The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-03-08
BUDGET TO COUNCIL
FOR ACTION TONIGHT
Special Meeting OF Finance Commit.
tee Held 20 Hear Department
Heads Objection.
JONES FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS.
Southside Councilman Suggests That
They Would Bring Out Many OF
These Complaints While Budget Is
Being Compiled.

Center Of attention in municipal
circles yesterday was held by con-
sideration Of the snew city budget.
which is TO be presented TO the coun-
Gil for approval tonight. In spite Of
numerous complaints. many OF which
were Of a trivial nature. officials stated
Yesterday that IN their opinion the
budget is very creditabie paper and
represents a very consistent crusade
for the lowering of the city's stand
ard of living
In an effort to bring out, as far as
possible, all errors and disagreements
in the document before its final pre-
sentation tonight. the finance commit
tee yesterday afternoon held special
meeting for the recon sideration of the
departments Of government under con-
troll Of the administrative board. De-
partment heads were present. includ-
ing Superintendent Knowles. of the
gas works: Superintendent Davis, OF
the water works; DR.. f. c. Levy. chief
Of the health department; Superinten-
dent Trafford, of the electric depart
ment. superintendent Henry Cohn. or
the street cleaning department. and
City Engineer John Boiling.
Restricting "Exp~use" Provision.
The chief difficulty encountered b.
department heads, under the new APP
preparations, Is in the phraseology OF
the new budget ordinance, and particu-
larlS through the provisions. that no
department or any board shall use the
appropriations for expenses for sal
airy or wages OF any employees, nor
shall any new positions or offices BE-
created without the approval OF the
city council" In the instance OF the
superintendent Of parks and cemeter-
les. water department and city eng =
peer the difficulty arose from the re-
stricttng expense" provision. since men
in their departments. essential to tho
conduct OF the work, had been sup
ported by the expense account and were
not provided for In the budget pay
roll
The intention Of the committee was
10 relieve these conditions. and made
II clear that this new provision was
not intended 30 work n hardship on any
department They declared that It
was intended merely as restriction
on departments where the practice had
tenn TO include an empioye in the ex-
fense account one year, and the next
TO shift him over to tho pay roll In
the budget. thus increasing the EN-
pioves in each department to this ex-
tent. In the restricting clause the
term except in emergencies" will un-
douhtedly he placed and the COM
plants OF departments which seem 10
have b"en sighted by the arpropria-
tion accounts Will he eliminated.
Coan Objects To Force Cut.
superintendent Cohn. OF the street
cleaning department, appeared before
the committee ~ protest against the
cutting off in his department Of
four labprers from the pay roll. II
was explained that his men had been
given n z5-cent Increase in wage AMI,
that only $50 0ee had been appropri-
ated for his pay roll. thus cutting
down the number Of employees in a
regular scale. Mr.. Cohn urged the
committee 10 retain all of his men.
since the number was insufficient as II
is. but stated tina. since he had made
formal request FOR the consideration
he would abide BY the decision of tho
budget makers
For Public Hearing Budget.
Carter Jones stated 10 the commit
tee tina. the complaints registered with
the committee had almost persuaded
him hereafter 10 advocate public
hearing OF the budget as II was being
complied These complaints" he
said ARE Just what We are look q
for, and consist or Fhe very l1forna-
ton that We need" The committee
went into executive session as soon as
tho administrative boards department
were heard. and It is expected That
when the matter Is given finally %
the council tonight. practically all err
rors will be eliminated from the make
up.
No hearing of the Sre department 9
pay roll. in which four hremen were
dropped from the list, was held, since
the elimination Of these men was rec
ognized as purely a technical error
and one to be readily adjusted. The
fact that the budget was made up
this year In itemized form occasioned
number OF minor errors that are
purely of a typographical nature mem
hers of the committee say, and Will
he ratified when the document comes
up for it's passage.