The Detroit times., 1910-03-01
SLASH BUDGET"
SAYS CONTROLLER
Material Reductions May Be Ell
fected All Along Line Without Det-
riment To Service" Tells Council.

In transmitting the estimates Tor
the year 10 the common council lueA
day, Controller Frank +. Doremua
sent n communication. portion Oh
which follows:
THE original estimates aggregate
sl31l5.562.S2 Supplemental estimates
Rave been transmitted TO this depart
ment amounting TO $6S9 ,55I73. max
ing the total amount asked for main
tenance and improvements Sl3.so5,-
12O.55. The amount asked. less esti-
mated receipts and balances is Sl2,-
sl.474.45. II we deduct from this
amount $3.50. 900 OF liquor license mon
eys. 10 he credited to the approprla-
tions for the police. health and poor
funds. we have left sl2.63l .474.45 to
he raised by taxation and bond issues.
should the budget be allowed IN full.
1T has been suggested that bonds
for a portion of the sewers and school
building for which estimates have
been submitted could be authorized,
and Issued after the limit has been
increased The proposition Is or very
doubtful expediency and ought not ~
be seriously considered. The ldei
Gayors too much OF mortgaging a
prospect or attempting to negotiate a
loan without visible means OF pay
ment Assuming that the people will
vote TO increase the bonding limit this
fall the improvements for which the
bonds were authorized could not be
commenced until some time afterward,
aud IL is doubtful II the end accom-
plished would justify the means EN-
p,oyed
And increase OF $4,000 600 in as
sessed valuation this year would per
init OF the issue OF $4,000 of bonds.
AS II is unlikely that all OF the bond )
unw authorized will be issued during
the coming year your honorable body
would be justified I'm authorizing bonds
in the sum OF $450,000 fcr schools and
sewers If you find that the necessity
tor them exists
Assuming that bonds in the sum
named will be authorized. this bud
ct would. upon an increase Of SD.
900 900 in assessed valuation. require
a tax levy OF $12.1Sl Az As and impose
tax rate OF over 1894 per thousand.
Attempts have been made TO just
f. this immense budget upon the
Ground that the rapid growth OF the
city demands all the appropriations
that have been asked II is undoubt-
ely true, as general proposition,
that Improvements should keep pace
With the city's growth. IT is likewise
true that Detroit has enjoyed splea-
did industrial and commercial devel'
Cpment. but IL has not been of sufh-
Gent magnitude To justify the ex-
renditure OF this large sum OF money
in one year. The fact that the city
Is growing does not warrant grow.
ing tax rate. III that We're true the
larger the city the higher the tax
rate would be: and the city might be-
come So large as TO paralyze every in
dustry in it's midst and cast upon the
laboring and producing classes an IN
bcarable burden of taxation
The magnitude OF the task before
.ou is apparent when IL is stated that
Il will be necessary to take more than
$1,000 600 from the estimates in order
20 bring the tax rate down 10 its pres
cnt proportions. The estimates for
maintenance In the various funds
should be carefully scanned. Material
reductions may be effected all along
the line without detrimont TO the serY-
ice or sacrifice OF the public welfare ="