Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-05-09
VERY POOR EXPLANATION.

city Councilman Alexander r. Abra-
hams. addressing meeting OF Re
publican women of the Firth ward. Fri
day night Inst. made an endeavor to
explain why tho City Council. now less
than two months distant from the send
of the current fiscal year. ia facing n
financial defcit--a gap between reve-
uues and cxpenditures--of at least
100000. Mr.. Abrahams is now clos
ing his first term in City Council with
a good record for nll tlie effective a.
vice II is possible for the best Of Coun-
cilmen 10 render under the prevailing
system of restricted effort and partisan
control. and we are somewhat surprised
az the inefiiciency of his "oxpla nation"
of the reasons for The deficit that now
faces tho City Council.
IN tho FIRST place. Mr.. Abrahams at
tributed tho deficit. inferentialIy at least.
to the fact that city Council does not
/ spend the money. In detail It does not.
/ having boon shorn many years ago by
! charter amendments, of large por-
/ tior ~ It's former administrative powers
/ but IL IL the duty OF City Council 10
provide the revenue for meeting ali
the costs Of municipal administration
from year to year. even though the
expenditure is entrusted to other hands
To such an extent that very little is
left TO city Councils actual control.
Therefore when the City Council fails
in itE duty 10 raise sufficient revenue.
and a deficit results tho fault is Coun-
ellis
Here are the reasons advanced by Mr..
Ahrahams for this years threatened
deficit of 100000. Eight hour svsten,
for the police force: decreased water
consumption; approaches to the y. & 0.
bridge: additional crematory expenses.
Yet it is a fact that all four Of ,these
advanced reasons" except the de
creased water consumption"--and 1t viii
account for only a small portion OF the |
expected defcit--were matters in con
temptation. and demanding attention
when the Council made the appropria- |
tions for the current fiscal year and !
essayed 10 provide for revenues suf-
ncient 70 meet them. The explanation" |
offered by Councilman Abrahaurs there /
fore. does not explain.
Nor does it tend To put any better
face on Councilman Ahrahams' effors
for him 70 claim that 'Tn former years
the citizens knew very little about the
Council deficits, as chances fer borrow
ing money secretly during the last two
months of the fiscal year were much
easier than they are now" Has the city
Council during Mr.. Abrahanls' term OF
service been in the habit OF secretly
borrowing money" 20 meet current ex-
penses? II So there has been a surpfis-
inS and far from creditable innovation.
as the borrowing OF money--or its
equivalent the illegal creation Of float
ing debts-has been in open evidence
for many years. Councilman Abra-
hams should enlighten the people about
this evidently new wrinkle" in the &C
inefficiency in municipal ad-
pinistration that has been SO painfully
apparent in Wilmington for long time.
Years ago, the accepted fiscal policy
81 the City Council, regardless Of the
complexion Of it's partisan control. was
10 run the administration for at least
nine months Of each year on money ]
or notes from the banks.
When the July taxes became available. :
.hese notes would be redeemed. and s
lfter brief enjoyment Of a cash basis.
he borrowing policy would be resumed. ,
greatly TO the advantage of the banks
hat enjoyed the privilege of discount
ng City Councils notes. In 1877 the 1
legislature passed a law, at the request !
Il then Democratic City Council. !
hanging the beginning of the fiscal year !
rom January l to July /, authorizing J
temporary loan OF 100000 to tide the \
'ouncil over until the ensuing first of /
uly, and forbidding floating indebted !,
ess thereafter. except upon the "ex- Y
raordinary occasions" already provided i
or in the city charter. That law was T
OF been changed in any manner to this c
ay, and its intention was to compel y
ity Council to conduct municipal af- Y
airs on strictly cash basis. e
For awhile'fhis law was scrupulously y
beyed. but political change placed a L
epubliean City Council in power and Y
zen there was an illegally contracted =
nfieft Papava for THE ! a