contingent fund ~
Epay for convention expenses when
The convention was certainty and a
contingency at the time the budget
WAS made up.
PraIt found quite number OF
bunkets on the controllers books. but
Few refunds. Aid. Watson's commit
tee which went to Grand Rapids. Chr
rago. Milwaukee and ST. Paul TO in.
restigate IT. rails year and a hall
ago returned SEQ out of $500 received
tor the trip.
Aid. Owens grade separation com.
mittee got an appropriation OF $500
20 investigate grade separations. but
did not go and returned the VIII olU
amount Aside from this. the refunds
were minus
City officials going on such trips
often spend more than vs. allowed
them.' Deputy Conti oller w. j. Ma.
gel told Pratt. Il keep record OF
my expenditures when away and send
In a bill on my return"
Corporation Counsel Hally was In
the controllers office when Pratt came
in and he arose TO the situation with
defense of that much-criticized Gus
tom. the junket
IF the city had sent a committee To
visit the principal cities of tho couL.
TRY before the original grade separa.
3tion agreement was entered INTO with
the railroads. we would be money
ahead now" declared Hally. I'VE
would have had better preparation
for dealing with the roads than We
had, and would have got better condi-
|tions
Sending a delegation to he conven-
lion of the League of American NUM-
CAPABILITIES Is largely a matter of city
pride. That league has done a great
deal to further municipal reform and
Improvement and to arouse the civic
Feeling. II the cities were to pursue
a niggardly policy with regard TO 1t, II
would soon disintegrate and lose its
Influence We have been gamers by
the spirit aroused by IL. and would
lose If It were not properly support
ed We should have adequate repre-
sentation.
IF Detroit were not well represent
ed I'm the convention OF the state
ieague OF municipalities. we should De
the losers through adverse acton In
.ansing. There is already zoo much
Feeling against this city throughout
he state, and attendance a. these con-
Mentions tends to lessen this.
Adoption OF concrete foundation for
ali pavements In Detroit followed upon
junket that cost $4,000. We nave
benefited by that iunket. Our public
lighting plant followed another junket.
lin you ask what direct benefit the city
gets from junkets | will say that II
gets none, but indirectly, the benefit Is
Great. II is like firm sending out
Nraveling man with an expense ac'
count that is liberal"
I'VE are not decrying the represen'
kation of the city at the Montreal con-
fyention. but what we are decrying Is
The allowance OF 500 apiece to the
delegates when $50 would do" replied
Pratt.