Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-08
SPEND NOTHING,
NEW VARE PLAN
TO CUT BUDGET
No Salary Boosts, No New
Jobs, No improvements,
Is Idea
TO KEEP TAX RATE DOWN
Worried City Financiers Prepare
to Use Heroic Measures to
Reduce Expenses

BADLY frightened at election results, MEM
bers OF the vare-smith Administration to-
day thaugurated a financial retrenchment
system that. II carried out, means no new
permanent improvements, no new places.
no salary increases, no extensions Of city
service and no new temporary improve
ments. during the remaining two years.
with city progress blocked, other than on
work provided for in 1916 loans, Mayor
Smiths fnanciers hope TO avert a material
Increase IN the 1918 tax rate. even II 1t
later becomes necessary 60 borrow money
for current expenses and deficiency bills.
Facing demands for s49,7s1, ,771.27 with an
income we'll over SIC. .OO0. 00n under that to-
tai II the present tax rate is 70 remain un-
disturbed. and with deficit of from three
TO four millions TO make up for 1917. the
worried dnanclers today prepared to use
heroic measures rather than saddle the Ad-
mlnistration with the onus Of second tax
rate Increase in two, years Demands OF
cabinet members will be cut and slashed.
saiary demands will be ignored. but the
present payroll will be kept intact.
The present city and county payroll in
cludea nearly $4,000 persons. Rather than
combine TO abolish places where needless
duplication admittedly exists, the financiers
wiz pare costs by cutting of all money that
might be used for improvements. The
question OF cutting places has quietly been
talked over and declared too dangerous
from a political standpoint
NO SALARY INCREASES
Instead, II has been decided that improve
nnent funds must be cut TO the vanishing
point and that no salary increases shall be
allowed and few. IL any. new places created.
Changes, including removals and new ap.
En.Na -
lost wards and divisions, and these changes
are to be used In caring for the faithful
who are now out in the cold
In the first year of the Smith Admins
tration II became necessary TO float loan
Of nearly S5.00O.ooo TO provide for def
cheney bills and current expenses. This wa
in face OF the fact that the Blankenburg
administration left but a very small deficit,
the major portion Of the deficiency being
made up OF bills incurred by the new Smith
heads This year only temporary loan
will be made and several millions in old
bills go over to be cared for out Of the 1918
income
damus needs are ignored for another year
and the pay-as-you-go act quietly aban.
doned.4 another loan for these needs will
have to be forced through before the end
of the administration. The loan for cur
rent expenses WILL under present plans. be
for Ave years and like the existing one will
become a heavy drain on income during
the next administration.
LIEN on FUTURE OFFICIALS
Borrowing money on short-term loans for
current expenses and deficiency bills is an
easlek and quieter method than resorting 20
tax rate Increases and coming into the open
with q demand that directly affects the
pccketbook Of every property holder in the
city. II another loan is hoated for deficiency
itemsfor 1917 or 1918 II would merely EN-
barrass future administrations and would
leave the present set of officeholders free
OF a second tax rate battle.
All OF 1918 demands will be passed upon
Nv the present body, in which the Wares
have a two-thrds br absolute control The
1919 demands will be the first to be ham
died by the body as elected on Tuesday
Whether or not the new Councils will agree
20 resort t0 borrowing money for current
needs and thus play the game Of the poll
tscians who fear an open tax rate fight, time
alone can tell.
In discussing the plans and hopes of the
administration to prevent a new tax-rate
increase battle. Chairman Gaffney, OF Coun
ellis Finance Committee. today said: 81
have called a meeting of the Finance Com
mittee for tomorrow and we will start out
with the budgets for the county Offices
mean to suggest that we hold over all
demands for salary increases and for new
places until all OF the budgets have been
gone over with the utmost care. The de-
mands will be cut in every way possible
am mot surprised at their big total, but
when we get through with them they will
be many Irillions less than they are at the
present time.
MANY directors ask for everything in
sight hoping TO get what they actually
need. They will have to convince the mem
bers Of the Finance Committee OF the urgent
need for every item that is allowed them
for 1918. 1t may take many meetings for
the Finance Committee, but every head Is
going to be asked to explain fully and
clearly the need for the money he demands,
and he WIFI have "A hard time to convince
US that demands represent needs. II the
committee acts on my suggestions many
items will be cut out entirely and new items
OF expense win not be allowed at all at this
time" lyt =
Chairman Gaffney, who is member of
Councils from the Twenty-sixth Ward, the
home Of Congressman William S. Ware. is
admittedly the Ware leader in Vare-con-
frolled Councils. A statement of retrench-
ment plans from him is nothing short of
an order to the other members Of the
Finance Committee.
One result OF the retrenchment plan will
mean-the abandonment of scheme to in
crease the service of the city's water sys-
tenn hy the construction Of a new pumping
station and the establishment OF a direct
main to feed the southern and central
portion Of the city. This longfelt need
would. cost the city over $1,000 900, but a
start that would materially aid a bad
sIluation could be made with half that
amount Many other. improvements of a
more Or less permanent character will have
70 be abandoned by the heads whs have
long hoped for appropriations.