Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-05-29
Cf|YYS FINANCES
LOW FOR NEEDS
Salary Raises and Improve.
ments Only in Urgent
Cases. 1t Is Decided
AGREED AT CONFERENCE

A financial program. including pro-
vision for only the most necessary rnu-
nicipal improvements and for salary In
crcases In only the most urgent cases.
was adopted today at a conference be-
tween Mayor Smith and his cabinet and
chairman Gaffney, OF Councils Finance
Committee.
Department budgets will he ignored
or pared to the bone in an effort 10
make ends meet for the rest Of the year.
Demands totaling s2,156.o00 we're
placed before the Mayor. together with
a statement that the free reserve is
less than s35o.o0O. Many of the de-
ma ands In the nature Of permanent i'm
saA,vefnents will be abandoned for this
year at least. Ordinarily permanent
improvements are taken from loan
funds. and this practice. Chairman
Gaffney argued. should be continued.
The major requests include salary in
creases totaling 1855. 900: supplies in
cludinE coal needed for purchase over
summer. s6is.Ooo and s450.oOh for per-
manent improvements at Blockiey and
Byberry. A total OF sac. 900 is asked for
mosquito welfare and $4,000 for land
damages incident 10 the taking over
of the bed of Island road leading to
the Hog Island plant,
Chairman Gaffncy asked every depart
HtdU Ios HsteItdiu just IoW
money he will be able to put under
contract to advantage and to limit the
demand IN this way. Many of the per-
mament improvement items will he ig-
nored entirely so as to permit Of increas-
ing the salaries of certain classes Of
workers who have to be taken care Of
In insisting upon consideration for
items, department heads urged war nee
essty but this reason applied only to
p,,1 1L H@r
etc. In sections leading to big shipynrd
ana Industrial plants holding war con-
| tracts.
Starting with the s35o,ooo reserve
fund available. the remainder Of the
money that vii, he appropriated. as a
result Of the program decided upon to-
day, will be raised by transfer from
Items. with the hope that the money
will not be needed this year.
Every department head has been
asked to aid in planning transfers that
will not need to he replaced, and in
this way prevent. II possible. a tenn
porary loan at the end of the year.
T In explaining the city's present fnan-
! cial condition. Chairman Gaffney said ::
| Il met with the Mayor and his di-
rectors and laid before them the fact
| that our free surplus is less than $3.50
400. y also told them Of the demands
| that total we'll over 2.0ON, 900. and that
in my opinion permanent improvements
should only he made from loan funds
| and not from current revenues or money
| available at this time.
n asked them to determine what or
dinances are most imperative and also
| what salary increases could he consid.
cred in that class told them tina
we would have to look to the depart.
ments for transfers to finance the bills
| decided upon, and hope 10 have the
entire program complete In time for a
! meeting Of Councils finance committee
next Monday afternoon at ! o'clock.
! II is hard to tell how much will be
needed. ms So many large items. aside
! from the demand of the Department Of
/ Supplies for $64s.O00, are for permanent
improvements. The items Of expense
other than those which can honestly he
considered as permanent Improvements
are small. and we should be able to do
away with a number of those"
| Among items asked at this time that
properly should he classed as permanen,
! improvements. and thus payable by loar
money, are 100000 for the Bureau OF
/ Highways, 100000 for old F'airmoun,
/ dam; $4,000 for land damages. and
! s45O.0O0 for the Department of Health
and Charities. Only a very small por.
tion II any. OF THESE amounts VIII De
allowed when the finance committee
meets next week
| The question of salary increases was
put up TO the Mayor with the explana
| ton that to grant all asked at this
time would cost the city ses1.ooo for the
last six months of the present year, or
| orie-halfI Of the grand total
Civil Service Commissioners have
completed their investigation of salary
increases and new places. but only that
portion 'of the report receiving the
Mayors approval will be acted upon by
| the financiers on Monday.
All of the bills agreed upon today
! will be approved by the Finance Com.
| mittee and will be sent to Councils
June 3. They will be finally passed or
June 90 90 that the increases will be
effective for but the last half Of the
wear.