The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-26
ATTACK BUDGET ON
FLOOR OF COUNCIL
Madison Ward Expected to Lead
Fight on Eve Of Primary
Election.
NEW MOTOR FIRE ENGINE
No More Ornamental Lights and
No Music in Parks Next
Summer.

budget by those who desire rc-clcc-
on TO the Common Council I'm new
Madison Ward. ana who, In order to
secure votes from South Richmond
! propose To force the installation of a
nook and ladder company in the fire
engine house there. The Board OF
FIRE commissioners, besides askIn. n
general Increase in pay for all It's
members. presented II schedule of new
machinery desired. II is now an open
secret that the new budget 10 be
reported to the Council tonight con
Jams an item Of $4,000 for a new
motor lire engine. similar to that IL,
use at the Third Street engine house.
inc new machine 10 be Installed at
Twenty-ffth and Broad Streets, and
The steam fire engine now used there
to be transferred to No IL Company.
At Strawberry and Cary streets. The
budget VIII also provide funds for
-hrcc hght motor cars for the chiefs.
While this new machinery VIII
greatly increase the iire-lghtinS ia
ctlity of the department. 1t does not
increase the number OF nrcncn. nor
1dd TO the annual expense of mainten-
1ncc OF the department. In addition.
aowcvcr the commissioners asked for
new motor nook anu ladder truck
"lth aerial extension ladders, to cost
$lluOp The plan was to install this
hi1SHihe III one OF tho truck houses
on the north side Of the river, pre-
ferabiy at some central location. ana
20 transfer to South Richmond one OF
'he smaller horse drawn trucks now
IN service. Not only docs this entail
tho initial cost OF the new machine
but 1t adds a new hook and ladder
company to the force. with ten men,
the annual pay OF whom would be So
AIS all to be located In South Rich
II
makers did not include fund for
this new truck nor for the conpm-
plated new hook and ladder company,
holding that the use of motor APP
paratus was yet somewhat expert
mental, though tie test here or the
automobile engine has been most sat-
isfactory. 1t not only maintaining a
good pumping power but having
shown speed In reaching remote sec.
tons in brief time. With tho new
bridge opened this summer. 1t is be-
!icvcd that the motor engines can
reach any part of South Richmond a,
quickly as they can the average ex-
posed point in the older city.
But primary election Is coming
ON. and there are now forty Council
men. Of whom only twenty can be
Reelected. The Fire Department vots
Is strong and we'll organized. and there
arc five fire engine companies in new
Madison Ward-Broad Street. Fifth
Street, Third Street, Cary Street, and
South Richmond. with u hook and lad
der company at the Broad Street
house.
For years Fulton has ciamored un.
successfully for what Washington
Ward now asks From the report cur.
rent In the Fire Department, Carter
c. Jones, of South Richmond, will lead
the fight to break the budget in order
TO Include the new motor truck and
provide for truck company on the
south side, and report has II that
most OF the members from new Afadi-
son Ward arc supporting the effort.
An effort is also to be made on the
moor Of the Council to have the budget
include funds for ornamental lights on
Thirty fourth and other streets, no
fund for such lighting being included
in the new budget.
The budget last year was adopted
as IT cam from the Finance Commit
tee with but ono amenument: $4,000
Tor music in tho parks was trans
fcrred from the fund for paving alleys.
and when number of alleys went un.
paved as result the author OF that
motion. MIR. Lynch. admitted that II
had been mistake, while the SQUAD
bling over the contract, the cost OF
islands, and the damage to the
parks made the Grounds and Buildings
Committee heartily tired OF the whole
matter, and no item is included In the
request OF the parks department. for
music. If any city band IL to play
II Will be over the wishes both of the
Grounds and Buildings and Flnancs
Committees
Department heads generally express
the hope that there will be no serious
light over the budget. as that usually
means delay at u time when It Is most
important that funds be made avail
able so that new work can be put
under contract. Auditor Warren has
already characterized the Committee
on Finance tersely as good spenders"
in view of the total amount set apart
Tor this budget, so that it is hardly
probable that its total viii be mn
terially increased. Whatever is nut
on in one place must be taken off al
another, and from reports current the
effort will be made to take the fund
for the new motor truck and the pay
roll of new truck company for South
Richmond either from tho fund for
the new First Regiment Armory or
from that for streets generally on the
north side of tho river. the street fund
of South Richmond being guaranteed
under the annexation act. For orna-
mental lighting 1t Is doubtful il any
effort will lie made TO increase the
appropriation. but the plan now is
merely to have the wording of the
appropriation for electric plant OK
penses and equipment so altered that
II portion of this fund can be used
by the Committee on Electricity for
such ornamental lighting as 1T deter
mines upon. This was the plan fol
lowed last year by Chairman Lynch
and Alderman Melton, of tho Commit
tee on Electricity, who had erected,
nnbeknown to the Finance Committee,
and over the protest Of members Of
their own committee, the ornamental
lighting system of Jefferson Avenue.
popular measure politically in their
ward. though funds were diverted
from the general arc lighting of the
city to accomplish It,
The appropriation ordinance will be
reported to the Council tonight. but
s'nce ii cannot be acted on the night
1t is introduced it will be at once