The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-08-29

entire bunch of assembled city oiil-
cials dazed. The laws i'm question are
the Smith one per cent. tax and the
Croser initiative refe. endum.
There is provision in the Smith
| bill which makes 1t impossible for
g city council to appropriate money
that had not reached the treasury,
Under this 'pi1vlston 1.-The Iity of
Marion lacks just about nine thous-
and dollars to cover the appropria-
tions thought to be necessary for the
lest slr months of the current year,
which begin July 1.
Just when the council was getting
ready To adjourn Monday night after
n very peaccabe and satisfactory
session. b. ~ Waples. chairman of
the finance committee, sprung an an
nouncement about the effect of the
smith bill lie stated that the fin
6nce committee had met during the
afternoon for the purpose of franz
ing up the semi-annual appropriation
ordinance and reached the following
results:
Funds Available.
There Is available for the general
fund of the city government for the
last six months of the year $40 5Gd,S9
and the appropriations said to lo
Necessary total $7.Tl5 This would
leave u lulance in t-ie general fund
at the close of the year amount to
S2,S51.S9. For the safety fund there
is available $s,S2i4I anc tae appr0-
prlations necessary nmount DO 80
cents more than tnis. The finance
ttffn
possible TO cut this amount OFF in
some unforeseen manner and thus
come within the limit for this fund.
In the health fund there is available
$32527 and for the Six months there
lq needed for the health officers and
clerks salaries along about "a more
than this amount, taking no consid-
Grafton of other expenses. The flnanc-
ing OF this fund will be easily handl-
ed however, since the law gives the
right 10 borrow TO pay for expenses
i'm epidemics. Had IL not been for the
recent smallpox epidemic the health
fund would now nave a balance OF
over 81 800 In the service fund Is
where the big problem occurs. The
funds available for this fund total
$1i,4SO.15 and the appropriations said
to be needed ar, $9S,S70 Mr. NAPLES
reported that the expense Of street
! ghting and hydrant rentals alone
total more than the funds on hand.
How Formerly Handled.
Mr.. NAPLES stated that in the past
under the old law it has been the
custom to run along lntll the close
of the year and get an advance on
the next years tax levy to cover any
cefcit. Under the Smith law 1t Is
not believed that this can be done.
While the Smith law did not repeal
the old section providing for advances
oi. tax levies, the fact that it says
only money on haaI,d can be appro-
prlated would make an advance IL
legal, It is believed.
I'VE nave simply come to where a
Sediment has TO he made" Mr..
" aples said. Now the finance COM
mittee would like TO have suggestions
from the rest of the council as to
how this emergency can be met"
The rest of the council. however,
We're not in suggesting mood. They
| SIMPLY sat and looking at the ceiling
for about fifteen minutes gradually
assembled in little groups and start
cd to whisper. After a half hour or
more OF quiet conversation accom-
| panied by wierd. uncannny shak-
ing Of heads and a perceptible length
onIng of counterances. they resumed
their seats and adjourned. Some
means of meeting the situation may
be ferreted out before the next meet
ing
TO Stop All Work.
| In the meantime Service Director
kauhuaser viii suspend all work in
his department and the city will pay
no bills evcept salaries OF officials, po-
Ice and firemen. No streets will be
cleaned or repaired and no material
will be purchased.
II Is thought tnat the only way
Of supplying the service fund with
enough money to carry through the
rest of the year viii be by cutting
down In other funds aand transfer
ring balances. D
| The other new bill passed by the
recent legislature thar was brought
| forcihly to the councils attention rs
the Crosser bill, which provides that
no action OF the council becomes ef-
feotive until sixty days after that ae-
tion Is taken. This delay Is said tC
be given in order that the citizens
may have a chance TO knock out the
council proceeding IL thought desire
allie.
The first ordinance brought NJ
Monday evening TO be affected by the
enw law was an ordinance to borrow
money TO pay for street pavings now
being held. Under instructions from
city solicitor Boyd, who said the
crosser law made II necessary. the
ordinance was made TO read that II
will become effective at the end OF
sixty days. The men who are con
structing the pavlngs in question viii
~ able TO get no money until the ex'
piration OF that period. The ordin-
ance provided for $1,000 for pavinf
the first alley west OF Prospect street
from Center to churcn street. 1920