Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-03
RETRENCHMENT SPECTRE
ABROAD IN CITY HALL
Board Asks City Engineer How
Many Employees He Can
Discharge.
ADOPTS CARD INDEX SYSTEM
Clerk Authorized to Purchase and
Install Modern Catalogue, Listing
Every Employe Under Boards
Control and Personal Information.

| SohtFoi t-STSOuaI
! Tho spectre of impending retrench-
ment made its appearance in the City
Hall. yesterday. In the form OF two
resolutions adopted by the Administra-
tive Board. one calling upon the City
! Engineer to report what reductions he
would recommend in the office and
! supervisory forces OF his department,
and another looking to the installation
| OF card index system cataloguinE
every officer and employc In each Of tho
departments under the boards control.
Admittedly, both resolutions are In
spired by the rigid economy that ami
mated the trainers of the forthcoming
budget which, In most cases, allots to
each department OF the city govern
mont just enough to pay running ex-
penscs for the year without any apprc-
ciablc amount for extensions. The total
absence of opposition to the new bud
get in the lower branch of the Coun-
, ell. IT is assumed. points TO it's enact
ment into law i'll it's present form
CITY SPENT s4OO.OO0
MORE THAN 1T EARNED
! Appeal to the budget makers by de-
! partments clamoring for more money is
met with the unassailable statement
that the city last year expended 5000 900
more than its total revenue. handing
down burden of 100000 in unpaid
bills, most of which must he met this
year, Malcontents are invited by the
/ Finance Committee to suggest moro
equitable division Of the estimated
revenue than Is provided by the budget.
hut far no one In the Council has
been willing to assume the task.
According to the Administrative
Board the allotment to the departments
under its control leave only one course
opcn-rctrcnchment
! If the board is TO have only S165, 900
! for general street work, then. II Ia
claimed, 1t would be folly to maintain
u force OF Office men and inspectors for
whom there will be no work. The rca-
soning applies with limitations. to each
Of the other major Administrative
Board departments, gas. water and
street cleaning.
These are the considerations, it is
stated, that led the board Yesterday to
adopt a resolution offered by Flbcn G.
Folkes, directing tho City Engineer to
| report to II what reductions IN the
| supervising and office forces of his de
partmcnt he deems necessary I'm view
| OF the fact that tho appropriation last
| year for surface improvements was ap-
rroximately $1,000 600 and the indicat-
cd appropriation for this year 81 5000
INSPECTORS CONFRONTED
| UN DEARTH OF WORK
! The Engineering Department Is di-
rcctly in charge of all surface improve
ments with the allotment OF the cx-
| tcnsivc smooth paving contracts last
year, under the 100000 bond issue the
department was authorized to employ
number Of additional inspectors for
, whom, according to the boards reason
ing. there Will he no further work Tho
department, 1t is stated. now employs
twcnty-onc inspectors OF all descrip-
| tons.
| While the action of the board APP
pears ominous enough on the surface,
! there was a disposition on the part or
men experienced In the ways OF mu-
hicipal government to discount the
| threat 1t is common knowledge that
men once on the city's pay roll seldom
leave it-that employees are not dis
missed for lack OF work. 1t was re-
fardcd as more than probable that
means Will he discovered for carryina;
forward the street Improvement work
now under way, making necessary the
retention Of most OF the men now en-
| ploycd.
| Members Of tho Finance Committee
point out that while there has been
an actual reduction in the appropria-
ton for streets generally from $780,
! 300 to 5000. the amounts set aside
1914 and 1918. respectively. there Will
he no such relative diminution in ac-
tual surface Improvement work.
According to City Auditor Crenshaw
there Is an uncXpcnded balance OF
$4,000 from the street Improvement
bond issue. Attention Is drawn to tho
fact that $4,000 is set aside for street
improvements I'm the annexed territory,
and $4,000 for repairs for street dam
appropriation that were not
made In last years budget. The sum
total that will be available this year
! for surface improvements, according
to the Finance Committee. as compared
with the 100000 appropriation last
year will be about $4,000.
SAYS sI5O.oOO BALANCE
HAS BEEN CONSUMED
/ To this estimate the Administrative
I Board replies that the 100000 balance
] from the bond issue is already con-
tractcd for According to Mr. Beck. If
all the new work for which no payment
has as yet been made. were measured
/ up and settled for practically all OF
the estimated $4,000 bond issue bal
ance would be consumed
Economies of more far-rea ching
nature are foreshadOwed in the rcso-
Tuition OF Carlton Mccarthy, which was
! adopted. directing the clerk of the
| board to purchase and install an up-to-
date card index system equipped with
printed forms designed to aid the board
/ In tabulating for ready reference the
name Of every man employed in the
| departments under its direction. to-
gcther with full information bearing
upon the character OF his employment.
quality Of his work. salary or per diem
wage and other pertinent details.
! The resolution directs that the card
/ index shall be kept always up to date,
and In such manner as to supply to
the board at any time with all details
necessary for the criticism. auditing Of
pay rolls. or review of any OF the
departments under the boards direc-
ton.
The index system, it Is stated, Is Il
step In the direction of thorough
ovcrhRuling of the several departments
affected. with the view OF establishing
the possibility OF Introducing reforms
and economies. In the way OF cutting
on sinccurc positions and merging
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