Norwich bulletin., 1917-05-26

At the special meeting of the court of common council in the council nance committee in submitting the estimates for the coming twelve months, recommended that a tax of B 1-4 mills be laid on the last per fected grand list of the city. The amount to be raised by tax, according g to the committees report is $1S7, ,3is.- 3s. The estimated expenses total s76o,075.06 and the estimated receipts S567 1342S
 The meeting had been adjourned from Thursday night and was called to order about 7.45 o'clock by His Honor, Mayor AllynN L. Brown. The minutes of the previously meeting took the usual course.
 Alderman Guy B. Dolneare then read list of estimated expenses and receipts fog the ensuing twelve
 Estimated Expenses
 A summary of the estimated ex- penses follows:
 Department of public worke s75- 900; sewers, appropriated, "A. .50S. .26; new sewer, Sherman street $500; sps- cial. improvements, Ee-apprcpriated. s29. .oS5-12; department of cemeteries, $1.S0e: fire department S42. .GS5 po- lice department, s59, roo: health de- partment, $1.500: gas and electric de- partment, $309, ,739: park department, s5.000: water department interest, - S45-1s; total, $765,O75.G6.
 Estimated Receipts.
 A summary of the estimated re- ceipts follows: Cash on hand, May 15. S2l522.59: water works. s45.o0o: department of public works S25 800: new sewers, $4543:26: department of cemeteries, S7.500 police department, S4,750; gas and electrical department, S250. 900: finance department $237, = 6a Inv 4ax q { S3; total, $765.075.06.
 Special Appropriations.
 h addition to the estimated ex- the committee on finance has been re- quested by petition and otherwise to submit to the annual meeting for it's action estimates for the following g purposes: Fairgrounds. $500: home gardens, $500; North Main street ma cadam from foot of Scofeld Hill to Junction with Central avenue, 5000. These special appropriations total $11.000.
 After he had read the list with the recommendation laying a IS If mill tax Alderman Dolbeare said:
 To keep the estimates down to Ia st years figures is as impossible for the city as it is for the citizen The estf- are higher. This is caused not only by the increase in cost of all material and supplies used but by the demand for higher wages. which must be met if the city is to continue to operate it's several de partments- The men in the Fire and Police departments have ask ed tor increased pay. The increase for the Fire department is included in the estimates The Police department re- ceiYed an increa SC last year. and there fore, in the estimate for that depart ment. allowance is made only for an extra man on night duty and for addi- tional. traffic duty.
 Toe increases in the department of public works are all due to the in creased cost of labor and material. Un- der this department are included the unexpended balances for the various S Improvements authorized at the annu- al and special city meetings last year, as well as those for sewers which have not yet been completed.
 As presented, the estimates show the interest on the. city's water bonds and it's bonds issued to purchase and inn prove the Gas and Electric department as separate items. Heretofore the in terest on these bonds has been incIud- ed in the general interest item.
 The Gas and Electrical department asks for s63,000 for new construction, based on the report of the engineer. S17,000 of this is provided from the re- serve fund and the balance by temper ary borrowing, which the department will pay it is able meanwhile pay ing the carrying charges.
 As provided by the votes of the city meetings at which the eG> nditures were authorized, one fifth of the street improvements voted in June. 1916, and one-sixth of the cost to the city of widening Thames street. Is included in the estimates. the total, SIP. 800. bein g a little less than one mill on the pres ent grand list.
 Instead of an item calling for a tax of one-haf mill on the grand list for the general sinking fund this half-n1ill is included in the payment of SIS. . 292.46, authorized on account of the loans for the Gas & Electrical depart nlent and for improvements for which the method of payment was not speci- fed. This is the combined total of one-h half mill on the present list and the amount now in the General Sink ing fund.
 The Gas and Electrica! department not only was une-hle tC operate on it's appropriation, but y-as obliged to ask