The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-06-07
HOW The BUDGET
HAS GROWN IN
LAST FIVE YEARS
Alderman Congleton Has Fig.
ures Prepared for Use Of Of
ficials and Taxpayers.
SOME ODD INCREASES
SHOWN THIS TIME
Comparison Made Between
Amounts Formerly Appropri-
ated and Present Demand.

Alderman Jerome T. Congleton,
chairman of the finance committee of the
use at the next meeting of the COM
mittee table showing the budgets for
the city as they have been made up for
the last five years. The table takes up
each department in detail, giving the
total amount appropriated for the use
of each and allows comparison with
the amounts asked for by those same
departments for the year Of 1909. Mr..
Congleton intendsto use 1t to give
the other members of the committee
an opportunity of seeing the changes
that have occurred in the requests for
money Since the tax levy OF 1904.
In most cases the increases are
the increased necessities of depart
nent. In others the growth is far out
of proportion and it takes some hunt
ing to account for it.
The first item taken up under the
head of department of accounts" Is
that of the City Home. This year the
amount asked for is $56,630, fairly
regular increase from the $4,000 appro-
priated in 1904. In the case of the City
Hospital, which is set down for $153,0SS
this year and for s106,358 in 1904, the
same is true.
Fire Department Jump.
The first big jump oconrs in the fire
department budget. AS was shown at
a recent meeting of the finance COM
rlittee. everyone wants a hrehouse, or
at least a site for one. The result is
that the fire budget shows considerable
more than a natural increase, not only
for this year, but for several years
past. Beginning in 1904. when 1t
amounted to $3S9,164, 1t had Increased
by 1907 to s54o,s62. and. this year comes
to $669, 1893.
The library appropriation, which is
also shown, is fixed charge that can
only increase with the ratables of the
city, one-third of one mill for every
dollar of ratables being required by
law for the library. From the total
amount is taken the half of the sink
ing fund and interest charges on the
first library bond issue of 100000. or
$4,000. The other 80 per cent. Of the
charges is met by the city. The library
this year will receive Sa9.698.
Under the head of the Playground
Commission the record only extends
back as far as 1907, when the commits
sion first came into existence. This
year the work contemplated will neces-
state the expenditure of $4o277. as
against the s1s,O31 of last year.
Big Increase In Police.
The police department is another of
those which stand out on account Of
the big increase. In 1904 the sum asked
for was s509, ,134. From then until 1907
the growth was regular, but that year
the increase amounted to nearly 20 per
2 cent. on account of the increase in the
department. That year 1t was s626.3
and the next year was $742.025. For
this year the department wants $685.
6s3. the fifty new men put on in the
latter part Of December coming into
this years budget.
From 1904, when the department
budget was s77,o7o. to 1907 the health
department budget was fairly regular.
In the latter year $93,S1o was appro-
priated, the rebuilding OF the second
floor of the Centre Market, the pay
ment for which was held up and dis
cussed for long after the work was
done, accounting for much Of the addi-
tional expenditures. Last year the de-
partnent received s136,940. most of the
money going for the work of fighting
tuberculosis, expenditures being made
that will not have to be provided for
this year when the amount asked for
is S133,552.
school Moneys.
The figures given for the public
school appropriation emphasize the way
in which the main stem taxes were
distributed. On the face of it the
figures look odd. In 1906, when the
Hillery maximum act and the Perkins
-ect. were passed, the amount appro-
priated by the city for school use was
s955,271 The next year. when the first
receipts should have come to the
schools from the main stem taxes, the
amount was $S35,S97. Litigation held
I'm the money so that in 1908 two years
apportionment was received, obliging
ths city to raise but 1857, 1902, as more
than 100000 came from the State. For
this year the sum is $S4S.SS0, giving
merely a natural increase as compared
with 1907.
The shade Tree Commission budget,
though it dates back as far as 1904,
is only beg1nnlHB 10 pe Horlndb as eho
initial expenditures have all been
borne during the past five years.
The poor and aims budget this year
is 100000 In 1908 it was $67,57O. as
against, the s5o,154, the purchase of the
siIverware and other supplies for the
alnshouse being responsible for the
rise.
The budget of the public buildings
committee also furnishes an item of
interest, covering as it does the last
wear of the occupancy of the old City
Hall and the first year OF the new In
,oos which was the last year the old
building was used, the budget was s1S,-
50o The next year the appropriate
was se7, ,234. In 1908 it jumped to $S6,s77.
repairs done on the building during the
twelve months having moro to do with
the increase than anything else. This