The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-03-22
$3.50 TAX RATE IS
BEGINNING TOLOOK
IMPOSSIBLE
II Salary Increases Are Allowed,
Heavy Slashing Will Be Neces-
sary To Keep Figure Down To
Even Last Years Levy.
Park Departments Budget Trimmed
To Tune of $2se,OOO, But Ferry
Farm Item Remains.

The outlook is rather dubious fol
the 1880 tax rate which Mayor
Thompson. in his inaugural message
set as the goal to be attained this
year AS matter OF fact, the com
mon council and the board OF esti
mates will have to do some unusually
heavy pruning TO keep the rate down
TO that OF last year. which was $751;
per $1,000. Assessor John c. Mage
is hopeful of nothing better than last
years rate, In spite OF the fact thai
the valuation will be increased about
sl2.000,000 this year
TO keep the tax rate down to last
years figures. and grant the increases
that have been asked for the firemen
policemen and teachers, IL will be
necessary 10 prune over $4,000, 00C
from the budget" said Assessor Maggie
TO The Times.
III the estimators can get the bud
get down TO about $4,000 900, exclu.
sive cf the increases that have been
asked in the pay OF the teachers, fire
men and policemen, the increased val.
uation will take care OF the latter
don't see how II is possible to get the
rate much lower than last years, and
IL they are not careful it's liable u
be good deal higher"
Assessor Henry Plass stated, Tues
day. that the increase in land values
alone in the central district. exclusive
of Woodward-ave., would be about
100000. The central district com.
prises the First. Second. Fourth, Sixth
and Eighth wards.
AS yet the common council commit
tees have not made very deep cuts In
the $14,000,000 budget Thus far they
aggregate about 100000 The coun-
ell committee on streets Is now at
work and its report will probably in
crease this figure materially. The
committee started out in automobiles
Monday for it's annual tour OF the
streets. and the trip was resumed
Tuesday morning, Public Works Com
missioner Haarer going along.
The committee on parks and boule-
wards cut a total OF $236,l94 from
the park departments budget, Mon
day. One Of the big items left in was
thar OF $4,000 for the Ferry farm.
education budget, but was cut out BY
the committee on claims and accounts.
Aid Watson had II included in the
park department estimates as a sup
Elemental so that the city would have
control OF the property, but the pur-
pose is TO use II for school site.
Aid. Ellis and Lynch argued against
the item, but the other four members
m
il remain.
The estimate Of $6S,270 for resur-
facing Lafayette boulevard was cut
10 $4,000. and the committee Topped
of $4,000 from the item OF $4,000
for similar work on the Grand Boule-
ward. For q playground adjoining the
Clara bathhouse the committee al
lowed $4,000. The commissioner ask
ed $4,000. The estimate of $34,713
for a sewer system on Belle Isle
was again cut out. This is the third
consecutive year the estimate has
been submitted.
The committee on claims and ac-
counts dealt gently with the library
boards estimates, Monday afternoon.
The principal cuts were as follows:
New sites from $225,000 to $2l6,000:
$500; Northwestern branch from 49,
900 to $500; books from $2I5OO to
$4,000. which is $4,000 more than last
year. the difference being allowed be-
cause of the new branch libraries. The
item OF binding also was cut from $1O.-
900 to $4,000 The total cut was &c.,
500.
The committee on health and city
hospitals has cut S19,4S0 from the
board OF health budget and $15,112.5O
from the garbage budget to date ana
Is only nicely started. 1t will tackle
these budgets in earnest Thursday.
The item OF $16,262 for the pay OF
garbage collectors was pruned to 49,
O7O. Secretary McKinlay, of the board
of health, was denied an increase in
salary OF 5000 per year He now re-
ceives $4,000. The health board asked
$4,000 for the care OF tuberculosis
patients and was allowed $4,000 The
committee will visit the contagious
hospital, Thursday afternoon and will
make thorough inspection before
passing on the request for s250,000 for
additional buildings.