Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-22
Richmond Must Economic

immediately after tho holidays tho
Council Finance Committee will begin
work on the annua city budget. There
Is nothing In the city'S finances to JUS
tify the belief that the. city's income In
1918 will be larger than IL was in 1917
in fact. as Mayor missile has pointed
out. the city has through legislation
and court decisions lost certain i'm
p%ortant sources of revenue. The bud
get last year was Si.03l.13G. divided as
follows:
Interest and redemption .....Sl,o25.&O3
Contingent fund .......:..... 1852
Pay rolls. all departments. -. 1.9s2.775
Expenses and improvements. 95S. S65
Acquisition OF property ..... 52,24l
Salaries and pay rolls other han
under the Administrative Board
amounted to sl.223.637. showing that,
including general salaries. AID the pay
of nrcmcn. policemen and school
teachers. a major part of the city's an
nual salary disbursement does not go
through the hands of this highly ex-
pensiye administrative arm OF the cIty's
machinery.
|. The budget for 1917 appropriated to
all. departments under supervision Of
tho Administrative Board Sl.512.O 56. 80.
or something more than one-third OF
the total appropriation. or the whole
budget the fixed charges OF interest
and pay rolls took th~rec-fourths. When
provision had been made for the pur-
chase OF coal and oil at the Gas Works
and for the operating expenses. OF the
various other departments. including
the city's hospitals. there was left of
the whole si.000.000 only the modest
sum OF $4,000 for street improve
ments.
For several years the city has been
living beyond It's means. Additional
nm, ~ 10 Ygn &c la .sn m, tl- -. 80,
departments. and one bono issue after
another has added to the interest
charges. Various proposals for an in
crease in the tax rate have been made
either directly or through the subtcr-
fuGe Of levyinE a special school tax.
allowing the appropriation now made
from the general fund to schools to be
used for other city purposes.
With constantly mounting Federal
taxes. any increase In the city tax rate
would be a real hardship. While the
war lasts the city must be careful how
it offers bonds in competition with the
Liberty oans. The only answer is
economy. The city must learn to live
within its means. This is not TO be
done by reducing salaries. In many
branches OF the city service the WACO
was low enough before the war. and
/ with constantly mounting costs OF ne
ccssitics. tho situation cannot be met
in this way. In fact. the school-teach-
! ers nave made out n most excellent
cas-" for some increase.
The ak must be applied heroicaily to
unnecessary positions. The charter
change committee is said to favor aboi-
ishing the Administrative Board and
it's immediate Office expenses. n pay roll
item last year Of $1,000. placing the
duties under an cN-oficio board OF de-
partncnt heads presided over by the
Mayor. IT should not stop there. The
city's fiscal offices are administered at
vast duplication of effort and Expense
There are tax collectors. delinquent tax
collectors and delinquent poll tax col
%lcctors. treasurers. auditors, examiners
and receiving court clerks. until the
wayfaring man. shunted from one Of
fee to another. becomes utterly be-
wildered. There arc an array Of South
Richmond Offices, guaranteed for five
years after consolidation In 1910. and
still continued. foc which there can be
found no excuse save that the Office