Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-12
INCREASED FEES
PLANNED TO AID
CTTY'S REVENUE
Heads of Departments and
Finance Committee Chief
to Confer
OFFSET TO DIRECT TAXES

Definite steps TO increase the el,y,
annual revenue through an increase !.
fee charges in city and county dsr,.,
ments and a readjustment of the ta 60, :,
other incidental and miscellaneous sour,..
of income will he taken shortly n,
series of conferences between Josepb
Gaffney. chairman of Councils Finsr,.
Committee. and the heads Of the den.,.
ments in City Hail.
Mr.. Gaffney said today that he had a,
planned his plans to City Controller Wal
ton and that the conferences would bs
gin as soon as arrangements could \,
made with the department heads ~
ward of $1,000 600, It is hoped will K,
added to the annual income of Philads.
phia through the proposed changes.
PLAN OF REIMBURSEMENT.
After a thorough investigation Of an
possible means OF increasing the citv,
income from sources other than dire,
taxes, Mr. Gaffney will recommend AZ.
ton by Councils. general increase /,
the water-meter rates, which will yield
the city nearly 100000 annually, is m,
first change proposed by the anann.
chairman. A special councilmanic com,
mttee is conducting an investigation Into
the equity of existing rates and M
charges for water rents.
The City Controller, it is understood
favors Increasing the income of the CITY
from incidental and miscellaneous source,
before steps are taken to increase the
general tax rate. About one-half of tina
city's present income is derived from
sources other than direct taxes, although
it will not be possible to make increasea
from all these sources.
This general readjustment, finance com.
n.itteemen say, will precede any move to
increase the citys tax rate for 1911. Until
the approximate amount which may be
added to Philadelphias income by such
changes is known, they point out, II will
be impossible to give attention to an in.
crease in the tax rate. for the deficit 10
be made up will not be known.
MAYOR STUDIES PROBLEM.
Mayor Smith said today in discussing
the City's financial probl ms: THE whole
thing Is a matter of bookkeeping and get.
ting additional revenue Ways and means
for the latter are now being discussed"
The Mayor. however. declined to state
what steps would be taken for raising ad.
ditional revenue.
THE subject is not such difficult one
as some believe" he added, land the
Finance Committee, the City Controller
and myself are making an exhaustive
study of the financial problems of the city,
and | am certain that all the problems
will be solved"
Mayor Smith was then asked IL he
would favor the appointment of a COM
mission to make a thorough inquiry into
the problem of additional revenue for cur
rent expenses and for interest and sink
ing fund charges on loans.
81 would not" replied the Mayor, Tor
the present Finance Committee of Coun-
ellis is composed of able men, well able
to handle the situation"
INCREASE IN 1917
1t is generally accepted in political
circles that there will be some increase in
1917. To support this belief 1t is pointed
out that the present operating deficit
which the city faces for 1916 Is between
81, 100000 and $6,OOOO00. The readjust-
ment in fee charges and other incidental
sources of revenue planned by Finance
Chairman Gaffney cannot be hoped TO
yield more than SlO00,OO0 or sl,5OO,OOO at
most The difference, therefore, will have
to be met by tax increase.