The Detroit times., 1911-04-29
MAYOR RIDICULEs CRY OF
s.POLITICS" IN BUDGET FIGHT



t1TE
than can possibly be spent. Judging
X from the past, there will be over ST.
! 100000 balance on the first OF July,
1912. Under any situation that may
arise, the city has never yet failed
10 produce the necessary funds.
After practically disregarding
warning from Mayor Thompson the
city budget for 1911, as 1t then stood,
exceeded the two per cent Limitation
By more than $l,000,000, the leaders
IN the board of estimates got their
heads together, late Friday night
long after the evenings session had
Adjourned, and decided to follow the
mayors suggestion to chop OF the
9urplus.
y There will be conference OF the
members before this afternoons
meeting, when the situation will be
I thoroughly discussed with view 10
6etermining where the necessary cuts
can best be made. The board will hold
IL final meeting tonight
tOrdinarily there il very little cut
B ting done on the last day. Hereto
fore the estimators, I'm the final meet
mrs, have merely ratified tho action
0f the committee of the whole, but
+ tie prospects are that the entire bud
Get will be opened up this afternoon
ana merry row may develop before
u,4 hoard finishes its work.
II the budget Is opened up, one OF
the items that Is almost sure TO fall
81 the wayside il that OF $2S0.000 for
The Northwestern High schocb al
though the board, on two previous oc-
cosions. the last being Friday night,
HIS refused by An overwhelming vote
% cut IL out But under CORPORATION
council HaIlys ruling that the two
Der cent is absolutely fxec by the
ko1ns rule bill end caitrot be chang
e.i except by legislative act, the esti.
majors are forced to choose between
/, bringing the budget withrn this linn
nation or rI,r.rg the risk OF inval-
Not.rg q ror lion or the tax levy.
Other cuts proposed by the leaders
ere as follows: A horizontal cut Of
10 per cent, or about 5000, 900, In the
etreet paving item OF the general road
hnd; cut of $4,000 in the police
fund by reducing the number of new
\ bafrolmen allowed from $50 to 100. IL
Is also proposed to add 100000 TO
. he estimated primary school moneys.
f ~ add $4,000 TO the estimated re-
&eipts from liquor licenses and TO in
GIude as n credit fund Of $4,000 put
ID BY the Michigan Central to protect
|ho city against damages in connee-
Hon with the Michigan Central pro
|6ct. These items total $755,000. The
1nount the mayor says must be chop
4 nod on Is 81, 043,9 1855. SO the estimators
. Win still have to prune out nearly
JI1o. 900 more.
~ The mayor appeared before the esti-
, uators Friday night with a typewrit-
{on statement, prepared during the
afternoon, In which he offered a num-
Der OF suggestions as to where cuts
\ be made. He suggested that the gen.
ernl road fund be cut to 81 ,563,S16, the
amount allowed last year, declaring
that this amount was about all the de-
partment could spend In one year. He
also suggested that the $500, 900 in art
museum bonds be cut out, that the
Number OF new policemen be reduced
to 100, that $4,000 be added TO the
Nouor moneys and that bonds be is
sued FOR certain purposes where IL was
nroposed to raise the money by direct
{axatfon. The mayor was sharply
d1,izzed by Estimator Gordon and 9TH
<rn but managed 10 stand his ground
veil Corporation Counsel Hally was
called on to again explain just what
tho board was up against, and alto
rether the discussion lasted nearly
ffo hours.
When the body finally resolved t.
e1lf into committee OF the whole EST
untor Barnett started proceedings by
1noying that the item OF 100000 for
~ museum bonds be cut out. After
long discussion, Estimator Andrus
following q suggestion made by Con
f froIIer Heineman, moved that the
lends be allowed contingent on the
levy being within the limit, and this
1>otion carried.
Barnett followed this up with mo