The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1911-01-28
SOCIALISTS WRESIlE
.:::!W|THM|L WAUKEEDEbT
OLD PARTIES LEFT

MILWAUKEE,, Jan. 27.-For the
first time in the history Of the city
systematic and thorough effort is
made to draw up scientific budget,
and to bring the expenditures Of the
city within it's possible revenues for
the year.
The problem involved in the making
of budget is simply this: The city
has $5,ooo.ooo to spend. The amount
is fixed and limited by law The
problem is how to apportion this
amount of money among the various
/ departments of the city in such way
as to secure the greatest efficiency.
The first step was to get an esti-
mate from each city department., of
the amount required for the ensuing
year. -.
When these estimates were brought
together and totaled, It was found
that the departments had asked for
81, 100000 more. than the city had to
spend. How to reduce this amount so
as to bring it within the limits al
lowed was the next problem. $ =.
The greatest difficulty, however,
was how to meet a deficit that had
been left over by preceding adminis-
trations. This amounted to-: over
100000. There was $22s;000 Of de-
l1nQuent, taxes, mostly uncollectable.
These had been accumulating through
the years of preceding administra-
lions, and had always been counted
as an asset. But since they cannot
be collected. that amount has be-
come a. deficit which has been taken
out Of the. trust funds. and which
therefore the city must pay. 1t must
therefore be provided for.
Again, there were land contracts
aggregating more than 100000" that
had been neglected heretofore, which
now must be paid. On these con-
tracts some of the best parks of the
city had been purchased. Payments
should have been made each five
years. These payments had been
postponed from time to time until
they at last reached the limit allowed
by law. They now must be paid, or
their validity become questionable.
Under these circumstances the owners
of these contracts naturally demanded
payment.
And finally the failure of former
administrations to provide in the bud
get which covered the year of 1910,
for the expenses that were absolute
ly essential to the city-expenditures
that were forced upon the admins
tration< by the situation in which: they
found: themselves, left another def
cit of $4,000 for the current: year:
Thus the total deficit for which the
present board Of estimates had to
provide in one way or another in the
present budget. was owe 100000.
Naturally enough this was a very
serious. reduction of the funds, that
ltcould otherwise have been; appor-
toned to the various departments Of
the eity.government. 49, . "a
/ :, In order to meet this situation it
became absolutely necessary" for the
board of estimates to adopt rigid
policy Of retrenchments. In fixing the
limits for the finances of the city
for the ensuing year.
Every department was called be-
fore the board and the situation
thoroughly explained. All the hear
ings were public and all accounts
open to any who cared to study::them.
Each department estimate was:5there-
upon reduced. This applied to all
departments except those whose limit
of resources are fixed by state law,
and which therefore could not be re-
| vised by the board:
In many cases this will result in
very serious handicap. In order
to keep the: expenses Of the city
rigidly and exactly within the re-
sources which the city has, all of the
departments will have to operate ON
less money than they really require.
| Many of them will be seriously Grip
| pied: And as to wages and salaries,
it was found necessary to cut out all
increases and to eliminate all new
positions. This was adhered to with
but one or two exceptions. 10
| After all this was done there still
remained 100000 unprovided for.
This the board finally decided to
meet by issuing refundlng bonds. A.
ter the board had finished it's work
on the budget it was turned over to
the finance committee of the city
council. That committee will revise
the work of the board of estimates
1t will then be sent. to the council
for their final action and approval