Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-04-20
COUNCIL IN DEBT
TO SAFETY BOARD
President Smith Explains That
Department 10 Not Exceed
Ing Appropriation.

Instead OF running ahead Of their
appropriation. directors Of tho Depart
ment OF Public Safety have actually
0>ent less money than the sun allow
"a them for the maintenance OF the
apartment. according TO a statement
0Adc today by s. X. Smith, president
- tho board. He showed hat had the
department. received from City Coun-
I'll the quarterly appropriations as
they were due and in the sums to
which the board was entitled, the de-
pArtment at the end OF the current
oscal year would have had a sum of
money on hand TO be turned back TO
Council. instead OF a possibility of a
ocncit, as now seems probable.
Mr.. Smith called attention TO the
tact that under the provisions OF the
legislative ACT creating the Depart
nent Of Public Safety. the board Is
10 receive from City Council on the
hrst day OF August. November. F'ebru-
AIRY and May. the quarterly appropria-
tons due. This makes the first quar-
terly appropriation due August /. The
nscal year terminates on June 80, and
u tho department has any money as
. balance for that fiscal year. this is
turned back TO Council. This leaves
the department without any money for
maintenance for the month OF July.
This was the situation the depart
ment found itself in last July. Mr.,
Smith said. but Council advanced the
bonrd $40. 900 for that month and on
August 4 OF the same year Council
paid the department the balance due
On the first quarterly appropriation
About this time the injunction pro-
ceedings caused the safety directors "a
cease functioninc temporarily inso-
Tar as the fire bureau was concerned
And the members had n conference
with the finance committee OF City
Council.
A. long as the safety board was pre-.
vented by the injunction from paying
out any moneys for the Fire Bureau
the directors agreed 10 turn back tc
Council about SOS 900. or all OF tbs
balance Of the Fire Bureaus quarter.
~ appropriation. This was don,
simply as an accommodation 10 Coun.
ell. MIR. Smith explained. and was by
no means compulsory or the part oi
the safety directors. Out OF this sun
Council paid the current bills OF IN,
Fire Bureau until such time as tn,
safety directors could function again
The total paid by the Council amount
Cd TO about $4,000.
This left a balance OF approximate.
$4,000 which Council held, but whicl
the safety directors were entitled "a
but this $780, 600 has never been turne,
hack 10 the Department 81 Publ
Safety by Council. The safety depart
ncnt has SIS. 900 due Il on May I, a
the quarterly appropriation for Apri
May and June, for the Fire Rures'
% that this sum together with IN
10000 still due the department fror
tts refund OF last summer makes
total Of sos. 900 due the directors 10
current maintenance expenses in III
FIRE Bureau for the last quarter c
the nscal year. This money is due Ma
! under the provisions OF the act Gre
arng the department
There - due also on May / for IN
Police Bureau $4,000. which make
the grand total due the Departmer
OF Public Safety on May ! for mair
tsnsnce az both bureaus s17s, 600. TIL
board las; week asked for $4,000 froi
Council. SIS. 900 for the Police Burea
and $4,000 for the Fire Bureau. mo:
Of which money was 10 be used TO pa
the salaries Of the policemen and fire
men which are due on April %. bl
Council refused 10 advance this sur
Mr.. Smith stated today that the d
rectors' refunding Of the $4,000 lai
summer was done as an eccommod;
ton 10 Council. also az IN act Of coul
tesy. and the safety board did n
have TO turn back this money. J.
claimed that had the department
quarterly Appropriation been paid whs
due ur % May l the safety depar
hack 20 Council a sum at the end
the fiscal year. showing that the d
par,ment Is not running ahead OF
appropriations. but in reality Is n
coming up 10 them. In addition 10 6
thi. he pointed out that the board WI
kept a month behind by reason OF Il
fact that under the law they are lie
q month without any funds n tn
the same thing Will C again ne
July. He does not feel kindly about q
limitations Of extravaganza IN q
ssfety department and made his e
plsnation 20 show that the departing
practices economy as strictly as al
other department In the city. The n
ures referred TO OF course all rela
20 the current appropriations and e
penses Of the department n do n
have anything 10 do with the boz
issues made for the installation OF 4