The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-02-18
MAYOR ANSWERS
: AANNAN's KNOCKS
Every Item In Budget Placed There
Because OF Public Demand
Declares Breitmeyer,

BY his address on municipal finance
before the Wholesalers ana Manufac-
Iurers' association. Wednesday, w W.
Hannah started q huIzine I'm munici.
pal circles. PG1lic Works Comms
sioner Hasrer VIII reply next Mednes-
Gay To Humans structures on public
officials. IL Is XXI ected than Haaicr
will go more deeply into the con IL.
tons and needs ~ ais department. the
largest M the city service divisions
than he has ever zone before.
In response u request that IN"
omplify his statements as TO the swo-
len condition OF the budget by point
irg ont the places where cutting might
best he done. HdEnap replied Thar
l. not my province. Tho board Of es.
Inmates. 4 hacied by public opinion
will do that"
Mayor Breitmc yeI heard the Han
nan address and commented at some
length on II Thursday.
IL was an anle paper" said the
mayor. "hut he fOI got 10 say some
things. rhe people ought TO know al
the facts
Every item i'm tho budget is plac"
there because OF Il public demand
from some source. The ,equest OF the
Packard Motor car co. Tor the eXteu-
sion OF sewer 10 reach their new
plant, which will employ l,co0 men,
IL an instance. 1hal is necessity. III
Is SO with other sewers. They must
De started some time
There are 200 sections of streets
Ia the budget FIR repaving or resur-
facing. AID there is not a street in the
lot that You or or anyone else can
say should not pe paved this year.
man who lives on one Of these poorly
paved streets has just ground OF com
plaint lie could mot be blamed If Nc
were TO Gay thar he would get ont OF
town If he cOld not get Improve
ment II these items are not placed
IN the bddget. the commissioner IL AZ
fauIt. IT, InGy are Included ana cur
out. he he's done his duty, at least,
The two items O, sewers and paw
ing make the difference in the II. =
". budget The remainder consists
OF maintenance items tnat come up
every year. Snow-cieaning is thing
that cannot be gagged in advance. yet
I. must b. done I hat viii cost SOC
goo this year When Woodbridgc-st
business nen asked TO have the srow
and ice taken from that street it was
done. tut It cost $3.50 for that space
alone
Replying TO Humans argument that
one OF the sreai causes OF Detroit >
prosperity has leen the low tax rate,
Mayer Proitmevor said
People so where they can get
work nigh :ax rate may mean 81
year more % "A nottingham VINO
owns his home Three days work or
TWO will make that mp II he Is IN
town whore he can get work. w"
must make improvements to take Gaze
OF the industries "" have and to SCI
others. Then W. shall have work for
our people.
The Fairview district is an exam
pie OF this Great industries are 10
eating there. and this means an ext n
sion OF water mains sewers, lights,
poliCe. fire protection and everything
else that a cite furnishes-and
charges for In taxes. urged the reai
estate board Few nights ago to help
by trying TO get me factories In close
TO the center OF the city, instead n
on the outskirts. where Il costs
great deal TO extend the city improS G.
ments to them
we ought TO have prepared our.
selves for these conditions years ago.
and have made improvements gradu-
ally. Six ears ago the coming growth
OF Detroit was apparent
LAS for business men in politics.
talked with an expert on public ser
vice matters whom had in mind for
commissioner for public works. lie
told me that ne was making $4,000 4
year in his private business The cit
paws s. geo year. and doubt II We
could get any man for twice that sum
who would be AS we'll equipped As
Commissioner !Iaarer. \ man who
might know all about sewers woul
be weak on paving. Successful bust
ness men are hard TO get for what tie
city pays.
Il would favor getting an assistant
for Commissioner Haarer man VINO
would he bushes, man and an an
gineer as well little investment in
good service brings the city results
that paw many times.
I'm speaking OF business men. /
would add the word conscientious.
A man who gets up. talks and forgets
70 say one other thing that might put
a very different view on things, -
not my IDEAL"
f. n. Schreiter. Jr, secretary OF the
council committees agrees with the
mayor that the present huge buds'-
is the result Of the neglect of the
board OF estimates In previous years
to provide for future necessities.
Things have been put over from
year to year. anG some time thGy
must be done" he says. II the iUi
provements had been taken care OF
from year TO year. the average tax
rate would not have been high Grant
ing possible tax rate this year of
$3.50 the average for this and the
previous six years would be oniT
s16.29"
Controller Dorerus believes thar
the budget should be cut all along the
line
Il do not care to say what | think
the tay ate Will be nor where the