San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-03-06
CAUCUS TURNS
INTO ARGUMENT
OVER FINANCES.
Pfeiffer Tells Mayor His
Speech Is Talk Which
Means Nothing"
WOULD CURB EXPENSES
Says Mayors Contingency
Fund Is Pledged to Him
and Lambert.

4 fight to curb what he terms 'usc-
less expenditures" and TO conserve
the city's finances in an effort to
prevent its going on a scrip basis. was
made by Commissioner John i. Pfeif-
fer at caucus in the mayors office
Monday afternoon. incidentally the
mayor and Commissioners pfeiffer
and Wright engaged in a heated argu-
ment which did not tend To improve
the feeling between the mayor and
tax commissioner.
The argument arose. according to
those present, when the mayor in a
speech which the tax commissioner
characterized as blue smoke speech.
a lot of talk which meant nothing -
told committee representing the
Fiesta Association that he was in ia
vor of voting the $500 appropriation
to pay for preparing the bowl" on
the Romano street property for the
fiesta pageant. Although the city is
short of funds, the mayor is said TO
have explained, he had small sur
plus in his health budget and he
wogld be glad TO donate that. 1t was
only up 10 the commissioners 10 vote
the appropriation, he suggested.
Pormised Money TO Lambert.
Commissioner Pfeiffer, however.
who with City Clerk Speight spent
Saturday and Sunday in checking over
the budgets. fatty contradicted the
mayors statement that he had any
surplus. The city clerk would bear
him out. he asserted. in his state
ment that the health department bud
get was barely sufficient to get by.
And even if he had money avail
able in that budget" the tax commits
sioner said, "the mayor owes me about
S1400 which he promised TO pay out
of the contingency fund for the salary
of n rent collector in my department.
and he promised Commissioner Lam
bert about $4,000 for his department
out of the same fund. Let him pay
these debts first and then il he has
any left over. he can do with il as he
pleases."
The tax commissioner opened his
argument with reference to the may
or's speech as "blue smoke screen. a
lot of talk which means nothing"
The mayor is said TO have made no
reply to the tax commissioner. The
argument, ut times. is said to have
waxed hot and was later Joined in by
Commissioner Phil Wright.
Commissioner Pfeiffer. in discuss
ing the S1500 appropriation Tuesday.
reiterated his former declaration that
he did not believe it proper to appro-
pirate money for such purposes when
the city may not be able to pay its
employees the money due them.
Take Bread From Employees.
"If the city had plenty of money"
the tax commissioner said. Il would
not object to an appropriation. of this
kind. But we are now facing the
prospect of going on a scrip basis. If
we do. it will mean that our employees
may have TO wait for months for their
money. Or if they are unable TO wait,
they may have to cash their warrants
with money lenders at a discount.
IL understand that during the Cal
laghan administration when the city
was on scrip basis that these war
rants were discounted as high as 10
and 20 per cent. Think what that
means to man who is only receiving
500 n month. 1t means the bread
out of his family's mouth. And to-
think that we are appropriating
money for such trivial things when
such prospect faces us"
Although the $500 is not large
amount. the tax commissioner said. a
number of similar appropriations rap
idly mount up into the thousands and
if economy is practiced in the small
things. it might be possible to pull
the city out of the hole.