The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-07-24
City Reduces Taxes by Reduc.
tiOn of Needs Today.
Budget for 1915 Calls for 0.7G
Instead Of 2 Mills.
CONN llISSIONERS ARE 1T outs
Each Man Complains Of
Amount Given the Other.
Disturbed End Of Long Fight at
the City Hall.

Disturbed End Of Long Fight at
the City Hall.
The city commissioners after work.
ing on the city budget for several weeks
reached an agreement today whereby
the levy will be reduced from Z to
to CTS mills. Roy l. Bone, commits
sioner Of finance. presented the re-
vised budget to the city commissioners
in session today and the new ortf-
nance was given first reading. There
is little likelihood that the ordinances
will be changed before final passage.
The cut in the levy means little or
no reduction in the actual taxes to be
collected over those of last year. owing
to the increased assessed valuation Of
property. There will be Just $3,6Ss.1z
less collected for city purposes next
year over the present year. This
means $371,35S for the year.
The taxpayer, who Is anxious to
have taxes reduced further. should
talk to more than one of the citx
commissioners, for each commissioners
will tell on the other" He will in
sist that no reductions can be borne
| will point out to the interested tax
payer how reductions in other depart>
| ments can be made.
One commissioner thinks that w. L.
Porter, city commissioner Of parks
has a tendency to make too great in>
| roads on the city,s funds.
| "Five thousand dollars for one CONS
fort station at Gage park" he exc
claims. And on top of this q system-
attic. campaign for q boost Of salaries
| Of the milk inspector, and for the crea-
ton of a new job-that Of assistant to
the milk inspector or something OF
Then Porter comes back" by recit-
ling the inconveniences, discomfort and
even humiliation of the hundreds Of
women who attended the Gage park
opening.
May, Lose Park Tlsloa..
Not only must there be adeQuaAo
comfort statiops It Gage park. but un-i
f9RO &elf1-tpen DUmO n0n6y 80
i the Chffdf0ns1 uarln.at Sixth and Woae
streets given the city by Dr. Uvo
Harding, or on the Lakewood -paslEs
presented to the city by w. ]. Riokep-
bacher, the city is going to lose title
to these parks. The city accepted them
with the understanding that money
would be spent on them.
/ "As to increasing the salaries ana
number of employees in the milk in-
spection department, there is q lot OF
work the city has not been doing
which 1t should do" declared Porter
| why do you not do away entirely
i with the inspection of foods and
weights and measures?" Commissioners
Porter was asked.
The commissioner went up in the
| air."
i Meat Hooks Were Dirty.
i do you not know what conditions
/ have been brought to this office ?" he
/ exclaimed. ''Why. the social survey
people brought six old meat hooks
4 here that were being used with a half
- <~vA
i them"
Yes. but there is not on the aver
i age one piece of meat condemned q
month" Porter was told.
That's it-that's 1t exactly" he re-
i Piled "Mr. : ilfillan the meat inspec-
tor, is too busy collecting the inspec-
tion fees to have any time to do the
inspecting; we must have men to do
the work.
Then the collection Of fees for the
inspection Of weights. measures. foods
) and meats is simply a tax on food 20
he was asked.
THAT is the way 1t is now, but the
work should be done and 1t takes men
to do it,
# After Mayors Department.
Then there is the mayors depart
ment. Some of the commissioners
Three hundred dollars IL allowed N
the budget for the up-keep Of the
automobile used by the police.
And there is the Gamewell fire alarm
system = wires. poles and little red
boxes scattered over the city In ex-
travagant disregard Of the fact that
the city is covered with telephones.
Only twenty-five calls. with a fair pro-
portion OF them false alarms, came
in over this system last year. No case
has yet been found in which q tele-
phone was not just as available. Tho
budget allows more than $500 for
the up-keep Of this system.
And another commissioner takes q
crack at the street department.
There is too much superintending
; ana not enough work." Is the declara-
ton.
About an Auditor.
A rap was also taken at Mr.. Bones
: department..
what do you think of paying a city
auditor $135 when I can hire as good
/ an auditor as there il in the state for
SIS or $50 a month";" queries one
commissioner.
And thus every department OF the
city with the exception of the water
department was raped by one com-
missioner 3r tho other.
How Budget Stands.
At the meeting Of the commission
: this morning the revised budget wa
adopted unanimously.
The mayor asked for SIS, 1851 fog
> the police department and got 1t. The
amount last year was $73,385.8z. For
I the police department $45,5Se Wa
asked for. and 344.z36 allowed. Last
y:sr ys:. this department ".' given ''''-
: In the street department 34s,Soo
. was sought and received. The amouna
t last year was the same. The engineers
: ing department also was allowed jllne