The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-04-16
NO PAY FOR POLICE FORCE
PENDING ACTION OF THE
EXCISE BOARD ON FINANCES

The members Of the police force will
receive no pay for their work during
the month OF April, until some money
is transferred from other funds to the
police fund and then, in that event
some OF them are not going to receive
as much as they are expecting.
This was disclosed at a special meet.
ing Of the mayor and city commission.
ers last night called by the mayor for
the purpose Of discussing the proposed
transfer and application therefor to be
made to the county excise board
In figuring the amount necessary to
pay the policemen from April l to July
l, the fund being entirely exhausted, Mr.
MoBrides attention was called TO the
fact that he was putting policemen's
salaries at 800 per month when none
OF them received that sum. 1t was
stated that Polio aman Butcher and
two or three others, men who had for
merly been policemen, no doubt went
into office believing they would receive
500 per month from the start This
is error on their part as stated last
night The law provides that all police.
men shall receive SSj per month for the
first six months The regular pay Of
the day and night sergeant5 is sSj per
month so the only man on the force
receiving more than that amount for
the first six months Of their term is
the chief
This was just one of the items worked
out at the meeting last night and every
department was canvassed, and where
it was found that money could be spared
from one fund it was transferred to an.
other until a sum total Of $l0,999 had
been dug up, and if the excise board
agrees to the transfer Of this, the ad-
ministration will be enabled to scratch
through to the end Of the fiscal year.
But even with this sum available,
cuts will be necessary. It was decided
that Chief Chancellor must let out two
members Of his force Commissioner
Carter said he would lay off four or
five men in The street department and
two off the repair gang, and could pull
through with what he had in his de-
partment fund
Cost Of Recent Elections.
The greatest bugbear developed was
the cost Of the two recent elections.
There is $500 in a fund to pay for this,
the amount having been put in the esti-
mate last year But Commissioner Fra.
ley said the election expenses would
amount to from $500 TO 800, and later
said $500 additional to the $500 they
now have would be necessary. Most OF
the discussion arose over the price
charged for the ballots. 1t was stated
that the price was contracted by the
secretary Of the county election board
and the bill o. KID by him and all the
city had TO do was to pay il. Com,
missioner Wilson said. From the way
The Ardmoreite lacked us up 1t would
appear We ordered them" He was re.
minded that The Ardmoreite had pub.
lished nothing about the printing Of the
ballots other than was recited by For.
mer Mayor Williams during the meet.
ing Of the mayor and city commission.
tlN. Ht lldgOI dShtl II DIGS lluO Dtell ]
asked for the printing OF the ballots,
and there was no answer. The mayor
said the men who held the election
should be paid as early as possible Ii
will be impossible to pay them, how.
ever. until the funds are transferred
which will probably be ten days to two
weeks
+. j. Mcbride, the auditor who had
made up a statement for the mayor and
commissioners, told them they were
really in better shape than they were
a year ago, as they now had only $l3.
GOO of deficit warrants, whereas last
June they had $44 600 Then he told
them how they got tina, deficit He
said they had a blue sky estimate,
chiefly on what they thought they
would collect from other sources" and
which they did not collect but went
right on issuing blue sky" warrants,
regardless. He explained several items
which went to exhaust certain funds
when really the money was coming
back from other sources, but went into