Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-02-28
TY.BUDGET PROBLEMS
DISCUSSED WITH MAYOR
business, Labor and Civic Commit.
tees Offer Suggestions to
Solve Troubles.
WOULD MAINTAIN SERVICE
Ainslio Says He Supposed People
Wanted Some Advantages, Their
foro Money Is Rcquired-Cofcr
Tolls of $4,000 Saving.

Committees from tho Chamber OF
Commerce. Central Trades and Labor
Council, Retail Merchants Association,
Civic Association and Real Estate iSx,
change met with Mayor Ainslic and the
Advisory Board at the City Hall last
night and heard the executive budget
discussed and offered suggestions Tho
last several nights.
In welcoming the committees TO the
conference Mayor Ainslie said that no
city finances straight to the people.
so that tho citizens could Understand
the situation and take an interest in
what was really INchmond's biggest
ing tho. state Of affairs, he stated that
raises in pay of employees last year
had amounted to between s35o,0oo and
$4,000 and that this amount was in
excess of the total expense account
allowed In the budget to every depart
mcnt except gas, water and light
We don't want to raise taxes" said
lie declared that the real issue was
as to how much service the people
wanted cut out. The present budget
had been made on the theory that they
wanted ut least as good service as
given last year. lie said.
SUGGESTS SELECTION
or SMALL COMMITTEES
II. w. Rountree suggested that con-
SHERATON of the facts to be presented
by the slaEor to the conference might
be expedited if the committees present
would select from their membership a
small committee. which could gather
around a table and go over the budget
Mayor Ainsle. in reply to this sug-
Eestion, stated that one of the main
objects in asking committees Of vari-
Gus interests to be present was to get
suggestions from variety Of minds
and to set advice as to whether there
Werc any eXtravaGances in tho esti-
mates as submitted. In reply to an
lon a. Il.
eliminated from the matters to be con-
Sidered by the conference, Director of
pnblic Safety Myers declared that the
MAYORS object in calling the confer
Information as to conditions. AS tho
Mayors budget had already gone to the
Council. the director was of tho opin-
ion that 1t was just az important for
the committees to consider the de-
mands and proposed expenditures Of
other departments as those represented
on the Advisory Board.
It was finally decided that the mode
OF procedure should be before the whole
joint committee. but that only totals
should be read when fixed charges
were under consideration.
CoFER CLAIMS $4,000
BEING SAVED YEARLY
Comptroller Golfer briefly showed the
situation in his department. He cx-
planned how $4,000 year was being
sa0ed In his Gttee by reason of various
when he explained that in the future
citizens would have their gas bills
and water bills sent to them, and both
on one slip OF paper. and that the old
system of people having to come TO
the office to find out how much they
owed would be done away with.
Director of Public Utilities Trafford
save an interesting insight into con-
ditions in the gas department. He
declared that the gas plant was run
Mt a loss last year; The cost of pro-
duction was just below 81 per 900
cubic feet. and. with the exception OF
December. gas was furnished through
out the year for 80 cents. Before the
war the profit at the gas plant was
from $4,000 OTTO S270.O00 year The
director declared that the price of gas
should not be at fixed rate, but should
depend on the cost Of material used in
it's manufacture. Oil was now cheaper
than II was in January, but was still
higher than it was last year He felt
that n reduction in labor at the plant
could be made. Much hand labor was
used Coke was carried around in
wheelharrows. The Department Is ask
ing for q galloway, which, 1t is esti-
mated. will pay for itself in year.
Many questions were asked MIR. Traf-
ford about the plant. Several OF those
present expressed tho belief that the
plant should be run as a strictly fnan-
cial proposition, and made TO pay at
least per cent on the investment