The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-03-25
BUDGET PRUNING
GOES MERELY ON
Aldermen Slashing Right and Left
and Tax Rate Will Be Under Last
Years Figure.

Still the sound of the ak is to be
heard in the city hall as the aldermen
attack the 1910 estimates, and the
way that they are pruning the budget
indicates that the board OF estimates
will find little to do in the way OF
further reducing the totals. II Is the
most thorough cutting down OF esti'
mates that the aldermen have ever
done.
So far, the work has progressed on
the agreement. tacitly made, that all
salary increases shall be disallowed
and Ill improvements which can pos
sibly be put over another year allow
ed TO go. II this agreement is ever
broken In the few remaining commit
tee OF the whole meetings. there Is no
telling what will become OF the
budget. as. once started. each alder
man may try to have reinstated the
items In which he is most interested.
Taking into consideration the I'M
Outstanding that most OF the improve
ments in the way OF schools. sewers.
ETC., will be left for bond issues con.
tingent upon the increase of the bond.
very daring assertion to say that the
tax rate for 1910 will go under the
mark of $lS.07 per $1,000 of valua-
ton set last year.
Two big funds remain to be pre-
sented. beside the sewer fund. which
has been discussed in public meeting
The streets committee, II Is known.
has cnt 900 from the general
road fund, while the cuts in the school
fund estimates will be made known
within a day or two.
The reports are already in on the
police and fire department funds.
and in each all salary increases have
been cut out, with the exception OF
that for a lookout on fire tug and a
slight boost for the harbormaster and
police matron. Police Commissioner
Crouls request for 200 additional po-
licemen has been scaled down 10 an
appropriation for 20 new men. BY al
lowing the police department $4,000
for new automobiles. the aldermen
have been able to cut down the esti.
mates for horses, hostlers. feed and
such expenses as would have gone
with a continuance OF the old horse
patrol system. The mounted squad is
TO be increased by turning over to the
mounted squad the horses which had
been used for the old patrols.
Along with the salary increases in
the police department, the new post
of deputy superintendent Is eliminat.
ed.
The ways and means committee
has relentlessly cut out all increases
of salary for city hall clerks. This.
taken with the other salary cuts. Is
liable to provoke a very earnest pro-
test and pressure upon the aldermen
to reconsider their action.
Sole survivors among the city en-
ployes who asked collective increase
in pay are the garbage wagon driv.
ers. The committee of the whole on
Thursday passed the estimates for the
garbage fund in which the new salary
schedule is included. This Is not en-
tirely an increase but rather a re-
arrangement of plan, the men geting
more money in the end, however.
Fire Commissioner S. T. McGraw
made a strong plea for the raising OF
firemen's salaries. He told the alder
men that the firemen are .on duty 81
hours a day and get but 1857 for
their arduous work. His plea was un-
availing and the committee passed
the cuts. The attempt OF Aid. Koenig
Heineman and owen to have the
city's proportion of the Custer-ave
street opening damages increased be-
yond 35 per cent, was lost after some
debate.