Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-05-08
l'DUNC|L PASSES BUDGET
METER TEMPEST OF DEBATE
tty Will Borrow SS62.53i.S2 10
g e. Pay Expenses for Another
.ses Year.
EpUR OPPOSE THE MEASURE
councilman Powell Asserts Action
CnbusineSs Like and Shows Float
ling Indebtedness Leaps to S.
DIG, 900.

1.-THE city budget for 1919 Was passed
by the Common Council last night at
&ter. a session in which legal questions
and parliamentary ;angles played such
anRimportant part that at times mem
beers confessed that they were at Il
loss as to what particular measures
We're before the body. The budget as
{ adopted is the one reported by tho FL
nance Committee and which provides
for the borrowing OF $S6253iS2 10
make up the deficiency in current rev
fenues. The resolution appropriating
!, 81 $4,000 for motorizing the Fire De
partment received a vote of - to s.,
but lacking the majority required by
The charter for such measures ii failed
2 Of. passage. but was finally ssved from
S1mp,ete defeat by being referred back
10 the Finance Committee. The reso-
luton appropriations Sl0,0co for vel
yominG the. returning soldiers carried
bEa unanimous vote.
1.-THE vote on the budget was as fol
lows: ayes-Atkinson, Batkins. Nor
Ton, English. Grimes. Haddon, Jcter.
Laid. Jones. Mills. Moore. Pow
ell. Powers. Seaton. sullivan, Cmiauf.
Uminuf Changes Vote.
The vote on the companion resoIu-
ton authorizing the borrowing OF SS62,-
ss4;ss VAS only different in that in al,
+ Cmlauf voted agains; it,
The debate was quite spirited at
times. II was opened by Subcha!rnaa
Il SCIlCn, OF the FINANCE Tom nllttcc, W no
ti1sipg TO question Of personal priv
4 leEes declared that q story in an at
siarnoon paper gave the impression that
the nance Committee had been in
a sdeadlock. He declared that this was
y notltruc. but that on the contrary the
meetings of the committee had been
marked by harmony.
Councilman Roden. in a characteriS-
TIC speech, opposed the proposition of
borrowing money and presented figures
showing how much Of the deficiency
in revenues might be met by increased
taxation, He declared the budget as
presented an illegal one and read sec
5tions. of the City Charter TO support
this contention. He moved that the
Committee.
4tP Says Too Many Tnxe. Now.
Councilman Jones opposed recommit-
tai and declared that the City Attorney
tp be legal one. He declared that
this was no time 10 raise taxes, az
the people were taxed TO death and
It would soon cost. more to live in
Il Richmond than in Germany.
Councilman Haddon stated that if
\ the budget was recommitted the COM
Emitteee would again make the same
useless; He declared that he agreed
with MIR. Roden in his previously eX-
pressed view that when the Finance
z Committee was divided minority re-
port should be submitted to place mat
tiers before the Council SO that it could
Vote intclligently various questions.
He stated further that to make'a bud J.
get without borrowing would mean an
increase in taxes of 80 per cent:
councilman Cmlauf favored recon-
initial, In order that the committee
might endeavor to reduce the amount
OF expenditures. Councilmen Morton
and Mills declared that the issues
raised must be met by the Council. and,
therefore, they opposed recommittal.
Recommittnl Motion Fails.
Is Councilman English spoke against
I recommitting the measure. saying that
there was greater unrest in this coun-
try than ever before, and that this was
due to too much taxation and too many
laws. On this line he said:
g"This is no time TO increase taxes.
The people are being taxed to death.
II you increase taxes the average man
has TO shoulder the burden. The real
estate holder does not pay the taxes.
hut passes il on to the renter. The
merchant passes increases license
taxes on to the consumer"
The motion to recommit failed and
finally the budget was passed
.sr Councilman Powell voted for the
budget, but declared that the present
policy OF borrowing was such as no
husines concern would follow. He de-
clared that a total of s2.ol6.000 of float
ing Indebtedness would aave been au-
thorized by the present Council, with
the passage of the present budget.
AT last nights meeting the Council
voted TO increase the salary OF the po-
lice: justice from S2.l50 TO $500. and
the SALARY, OF the. -c!erk or his court
from Sl66S TO S2l1S