Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-11-29
COUNCIL HAS A
HARD TASK TO
PREPARE BUDGET
Opposition to Increase in Tax
alton Makes Itself
Manifest
NEEDS OF CITY ARE MANY
Taxpayers Want Mayor Keis-
ter to Investigate His
Police Force

That council will make every pos
sible effort to keep the 1919 budget
low enough that no increase VIII De
necessary in the tax rate, which Is
now ten mills, was the opinion eN-
pressed I'm official circles to-day. The
first meeting of the commissioners
10 prepare the appropriation ordi-
nance for next year, will be held IN
a week or two,
One member of council declared
openly he will oppose any increase
in taxation, with an increase In the
valuation of taxable property OF at
least $4,000. 600 do not think II will
be necessary" he said. Il will GER
tainly advocate cutting all Items en-
Cept those absolutely necessary for
repairs and maintenance, to keep the
rate at 10 mills"
On Anxious Scat
The commissioners this year will
have a number OF big expense items
TO meet. officials said, and some OF
them are looking forward to the
budget sessions with increasing
anxiety.
one OF the first increases anti
Cipated is the Bureau of Ash and
Garbage Inspection. Bids will be
opened soon for the ash collection
contract next year under new speci-
rications which call for weekly col
lections IN the residential sections
during the winter. and semi-weekly
removal Of rubbish from hotels, res
taurants and apartment houses, Of
fiCials said the bid for this work
will be much higher than 100000,
the amount set aside for eleven
months of 1918. In addition to the
big sum for ash collection $4,000
will be needed fo- the garbage con-
tract. This year the ash bureau
budget was S66, 6,000 of which $62 goo
is being expended for collection
work and the balance for inspectors
and office expenses.
Want An Investigation
With the city police asking for a
S25 increase a month in salaries, the
counCilmen will have another ad-
vance of at least 100000 to add to
the proposed expenditures for that
department That there will be a Sc
rious objection raised to this salary
increase unless Mayor Keiste" starts
cleaning house" at headquarters
and getting rid of officers who are
inefficient or neglected their duty in
the vice cleanup, was indicated dur
ing the last few days, as residents all
over the city are incensed at the lax
methods of the department.
If council considers granting an
increase of S25 a month to the pa
trolmen, they should demand that
the men on the force are fit for their
posts" one taxpayer declared to-day.
If Mayor Keister refuses to investi-
gate conditions, then il is plainly the
duty OF the commissioners to de-
mand that hetake action. At present
the entire force is under suspicion
because ii is evident that some few
of the men are not doing their
duty"
Paving Is Big Item
As the number Of paved streets
going out of guarantee is gradually
increasing with the result that the
highway department must make
more repairs each Year, officials
look for an advance in the estimates
of that bureau. Ii was said that next
year it may be necessary to repave
such stretches of highway as Market
street, from the Square TO Front
street, portions of Front street and
other roadways which are almost
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