The Detroit times., 1909-04-29

Despite the efforts of the estimators
committee "a general road fund. the
budget OF that committee. which In
cludes everything pertaining to the
paving and care Of the streets. will
not be presented to the board until
the next to the last session, giving
the members Just one day to study It.
This Is not the fault Of the COMMITTEES,
which had its report done Tuesday at
ternoon. Certain changes were made
in the materials used In resurfacing
and repaving different streets. and
this necessitated new cost estimates
from the city engineer.
Thursday evening. the board of esti-
mates will have before 1t the park
board budget and also the propositions
to issue bonds in payment for a new
west side bath house. at $4,000. and
voting machines, at $4,000. The two
bonding proposals Will have strong
opposition, IL Is expected, and the
session Is likely TO be a long one.
"Wednesday nights meeting was q
long-drawn cut affair, with the school
board funds as the subject Of discus
sion and constant wrangling. Econ
omy prevailed, the report OF Chair
man Craig's committee going through
with only few minor changes. The
greatest Efforts made were those to
get new scrools. But the advocates
OF new school in the lower end OF
the Fourteenth or Sixteenth ward to
relieve the crowded schools of that
district and the estimators who want
ed new building to replace the
pifRhar llv F,,l H..
getting thos. items reinstated.
While the school population OF the
city increases by about 5000 per year.
the board Cf estimates has found IL
possible to increase the accommodate
tons by but 1.100 this year. two new
schools being allowed. These are at
Burns and charlevoix. and Livernois
and Herbert
Cap" Stewart, supervisor OF the
board OF education, got his salary
boosted from $2.50c to $4,000. That
had been Gu In the report, but every
member OF tho committee except Craig
himself sto.o up and argued that the
supervisor get his increase. When
this carried. Craig withdrew his OBJ
lection to the other salary boosts ask
ed by the board for the ONCE force.
In opening, Chairman Craig declared
that the school fund committee had
the approval of the mayor and OF
School Inspectors Burton and Mum.
ford. This appeared to annoy Supt.
Martindale, Supervisor Stewart. and
inspectors George and Hutton. who
sat in the rear OF the room.
Estimator Barnett tried to break
down the committee report in several
instances and called upon Martindale
and Stewart for information at various
times. These defended the budget 5u.
the votes were almost invariably
against 1t.
The first contest came upon the con-
tingency fund for the board. for which
SO 900 was asked. Craig declared that
the board had used this fund once to
buy automobiles cut out by the esti-
majors. Finally enough was allowed
in this fund to permit OF transporting
deaf and defective children to special
schools.
When item for the purchase OF the
old Penberthy factory site, adjoining
the land purchased for the new
Houghton school. came up. Estimator
Mcqueen reviewed the Houghton
site deal as an instance OF school
board extravaganza. saying that the
board has bought a piece OF land on
which a school inspector had an op.
ton. and now had the gall" TO come
back for more money to enlarge that
site
School Inspector Hutton tried to
break into the meeting with a reply to
Mcqueen. He had no right TO the
f1OOr hut refused To be SQuelchpd and
several times broke into the proceed.
ings with remarks In violent tone
at Mcqueen.
Il am not speaking for the informa.
ton OF the estimators but the tex.
payers" he shouted. THE estimators
pay no more taxes than anyone else"
The library fund went through with
no change, as did also the public
building fund and the department OF
works general fund. the committee
merely reinstating one item in the
Latter fund which had been previously
cut