Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-04-08
SECURE STATEMENT OF
FINANCES FROM AUDITOR
Claimed That Figures show That FL
nanees Are in Better Condition
Than They Have Been in Years
Strenuous Opposition to Cut IN 20
lice Department.

Some new and interesting develop
ments in the retrenchment matter are
uromised at the adjourned meeting
CT the common council tonight II
was learned yesterday that seVerai VI
the couucilmen will make Determined
efrort to have the lower branch recon
slider its action in reducing the sala-
,ies OF the city officers and 10 have
the salaries fixed for the next nscai
year the same as they are at present.
Following the regular session oil 'he
council Tuesday night. members OF
that body asked City Auditor J. W.
Read for detailed statement OF lne
present condition OF the CITY
finances. That statement was com
pIeted yesterday and is now IN the
hands of Councilman W. A. Sprnlr,
OF the second ward. II IS claimed
by corncilmen who have examined
the statement that the finances OF She
CITY are in better shape today than
they have been been in ten years.
ST . in Right Direction.
These members Of the council VINO
are going TO urger a accommodation
of Tuesday nights action on the
salary proposition will not. they say
seek a reconsideration OF the other
sections Of the report Of the retrench-
ment committee. They believe that
the adjustment OF the offices OF SUI
per intendent OF streets and super
intendent Of sewers. the consolidation
OF the Offices OF superintendent OF
garbage and sanitary inspector AMI
the dropping Of two laborers from the
sewer department are steps in the
right direction.
A strenuous fight Is TO be made TO-
night against the recommendation OF
the retrenchment committee provid-
ing for a cut o. more than $4,000 IN
the police department Several OF the
councilmen have declared that they
are rnalterably opposed TO any cut
in this department and that no cut
will be made II the. can help 1t. They
declare that the police force should
be enlarged instead OF cut down.
Effects Saving OF 5000.
Conservative members of the coun-
Gil estimate now that when the bud
get passes the lower bi.nch it will
be reduced by approximately $1,000.
less than one-half OF the total cut
provided for by the retrencnment
committee The fate of the work OF
the lower branch in the board of al
dermeu remains to be seen, but it Is
rumorerd that the aldermen will weld
the pruning knife more effectively
than the lower branch.
The recommendation OF the re-
trenehment committee that a pur-
chasing committee OF the council be
organized 10 purchase all OF the sup
plies for the city will come up to-
night and it is expected that II will
be adopted IL is estimated that this
committee world be able TO save the
city about 81 zoe per annum in the
purchase OF supplies.
Rurnors IN Circulation.
In connection with the retrench-
ment now in progress rumors have
been current for several DAYS that
Alderman Caleb u. West began the
retrenchmeat program so that he
might go before the people as a can
didase for mayor in the coming
mayorality election and say that he
had reduced the running expenses OF
the government and been the means
OF paying OF a b,E sum OF the city's
debts while he was on the finance
committee The origin OF these ru-